The Dark side of Canola Oil

The Dark side of Canola Oil

The mainstream media has been serving the goodness benefits of Canola Oil influenced by the heavy marketing. In this article, I’m about to uncover that Canola oil is anything but healthy. The manufacturers keep calling it the “world's healthiest cooking oil” – although some experts disagree. Why? And who would you trust? Expert? or company that wants to secure their interest?

What is Canola Oil?

Canola is only a marketing terms. It can cause confusion over a name of great plant. Straightforwardly your brain started to recognise that it is oil from a plant so it must be good for your body.

Canola is a marketing term. It actually stands for Canadian Oil but it makes you thinks that it stands for Canada Oil, Low Acid

Canola oil is extracted from Rapeseed. In World War II, rapeseed oil was used as a lubricant in ships, steam engines, and other machinery. After the war, demand of rapeseed oil dived and farmers began to look for other uses for the plant and its products. A bunch of brainy Canadian scientists however came out with the idea to help this industry and wanted to turn rapeseed oil into edible oil. So, that is how it was born-- in the lab. Canola oil very cheap to manufacture compared to cold pressed oil and it is backed by Canadian government. Today, about 90% of the world’s canola crop is genetically modified.

Rapeseed

What Does The Marketing People Not Telling You?

Some of the facts pull the marketing strategist are in fact true. However, they did not display the whole truth of Canola oil. Canola oil typically ranges between 55-65% monounsaturated fat and between 28-35% polyunsaturated fat, with just a small amount of saturated fat.

Polyunsaturated fats= Good
Monounsaturated fat= Good
Saturated fat = Bad

This is what we have been told by nutritionists, neither of it is wrong. Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6 fats and it is true that canola oil contains a balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fats at 2:1.

However, keep in mind that during the nasty manufacturing process, much of these polyunsaturated fats have already gone and a large portion of it turned into trans fats. The polyunsaturated fats it contains are prone to rancidity even if organic.

Rancidity is a term generally used to denote unpleasant odours and flavours in foods resulting from deterioration in the fat or oil portion of a food.

According to Dr. Mary Enig, PhD, and Nutritional Biochemist, "Although the Canadian government lists the trans fat content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans fat levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid canola oil".

Throw that Canola Oil. If you want a good source of omega-3s, then eat fish that give you this like mackerel, salmon, sardines and etc or supplement that contains fish oil.

Heavily Processed

Canola oil is typically extracted and refined using high heat, pressure, and petroleum solvents such as hexane. Most canola oil undergoes a process of caustic refining, degumming, bleaching, and deoderization, all using high heat and questionable chemicals. Don't take my word for it. Watch the video instead.

Briefly, this is how it is processed.

Pressed ------> Solvent ------> Cleaned ------> Pressed again ------> BLEACHED (to lighten the color)

Sum up and recommendation

My main objective here is for the readers to be cautious from marketing strategy and be informed before acknowledging claims that some food is good for our body. Often we as a consumer falls from dirty marketing and risk our health to it. In contrast to Canola oil, opt for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), Virgin coconut oil , Macadamia nut oil & avocado oil. Please remember, oil that contains high polyunsaturated fats can be destroyed by heat, so use it as a dressing instead.

Be informed.

Jen