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A few people I’ve talked with recently have raised their concerns about the use of canola oil in cooking. However, the use of this oil is widely supported by many health care professionals, who consider it to be safe and healthy for human consumption.
A simple search on the internet displays some very disturbing, and sometimes far fetched, claims about canola oil. These are just a few:
- Canola was produced via genetic modification from the rapeseed plant.
- Rape is the most toxic of all food plants.
- Canola oil contains large amounts of isothiocynates that contain cyanide.
- It was used to make mustard gas – the poison gas that was used during WW1.
- It inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme critical for transmission of nerve signals in the body.
- Canola is an industrial oil, which doesn’t belong in the human body.
- It causes mad cow disease.
In reality, I couldn’t find any reliable evidence to support such claims. Much of what I read at the beginning of my search appears to have been regurgitated over and over again, as I visited a number of different sites. Therefore, I feel that some of these claims are another example of the misguided, incorrect and unscientific information, which is unfortunately so prevalent.
This reminds me of a saying, “Tell a lie loud enough, and long enough, and people will believe you!” I think this is very true of much of what we hear in the media, and read on the internet today!
To clarify things further, lets take a look at how canola oil is produced.
Where does canola oil come from?
Canola oil comes from the rape seed, which is part of the mustard family of plants. Before 1971, oil prepared from rapeseed contained erucic acid in the range of 30 to 60%. In animal studies, these high levels had been associated with cardiac lesions. For this reason rapeseed oil was considered unhealthy for human consumption.
As a result, rapeseed varieties were bred using traditional, natural plant breeding techniques. Today canola oil has a low erucic acid content (less than 2%, with an average of 0.6%), while still maintaining high levels of the healthier monounsaturated fats. Therefore, canola oil is now considered safe for human consumption. It is also important to note that this breding technique is not Genetic Modification.
What are the benefits of using canola oil?
The FDA state that:
“Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 1/2 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat, and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.”
In addition to the above, canola oil is:
- High in unsaturated fats (93%).
- Free of cholesterol and trans fat.
- Lowest in saturated fat (7%) of the common oils.
- Good source of omega 3 fatty acids – 1 tablespoon provides 1.3g n-3 fatty acid.
- Has a high smoke point (220 C), meaning it can be heated to a higher temperature, without its antioxidants, colour and flavour spoiling.
- Neutral taste and light texture, making it a multi-purpose cooking oil.
As with olive oil, the “cold press” version offers the purest flavour and greatest nutrient content. In cold pressing, chemical solvents are not used, and the oil isn’t heated above 150 C. However, if you do opt for the cold pressed oil, unfortunately you’ll have to pay a premium price.
I can’t see anything wrong with using canola oil in cooking at this stage, if this is your preference. However, like many areas of nutrition, it should be use in moderation, as it has a high calorie content. Personally, I’m going to continue to use olive oil, where possible, but have no concerns about using canola oil as a reserve oil, at this stage.
Do you use canola oil in cooking? What are your thoughts on this article? I’d love to hear from you!
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Thank you so much for the research on this oil Melanie. I have been using canola oil for a number of years. I use it in salad dressings, deep frying, and in any receipe that calls for vegetable oil such as cake mixes etc… I find it’s light taste is great because unlike olive oil it does not stand out or leave a unwanted aftertaste.
I also decided to use it as I suffer from high cholesterol.
Hi Kim,
Thank you for commenting! Yes, I find canola oil is one of the most versatile oils too. I’m glad the article was useful.
It doesnt matter how you put it, Canola oil is still extracted and produced from a toxic plant. Think about it, why would the FDA who is known for covering things up, say that there is any truth to these so called “far-fetched” claims. Another thing you have to think about is why is canola oil so cheap, at the quantities that are being produced. You need to do more research before you write an article, especially when some of your key points to help your argument are in turn hurting it.
Eb,
Thank you for your comments.
In reality, canola oil has been extensively researched and no sound scientific study has been able to prove a connection between canola and disease.
Early studies did seem to suggest a possible link between canola oil and toxicity in rats. However, further research confirmed that rats do not metabolize any oil well, and therefore don’t make good lipid research subjects.
Unfortunately these flawed studies continue to be cited over and over again to this day in error.
While canola oil has been singled out as having toxic properties, in truth any edible oil can be transformed into poison, depending on the techniques used for processing.
Rapeseed oil is high in erucic acid, a chemical that can become toxic in large enough amounts. But, canola plants have been bred to produce very little erucic acid and is therefore one of the healthier oils.
As with anything, moderation is the key, and I certainly do not advocate a high intake of any type of oil.