Rapeseed field used for canola oil. Via Flickr

During this past year in my Integrative Nutrition studies there has been much talk regarding canola oil and its dangers. We have all but demonized this slick processed food fixture but I was never sure exactly why. I was telling everyone that if canola oil was on the ingredient list, just don’t buy it-it’s junk. So of course people wanted to know why?! “Why are these organic potato chips fried in canola oil bad for me?” I mean, I was finding this stuff in EVERYTHING…in junk food of course (crackers, chips ect.) but also ‘health foods’ like granola and soymilk and organic salad dressings. And so my research began and here’s what I have found:

Canola oil hydrogenated rapeseed oil. The rapeseed plant is a member of the mustard family and rapeseed oil is a potent pesticide. Rapeseed oil is contains erucic acid which is toxic to people.

So why is it called Canola Oil? Rapeseed oil is a Canadian export product; it is the CANada Oil-Low Acid, hence, Canola.
Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions) notes that “heart healthy” canola oil actually creates a deficiency in Vitamin E which is essential to cardiovascular health. This was also reported in Nutrition Research, 1997, Volume 17.

Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of refining, bleaching and degumming–all of which utilize high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling, it must be deodorized. The deodorization process removes much of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. So then we are not only eating rancid oil, but trans fat too! Research at the University of Florida (Gainsville) determined that as much as 4.6% of the fatty acids in canola are trans fats formed in the refining process.

There should be no further confusion regarding canola oil. It is bad stuff and hardly edible. Look for healthier oils like coconut, olive, or palm oil when buying any foods that come with an ingredient list. Unfortunately, most other vegetables oil (sunflower, safflower, soybean ect) all go through this refining process as well and are therefore less than desirable for human nutrition and health. Look for these oils to be expeller or cold-pressed. And the only thing I have to say about cottonseed oil is…were we meant to eat cotton?!?!

Further reading:
» The Great Con-ola
» The Dangers Of Canola Oil