Q. How Healthy Is Canola Oil Really?

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., March/April 2010

More Information on Healthy Oils

A. Canola oil comes from canola seeds. They are a genetic variation of rapeseed that was developed in the 1960s using traditional plant-breeding methods to make the rapeseed more palatable.

But canola often gets a bad rap. For example, we get questions from people who’ve heard canola oil is toxic and can cause various diseases, from emphysema to Mad Cow. The truth is there are no sound scientific studies suggesting a link between canola oil and any disease.

We also hear concerns that canola oil is genetically engineered (GE). This is true—most canola (93 percent in the U.S.) is GE. If that’s a concern for you, choose certified organic.

EatingWell often uses canola oil in our recipes because it’s one of the healthiest oil choices. It’s a good source of monounsaturated fats, the kind that, when used to replace saturated fats like butter and cheese, can help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. Canola is the richest cooking-oil source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that has been linked to heart health.

Canola is also versatile: it has a neutral taste, light texture and a medium-high smoke point, so it works well for sautéing and baking. (An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it begins to smoke. When it does, disease-causing carcinogens and free radicals are released, so you never want to heat your oil to that point.)

COMMENTS	POSTED
I thought 'canola' just meant 'Canadian Oil/? — Anonymous	02/26/2012 - 5:36pm
There is no such thing as a canola plant growing anywhere thus this oil does not occur in nature.Canola oil is manmade..and during the manufacturing process the healthy omega-3 fats are denatured making it unrecognizable and unusable by the body.. For high temperature cooking grapeseed oil and coconut oil are the best.. Anonymous — Anonymous	02/24/2012 - 9:51am
Just thinking - Olive oil - came from olives, corn oil - from corn, almond oil - from almond, walnut oil - from walnut, etc., canola oil - came from ????? what seeds? — Anonymous	02/19/2012 - 9:31pm
Lots of people make bad comments about genetically modified foods but I have never heard anyone say what's wrong with it.Crops can be modified in ways that make them better,too.For example,plant modification has resulted in development of rice plants that produce much greater offspring,allowing the feeding of millions of people who might otherwise have starved. — Anonymous	02/04/2012 - 5:19am
I think Canola oil is a good oil — Anonymous	02/04/2012 - 2:19am
Canola oil helps me to reduce my excessive cholesterol level....... — Anonymous	11/01/2010 - 1:11am
Canola oil and rapeseed oil are the same thing. Canola just sounds cooler. There's nothig wrong with genetcally engineered foods.....except, I suppose if you have a food allergy. That sounds like the symptoms one gets with peanut allergy. Maybe your sister bought the canola oil where they also process peanut oil. For taste I actually prefer the corn oil/canola oil blends. — Anonymous	10/14/2010 - 11:56am
To the English subscriber: rapeseed oil is just another name for canola so he is using the same thing. To the allergy sufferer: perhaps it is the GMO canola to which you are allergic. Try a small amount of organic and see what happens. The U.S. organic standards do not permit the use of genetically modified seeds in any crops, including rapeseed (canola) — Anonymous	10/13/2010 - 4:38pm
There is room in a healthy cooks kitchen for both Canola and Virgin Olive Oil. Plus the cost factor is different. I do a lot of baking for charity events in our small town and find canola oil to be preferable. I understand a lot of the concerns people have raised about GMO, organic etc. however get on with it, life is not perfect, do the best you can, cook and EAT ( by the way I am healthy not overweight, excercise lots and work full time). Happy Nana — Anonymous	10/13/2010 - 9:04am
Rapeseed also produces the poison called risin as well as the oil called Canola. In our research, we found that there is no canola seed as such, only gmo rapeseed from which canola oil is produced. The websites stated that the name "canola oil" came from the Canadian town nearest to the production site of the first batch of oil made. Where this person, Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D. get the information given in the article? The term "organic" simply means that no pesticides were utilized in the growth of the crop by being place within so many feet of the leaves or roots. I has nothing to do with the GMO process in any way. It is totally irrelevant. We've been lied by advertisers and government agencies and food companies who all think they can satisfy us with red herring answers because we tend to take what we're told as fact. Wake up and smell the sewage people. Do your research, ask questions, read, read, read! — Anonymous	10/13/2010 - 2:41am