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Is Canola Oil Healthy: Find Out the Benefits of Canola Oil

Is canola oil healthy

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Is canola oil healthy? Canola oil is extracted from a variety of rapeseed which is low in erucic acid and called the canola plant. Canola was achieved from rapeseed by selective breeding and quickly became one the main oil crops in the world.  Canola oil is new oil and you may hear a lot of rumors about it. Is canola oil good or bad for you? Let’s see.

Beneficial composition

To answer the question “Is canola oil good for you?” we’ll turn to the nutritional profile of canola oil. There are 14 g of fat and 120 calories in 1 tablespoon of oil. Canola oil has no protein or carbohydrates and does not contain cholesterol.

 

Composition of fats

The benefits of canola oil come from the composition of fats. Canola oil is very little in saturated fats, only 7%. It is a wonderful substitute for butter. According to Wikipedia canola oil is high in omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids, with 61%. Monounsaturated fats are connected with low cholesterol levels and healthy cardiovascular system.  Canola oil contains 21% of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats and 11 % of omega-3 essential fatty acids. . It has more omega-3 fats than other vegetable oils. Just flaxseed oil is superior to it. Omega-3 fatty acids contribute much to the benefits of canola oil; moreover, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is perfect for human consumption.

 

SEE ALSO: Gluten in Canola Oil – Is Canola Oil Gluten-Free?

Vitamins and minerals

Canola oil is high in fat-soluble vitamin E and K. There are 2.4 mg of vitamin E and 10 mcg of vitamin K. Vitamins E is a strong antioxidant that destroys harmful free radicals and helps form red blood cells.  Vitamin K in its turn is important for blood clotting and contributes to the bone health.

 

Health benefits of canola oil

Promoting heart health

Omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid in canola oil helps regulate cholesterol levels, lower triglyceride levels and reduce blood pressure.

Reducing inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. They reduce inflammation linked to such diseases as arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases and asthma.  According to Harvard Health Publications omega-3 fats in canola oil may help eczema and lupus. For example, rich in omega-3s flaxseed oil oil treats eczema very well.

Other possible benefits

ALA from canola oil may turn into EPA and DHA, essentially needed for the brain functioning. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce the risk of depression and are necessary to prevent cancer, ADHD, ulcers and glaucoma.

 

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Concerns

Erucic acid

Some consumers worry about the potential toxicity of erucic acid contained in canola oil. In fact, canola oil has very low levels of it, recognized safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

GMO

Some canola plants are genetically modified to resist herbicides. In case you don’t want to consume GMO, choose organic canola oil, manufactured from non-GMO canola plants. Read more about canola oil and GMO.

Trans fats

According to Dr. William Sears the omega-3 fatty acids contained in canola oil could be transformed into trans fats in case they are heated over 120 degrees.

Chemical extraction

Some canola oil is extracted with the help of chemicals, for example, hexane. Choose expeller-pressed canola oil extracted mechanically.

Considerations

Canola oil has undergone little research to prove its effectiveness. More studies are needed to prove in what canola oil is good or bad.