Canola Oil Dangers

Fat is not the enemy. Fat does not make you fat! Over fifty years of bad science, mostly funded by the U.S. Canola Association, eating the right fats can sustain and improve your health. There are five reasons to avoid vegetable oils, especially Canola Oil. Avoid it at all costs.

Canola oil is a polyunsaturated fat. It is prone to oxidation. (1) Heat, light or oxygen can cause it to go bad. They still use a high heat process to extract the oil from the rapeseed. Much of the product spoils before it leaves the factory. The consequences of long term use should have you using for other higher cooking temperature oils, like organic extra-virgin coconut or macadamia nut oils. They are cold-pressed, but can heat up to 425 degrees without changing their beneficial properties. The Canola manufacturing process produces chemical products called aldehydes. These compounds take time to build up in your body and over the years can lead to heart disease and cancer. (2) A study in the journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reveals that aldehydes are formed at higher rates as the temperature of canola oil rises. (3) Even though Canola Oil is rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, the high heat processes of 176 to 248 degrees F to get the oil out of the rapeseed changes the Omega-3s and gives it a foul smell. So the manufacturers deodorize the product by using more heat.(4) With that higher heat process, they turn into harmful Trans fats which can cause heart disease, stroke and diabetes.(5) Even though Canola Oil began as rapeseed oil and it naturally contains high levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates, the FDA found them unfit for human consumption in 1956. Newer breeding practices in the early 1970s reduced the amount of toxins in the oil. (6) They are still in the canola oil and erucic acid is linked to heart damage. In one study, the rats that consumed the most erucic acid developed the most lesions and fat deposits in their hearts. (7)

About 90 percent of canola oil in the United States is genetically modified (GM). The DNA is altered so that rapeseed plants can resist the pesticide Roundup. The chemicals found in the Roundup put us at risk for DNA damage and raises our risks of developing certain cancers. Research also suggests that genetically modified organisms (GMO) could be blamed for a number of health problems such as compromised immunity, infertility, insulin spikes, and premature aging. GMOs can also change major organs, especially in the digestive system. (8)

Canola Oil is the largest source of vegetable oil in the world. (9) Always choose fats that have gone through the least processing and look for terms like "cold-pressed." Manufacturers keep oil below certain temperatures to keep them from turning rancid. That means less toxins and health threats. Avoiding GM products is easier by looking for "organic" or "Non-GMO Project Verified" on the label.

REFERENCES:

1. Rubin, Jordan, and Joseph Brasco. Restoring Your Digestive Health: How the Guts and Glory Program Can Transform Your Life. New York: Twin Streams, 2003. 84. Print.

2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/459786-can-you-get-sick-from-eating-rancid-oil/

3. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf03523f?_sm_au_=iHVlsFnjnWrF6S57

4. http://www.drfranklipman.com/canola-oil-a-healthy-oil-fraud/

5. http://hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/transfats/

6. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops/canola.aspx

7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1277456/pdf/compmed00043-0031.pdf

8. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/gmo-health-dangers/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops/canola.aspx