-
While Canola oil was introduced to American consumers as a healthy alternative to other oils, it is still unclear whether consumption of this oil is a smart choice. Supporters of Canola oil tout the fact that it is low in saturated fats, whereas critics suggest that an oil whose source is a toxic insecticide and which causes premature death in lab animals cannot be entirely healthy for human use.
Origins of Canola Oil
-
Canola oil is a manmade oil that originated in Canada -- the name "Canola" is a combination of the words Canada and oil -- derived from the rapeseed plant. What makes this interesting is that the rapeseed plant is toxic to humans. Rapeseed is an insect repellent and was also the main ingredient in the mustard gas used as weapons in World War II. When Canola oil is engineered, erucic acid, the part of the oil which is toxic to humans, is supposed to be filtered out.
Saturated Fats
-
The reason that Canola is touted as being a healthy alternative to other oils is because it has a low composition of saturated fat. Only 4 percent of the fats in Canola oil are saturated fats, while the rest are unsaturated fats. While this is a good thing when viewed separately, it may not be enough to justify Canola oil as being one of the healthiest types of oil on the market.
Testing of Canola Oil's Effects
-
The effects of Canola oil have not been tested on humans, but studies on laboratory rats and pigs have shown that the consumption of Canola oil led to hyperlipidemic conditions, an excess of fat and cholesterol in the blood, as well as hypertension, degeneration of the heart, kidney, adrenals, and thyroid gland. The rats that were fed Canola oil, as opposed to soybean oil, also experienced a shorter lifespan.
No comments:
Post a Comment