Corn Oil vs Canola Oil: Find the Best

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Corn oil and canola oil are widely used in frying and baking. Let’s compare corn oil vs canola oil to find out what oil is better for our health. They are both applied in commercial food production. They are inexpensive and available for usage.

Basics

Corn oil is extracted from corn kernels, it is refined and deodorized oil with a neutral sweetish taste and light color. Canola oil is derived from the canola plant, grown especially for oil. It is a variety of rapeseed with a low content of erucic acid. Canola oil is also refined and deodorized and neutral in color and taste. Canola oil as well as corn oil is used for high heat cooking. The smoke point of canola oil is 400°F and the smoke point of corn oil is 450°F. It allows to fry and grill on canola and corn oil without any damage to our health.

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Fat content

There are nearly 120 calories in one tablespoon of both corn oil and canola oil. The total fat equals to 14 g. These oils are similarly highly-caloric. And we should use them in moderation. The excessive consumption of both corn oil and canola oil will lead to weight gain. The total amount of all oils you consume daily shouldn’t prevail 3 tablespoons.

Essential fatty acids

However, when we compare corn oil fatty acid composition with canola oil we see canola oil is much more beneficial. First of all, canola oil has a smaller amount of saturated fats: 1.031 g in comparison to 1.7 g in 1 tbsp of corn oil as nutritiondata states. And saturated fats are undesirable in our diet. The composition of unsaturated fatty acids is better in canola oil as well. Corn oil is high in omega-6 fats, have some omega-9 fatty acids and a very small amount of omega-3s. Canola oil is high in omega-9 fatty acids considered more heart-beneficial than omega-6 fats. Moreover, it is a rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids vitally important for our diet. Today people lack this type of fat and every source of it is highly recommended. So we see that according to the fatty acids composition canola oil is a better choice.

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Vitamins and minerals

When we compare vitamins and minerals in corn oil vs canola oil we should admit that they both lack them. They are only rich in vitamin E, or tocopherols. Canola oil contains 2.44 mg and corn oil – 1.94 mg in a tablespoon. As the Office of Dietary Supplements states adults’ daily recommended value for vitamin E is 15 mg.

Research

Scientists carried out a research comparing canola oil vs corn oil according to their chemo-protective effects. They found that canola oil lessened tumor volumes in rats and increased the survival level more effectively if compared with corn oil. More studies are needed to prove the results.