Question: Why Should I Use Canola Oil?
Answer: Simply put, canola oil is good for you because it contains two types of chemicals that are good for your diet, while also being lower in unhealthy chemicals that are common in other types of oil.
First, canola oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids (just like olive oil) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like the ones found in flax seed oil.
Not only does eating a diet high in monounsaturated likely reduce your risk of heart disease, consuming omega-3 fatty acids also will reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and will help to reduce inflammation.
Canola also has a low amount of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. A typical western diet has much more of the omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, in a ratio of about 15 to 1. Experts think that this ratio should be much closer and that this imbalance leads to inflammation and chronic disease.
Canola oil, flax oil and olive oil all have healthful properties, but canola oil may be the most versatile. Canola oil also stands up to heat well, unlike flax seed oil, and it has a milder flavor than olive oil, so it is an appropriate choice for almost any type of cooking or baking. Canola oil can also be used in many salad dressing recipes.
Canola oil was developed in Canada by breeding rapeseed plants that produced much lower levels of erucic acid typically found in rapeseed. Erucic acid is toxic in large amounts. Unfortunately some people misunderstand the difference between canola and rapeseed and there have been email hoaxes and rumors claiming that consuming canola oil is dangerous.
These rumors are false. Canola oil is one of the healthiest oils that you can use. In fact, the FDA allows food companies to make a qualified claim that canola oil is heart-healthy on product labels. The best way to enjoy the health benefits of canola oil is use it in place of other vegetable oils, non-canola based margarine and butter in your recipes and cooking.
Sources:
de Lorgeril M, Salen P. "Alpha-linolenic acid and coronary heart disease." Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2004 Jun;14(3):162-9.
Psota TL, Gebauer SK, Kris-Etherton P. "Dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake and cardiovascular risk." Am J Cardiol. 2006 Aug 21;98(4A):3i-18i.
Simopoulos AP. "Evolutionary aspects of diet, the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and genetic variation: nutritional implications for chronic diseases." Biomed Pharmacother. 2006 Nov;60(9):502-7.
USDA. "USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference." Release 20. Updated September 2007.
