Recently, I cautioned you to “avoid canola oil like the plague”. If you know the truth about Canola oil, this advice comes as no surprise. But there are many who have not yet heard the truth about this so called “healthy oil”. Time to drop some knowledge bombs and spread the truth!
What Is Canola Oil?
Made from rape seeds, Canola oil got it’s name because a majority of the rape seeds used in manufacturing were grown in Canada. Canola is short for “Canada Oil”. The oil was “invented” (first hint that it’s not good for you!) to fill the need for an oil high in unsaturated fat that was more abundant AND less expensive than olive oil. Pure rapeseed oil (not a name that sells well, hence the need for a creative name) contains high levels of erucic acid – a fatty acid associated with fibrotic lesions of the heart. So the oil had to be genetically modified to contain lower levels of this fatty acid. This new strain of rapeseed was called LEAR (low erucic acid rapeseed) and grown predominantly in Canada. And now you now where Canola Oil came from.
Why Is It Bad For You?
If you’ve read anything I’ve written, you know I love Jack Lalanne’s line “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Canola Oil, as you can see from the history lesson above, is not only highly processed, but it was actually INVENTED by man. Strike 1.
Canola Oil is touted to contain the health superstar omega-3 fatty acids. But what you don’t hear is this: Those fatty acids are as delicate as they are beneficial. As such they go rancid easily when subjected to high temperatures. This is exactly what happens when canola oil is processed as Dr. Mary Enig stated in her paper “The Great Con-ola”, “Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching, and degumming – all of which invlove high temperatures of questionable safety.” Not to mention the chemicals involved… The rancidity of these fatty acids creates a foul smell that must be deodorized, a process that turns many of those beneficial omega-3’s into trans fats. Strike 2. (Actually a full blown out, but for argument’s sake, let’s stick with strike 2.)
If you want another reason to avoid canola oil, let’s talk about the inflammation this stuff causes inside your body. Chemicals, rancid fatty acids, trans fats, and who knows what else love to wreak havoc on the delicate human body. They lead to oxidation and free radicals that promote inflammation, an enviroment that contributes greatly to most chronic diseases affecting the western world today. The following are only a few of the chronic disease states that have been linked to inflammation: asthma, allergies, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Strike 3.
In Short:
Man made oil – CREATED in a factory and HIGHLY refined
Pro-inflammatory
Potential health benefits turned harmful by processing – increasing harmful potential
Coming Soon… the top 5 healthiest oils!
Learn More About Canola Oil
References:
150 Healthiest Foods On Earth by Jonny Bowden
“The Great Con-ola” Dr. Mary Enig
“The Real Story On Canola Oil (Can-Ugly Oil) Dr Fred Pescatore