What Is Canola Oil?
Do you know what canola oil is? Canola oil, also known as rapeseed oil, is a vegetable oil used in countless foods. Many people have eliminated canola oil from their diets because of concerns about its health effects and production methods.
If you still have doubts about the use of this oil, in this article we will explain everything. Read on to find out more useful information!
What is canola oil?
Canola oil is one of the most popular vegetable oils. It appeared in Canada (hence the name). The Canadian industry began to develop it in 1978, through the genetic modification of rapeseed plants.
Although the canola plant looks identical to the rapeseed plant, it has different nutrients and its oil is “safe” for human consumption. Most crops are genetically modified to improve oil quality and increase plant tolerance to herbicides.
Nutrient content
Polyunsaturated fats in canola oil include 21% linoleic acid, known as omega-6 fatty acid and 11% alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid derived from plant sources.
Many people, especially those on vegetarian diets, rely on sources of ALA to increase their levels of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. They are essential for heart and brain health.
Although the body converts ALA into DHA and EPA, research shows that this process is extremely inefficient. However, ALA has many benefits because it can reduce the risk of fractures and protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Why could canola oil be bad for your health?
It is important to note that the heating methods used to create canola oil, as well as high temperature cooking methods, such as frying, have a negative impact on polyunsaturated fats, such as ALA.
In addition, when exposed to high temperatures during processing, a small amount of unsaturated fats in the oil, especially polyunsaturated fats, is converted to trans fats. This further reduces the amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Trans fats are unhealthy, even in small amounts, which has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to call for the global elimination of these fats from food by 2023.
Finally, we recommend (if you decide to consume this type of oil) to look for an ecological option that does not come from genetically modified plants. Otherwise, the oil could be harmful to health.
