Dangers Of Canola Oil

Ok, so what’s the deal with canola oil?  Would you cook with oil that comes from a seed that insects refuse to eat?  Would you use industrial lubricating oils to cook food for your family?  Most people would quickly answer “no” to both questions, yet they may unknowingly be using this product for cooking right now.

The dangers of cooking with canola oil are perhaps unknown by unsuspecting or uninformed consumers.  New studies are proving the long term dangers of consumption of food products prepared with foods that have been genetically modified in laboratories.  Canola oil is derived from genetically engineered rapeseed.  The original purpose for this particular oil was for industrial lubrication use.  Rapeseed is part of the mustard family.  It is a toxic, poisonous weed that even insects won’t eat.

Is Canola Oil Healthy?

Canola is an acronym for Canada oil, low acid, and was contrived by the Canadian oil industry in 1978.  Canadian scientists genetically modified the rapeseed plants for the express purpose of processing the oil for human consumption.  It was cheap and easy to grow. In the 1970’s, the food super-companies were looking for substitutes for saturated fats, which were being blamed for heart and other health diseases, and Canada was set to fill the need with canola.

Natural rapeseed oil is poisonous to humans and animals.  It contains high levels of erucic acid, which causes heart lesions and other problems.  Reasons for the need to change the name for marketing purposes are obvious.  Rapeseed has been used as a source of oil for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, but it was unprocessed cold-pressed oil.

Omega 6 Fatty Acids:

Canola oil is a rich source of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFA, which within limits are beneficial to human health.  However, studies show that excessive consumption of this strain of fatty acids can be counterproductive.  An Israeli study, published in the November 1996 issue of the Israeli Journal of Medical Sciences, investigated the high incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes and cancer among Israelis.

Israel is a country where the consumption of mega-6 PUFA is 8 percent higher than in the United States and 10 to 12 percent higher than in most European countries.  The study concluded that “rather than being beneficial, high omega-6 PUFA diets may have some long-term side effects, within the cluster of hyperinsulinemia, atherosclerosis and tumorigenesis.”

Canola Oil Benefits:

Canola Oil has been found to contain some essential fatty acids, which can have beneficial effects on the heart and cardiovascular system.  About 218 g of canola oil contains 16 g of saturated fats, 61.2 g of polyunsaturated fats, 137. 9 g of monounsaturated fats and 0.9 g of trans fats.  The same amount of canola oil can provide about 1927 calories.  Apart from these, omega-3 essential fatty acids and omega-6 fatty
acids are its other important nutrients.

Most of the known benefits of canola oil can be attributed to the presence of high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids are known for their beneficial effects on human heart.  These fatty acids are known to reduce the risk for heart and cardiovascular diseases.  Again, it can provide a significant amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, that may increase the level of good HDL cholesterol in the body.  These essential oils may also improve immune functions and promote brain health.

Canola Oil does contain a small quantity of saturated fats, which is much lower than what is found in many other cooking oils.  This is the reason why, it is considered as a superior oil than many other commonly used cooking oils.  The oil and its entire manufacturing process has become a subject of debate, some praising the oil for its health benefits, while others pointing out some serious possible side effects.

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Thanks for Reading!

Chris