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Health Hazard : Canola Oil

Just to Summarize this whole bunch of paragraphs...
Canola oil is a health hazard to use as a cooking oil or
salad oil. It is not the healthy oil we thought it was.
It is not fit for human consumption, do not eat canola
oil, it can hurt you. Polyunsaturated or not, this is a
bad oil.

More informations are shown below

Recently I bought a cooking oil that is new to our
supermarkets, Canola Oil. I tried it because the label
assured me it was lowest in 'bad' fats. However,
when I had used half the bottle, I concluded that the label
told me surprisingly little else and I started to wonder:
where does canola oil come from?
Olive oil comes from olives, peanut oil from peanuts,
sunflower oil from sunflowers; but what is a canola?
There was nothing on the label to enlighten me which I
thought odd. So, I did some investigating on the
Internet. There are plenty of official Canola sites
lauding this new 'wonder' oil with all its low-fat
health benefits. It takes a little longer to find sites
that tell the less palatable details.

Here are just a few facts everyone should know before
buying anything containing canola. Canola is not the name
of a natural plant but a made-up word, from the words '
Canada ' and 'oil'. Canola is a genetically
engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed
Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants.

According to Agri Alternatives, The Online Innovation, and
Technology Magazine for Farmers, 'By nature, these
rapeseed oils, which have long been used to produce oils
for industrial purposes, are... Toxic to humans and other
animals'. (This, by the way, is one of the websites
singing the praises of the new canola industry.)

Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an
excellent insect repellent. I have been using it (in very
diluted form, as per instructions) to kill the aphids on my
roses for the last two years. It works very well; it
suffocates them. Ask for it at your nursery. Rape is an
oil that is used as a lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic
rubber base and as a illuminate for color pages in
magazines.

It is an industrial oil. It is not a food. Rape oil, it
seems, causes emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia,
constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals and
humans. Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in
England and Europe between 1986 and 1991, when it was
thrown out. Remember the 'Mad Cow disease' scare,
when millions of cattle in the UK were slaughtered in case
of infecting humans? Cattle were being fed on a mixture
containing material from dead sheep, and sheep suffer from
a disease called 'scrapie'.

It was thought this was how 'Mad Cow' began and
started to infiltrate the human chain. What is
interesting is that when rape oil was removed from animal
feed, 'scrapie' disappeared. We also have not
seen any further reports of 'Mad Cow' since rape
oil was removed from the feed. Perhaps not scientifically
proven, but interesting all the same. US and Canadian
farmers grow genetically engineered rapeseed and
manufacturers use its oil (canola) in thousands of
processed foods, with the blessings of Canadian and US
government watchdog agencies. The canola supporting
websites say that canola is safe to use. They admit it
was developed from the rapeseed, but insist that through
genetic engineering it is no longer rapeseed, but
'canola' instead.

Except canola means 'Canadian oil'; and the plant
is still a rape plant, albeit genetically modified. The
new name provides perfect cover for commercial interests
wanting to make millions. Look at the ingredients list on
labels. Apparently peanut oil is being replaced with rape
oil. You will find it in an alarming number of processed
foods. There is more, but to conclude: rape oil was the
source of the chemical warfare agent mustard gas, which was
banned after blistering the lungs and skins of hundred of
thousands of soldiers and civilians during W.W.I. Recent
French reports indicate that it was again in use during the
Gulf War.

Check products for ingredients. If the label says,
'may contain the following' and lists canola oil,
you know it contains canola oil because it is the cheapest
oil and the Canadian government subsidizes it to industries
involved in food processing.

I do not know what you will be cooking with tonight, but I
will be using olive oil and old-fashioned butter, from a
genetically unmodified cow.

Here is more information. .........
Canola oil from the rape seed, referred to as the Canadian
oil because Canada is mainly responsible for it being
marketed in the USA . The Canadian government and
industry paid our Federal Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) $50 million dollars to have canola oil placed on the
(GRAS) List 'Generally Recognized As Safe'.
Thus a new industry was created. Laws were enacted
affecting international trade, commerce, and traditional
diets. Studies with lab animals were disastrous. Rats
developed fatty degeneration of heart, kidney, adrenals,
and thyroid gland. When canola oil was withdrawn from
their diets, the deposits dissolved but scar tissue
remained on all vital organs. No studies on humans were
made before money was spent to promote Canola oil in the
USA .

Adrenoleukodystroph y (ALD) is a rare fatal degenerative
disease caused by a build up of long-chain fatty acids (c22
to c28) which destroys the myelin (protective sheath) of the
nerves. Canola oil is a very long chain fatty acid oil
(c22). Those who will defend canola oil say that the
Chinese and Indians have used it for centuries with no
effect, however it was in an unrefined form.(*) (* taken
from FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS THAT KILL by Udo Erasmus.)

My cholesterol level was 150. After a year using Canola
oil I tested 260. I switched back to pure olive oil and it
has taken 5 years to get it down to 160. Thus began this
project to find answers since most Doctors will say that Canola
oil is O.K.

My sister spilled Canola oil on a piece of fabric, after 5
pre-treatings and harsh washings, the oil spot still
showed. She stopped using Canola oil, wondering what it
did to our insides if it could not be removed from cloth
easily. Our Father bred birds, always checking labels to
insure there was no rape seed in their food. He said,
'The birds will eat it, but they do not live very
long.' A friend, who worked for only 9 months as a
quality control taster at an apple-chip factory where
Canola oil was used exclusively for frying, developed
numerous health problems. These included loose teeth &
gum disease; numb hands and feet; swollen arms and legs
upon rising in the morning; extreme joint pain especially n
hands, cloudy vision, constipation with stools like black
marbles, hearing loss; skin tears from being bumped; lack
of energy; hair loss and heart pains. It has been five
years since she has worked there and still has some joint
pain, gum disease, and numbness.

A fellow worker, about 30 years old, who ate very little
product, had a routine check up and found that his blood
vessels were like those of an 80 year old man. Two
employees fed the waste product to baby calves and their
hair fell out. After removing the fried apple chips from
the diet their hair grew back in. My daughter and her
girls were telling jokes. Stephanie hit her mom's arm
with the back of a butter knife in a gesture, 'Oh
mom', not hard enough to hurt. My daughters arm split
open like it was rotten. She called me to ask what could
have caused it. I said, 'I'll bet anything that
you are using Canola oil'. Sure enough, there was a
big gallon jug in the pantry.

Rape seed oil is a penetrating oil, to be used in light
industry, not for human consumption. It contains a toxic
substance, (from encyclopedia) . Even after the processing
to reduce the erucic acid content, it is still a penetrating
oil. We have found that it turns rancid very fast. Also
it leaves a residual rancid odor on clothing.

Rape seed oil used for stir-frying in China found to emit
cancer causing chemicals. (Rapeseed oil smoke causes lung
cancer) Amal Kumar Maj.

19 comments:

  1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - July 1, 2004 - American Family Physician
    rich sources of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Flaxseed, canola oil, and walnuts also are good dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. In...
    www.aafp.org/afp/20040701/133.html

    Choose healthy fats
    found in avocados, nuts, seeds, non-hydrogenated soft margarines, oils like olive oil, corn oil, canola oil and sunflower oil, and salad dressings that contain these oils. Omega-3...
    www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3649_1736690825__langId-en,00...

    Vitamin K
    The next largest contributors to dietary vitamin K intake are the vegetable oils olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil and cottonseed oil. These vegetable oils also contain vitamin...
    www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/vit_0267.shtml

    FDA Authorizes Qualified Health Claim For Canola Oil
    Authorizes Qualified Health Claim For Canola Oil Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Also Included In: Cholesterol Article Date: 07 Oct 2006 - 0:00 PDT email to a friend...
    www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=53596&nfid=rssfe...

    News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Canola Oil Can Claim Heart ...
    0, 2006 News Review From Harvard Medical School - Canola Oil Can Claim Heart Benefits Canola oil can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, and now the package can say so. The...
    www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/24479/36146/492599.html?d=dmtCont...

    Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
    Bariatric Surgery Before Pregnancy Benefits Moms, Babies Canola Oil Consumed During Pregnancy Lowers Breast Cancer Risk for Offspring Indigo Ointment Benefits Psoriasis Patients...
    www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=621308

    ACS :: Mediterranean diet may lower cancer risk
    close A Mediterranean diet consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables, cereals, canola and olive oil with a low intake of cholesterol, saturated and polyunsaturated fats may protect...
    www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Mediterranean_diet_may_lower...

    ACS :: Mediterranean diet may lower cancer risk
    | Sign In A Mediterranean diet consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables, cereals, canola and olive oil with a low intake of cholesterol, saturated and polyunsaturated fats may protect...
    www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Mediterranean_diet_may_lower...

    Butternut Squash Bisque
    Sweet Potato Corn and Kale Chowder Serves 6-8 1 tbs Canola oil 2 med Carrots, chopped 1 med Red onion, chopped 1 stalk Celery, chopped 1 large Red bell pepper; seeded and chopped...
    www.umassmed.edu/uploadedfiles/SweetPotatoCornKaleChowder_2.doc

    Stir-Fried Broccoli and Tofu
    [pic] Stir-Fried Broccoli and Tofu 1 tbsp. canola oil 6 green onion, chopped (white part only) 3 cups broccoli flowerets 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp. fresh ginger root, chopped...
    www.umassmed.edu/uploadedfiles/stirfriedbroccoliandtofu.doc

    Bean Dip
    [pic] Bean Dip 1 tsp. Canola oil 2 tbs. finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans (no salt added) ½ cup salsa 2 tbs. diced chili peppers ½ tsp. ground...
    www.umassmed.edu/uploadedfiles/beandip.doc

    ReplyDelete
  2. Health Maintenance: Controlling Cholesterol - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    fats are found in fish and some vegetable oils. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, and avocados. Both types of these healthier fats are also found in many...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Fats in the Diet, Good and Bad: - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils. Omega-9 fatty acid is found in olive oil and canola oil. Getting some of these good fats is healthful, but many Americans eat too much...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Healthy Diet - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Healthy oils to use are canola, soy, olive, peanut, or corn oil. Fats should contribute no more than 20% to 35% of your...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Healthy Weight Gain - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    other food group: 45 calories in just 1 teaspoon. Adding healthy fats, such as plant oils (canola, olive, or peanut oil), soft margarines (look for those with no trans fats), old-fashioned...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Vegetarian Diet (Adults) - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    found in fish and eggs. Plant foods high in linolenic acid are flaxseed and flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans, and soybean oil. There are many nonanimal sources of protein....
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Prothrombin Time Test (PT) and INR - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    dosage that you need. For example, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, and oils such as canola oil and soy bean oil, are some of the foods that have high amounts of vitamin...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Healthy Diet: Brief Version - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    Choose lean cuts of meat. Take the skin off poultry before you eat it. Use canola oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil to cook with. Use less butter. It is healthier to use margarine...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Metabolic Syndrome - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    Replace some of the animal fats, sugars, and white flour products in your diet with more olive and canola oil, nuts, avocados and fish (especially salmon, mackerel and tuna), fruits,...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Sources of Some Essential Nutrients in a Vegetarian Diet - RealAge ...
    FATTY-ACIDS) grams per serving - Canola oil, 1 tablespoon 1.3 to 1.6 Flaxseed, ground, 1 tablespoon 1.9 to 2.2 Flaxseed oil, 1 teaspoon 2.7 Soybean oil, 1 tablespoon 0.9 Soybeans,...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Keeping Healthy: Taking Care of Your Cholesterol: - RealAge ...
    that in butter and meat. Use oils like sunflower, soybean, safflower, canola, olive, and corn. Stay away from palm and coconut oil. Eat skinless chicken, turkey, and fish instead...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    Diabetes: Exchange List - RealAge Medical Encyclopedia
    monounsaturated fats equals: 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter 6 almonds 1 tsp of oil (olive, peanut, canola). 1 exchange of polyunsaturated fats equals: 1 tsp margarine 1 tsp of any vegetable...
    www.realage.com/research_library/searchresults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/ah...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Canola Oil: The Myths Debunked

    You're looking for more information about canola - the seed, the oil and the meal. Maybe you've checked websites that made you wonder who's telling the truth. Wonder no more.

    We asked impartial professionals in the fields of nutrition, biology and food science to answer your questions. Some of these questions may seem a little bizarre but that's what's out there!

    So here's the truth. We promise.
    Q: What is canola oil?

    A: Canola oil is the healthiest of all commonly used cooking oils. It is lowest in saturated fat, high in cholesterol-lowering mono-unsaturated fat and the best source of omega-3 fats of all popular oils.

    Canola oil comes from pressed canola seed. The seed is harvested from pods that are formed after those beautiful yellow flowers you’ve probably seen in the summer fade away. North American farmers have been growing canola seed for over 30 years.

    Canola is not rapeseed. It looks the same on the outside but it’s very different on the inside where it matters. In the late 1960s, plant scientists used traditional plant breeding methods to get rid of rapeseed’s undesirable qualities – erucic acid and glucosinolates. That means canola oil and meal are different from rapeseed oil and meal.
    Q: Have human studies been conducted on the consumption of canola oil?

    A: Yes. Clinical studies conducted over the past 20 years involving thousands of healthy volunteers, examined the role of canola oil in lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.

    The studies confirmed that when used as part of a balanced diet, canola oil has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and have a beneficial effect on clot formation, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

    Canola oil contains just 7% saturated fat compared to, for example, 15% for olive oil, 19% from peanut oil and 12% for sunflower oil.
    Q: Is canola oil safe for animals and humans?

    A: Yes. Before being approved for food use, canola oil was required to go through stringent animal feeding trials to ensure it was a safe edible oil. And a great deal of research has been done which shows the benefits of incorporating canola oil into human diets.
    Q: Was canola developed using genetic engineering?

    A: Canola was developed using traditional plant breeding techniques, so it was not developed using biotechnology. However, about 80% of the canola grown in Canada has now been modified using biotechnology to make it tolerant to some herbicides. Using these specific herbicides has reduced the amount of chemical needed for weed control in the fields.

    Remember - the canola plant has been modified, not the oil. So canola oil from the herbicide tolerant plant is exactly the same safe and healthy oil as canola oil from conventional plants. The modification has been made to only one canola gene and it is a protein. Processing removes all proteins from canola oil. That means canola oil made from GM seed is conventional canola oil.
    Q: Are canola oil and rapeseed oil poisonous to living things?

    A: No. Canola oil has been thoroughly tested and is guaranteed safe and beneficial for humans.

    Hydrogenated rapeseed oil is also safe and is in fact approved by Canadian and US food regulatory agencies for use as a food product emulsifier. When rapeseed oil is fully hydrogenated, its erucic acid becomes behenic acid - a natural saturated fatty acid found in peanuts and peanut butter. Some peanut butter brands contain very small amounts of hydrogenated rapeseed oil to prevent the peanut oil from separating from the peanut butter.

    Rapeseed is grown on very limited acreages in North America under contract between the grower and the buyer. It doesn't get into the regular grain handling system.
    Q: Was GRAS status for canola oil purchased from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?

    A: No. The FDA granted GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status following the submission of a lengthy petition, which detailed years of research on the beneficial health effects of canola oil in human and animal diets.
    Q: Can canola oil and rapeseed be used as lubricants, penetrating oils, fuel, soap, paints, etc?

    A: Yes. Any plant sourced oil such as olive, corn, soybean and flax can be used industrially to make lubricants, oils, fuel, soaps, paints, plastics, cosmetics or inks. In fact, any organic hydrocarbon (including ALL vegetable oils) can be processed and denatured to make industrial chemicals. Proteins in milk can be used to make glue. Wheat and canola can be used to make ethanol, an ingredient in "gasohol" and canola seed can be used to produce bio diesel.

    But just because you can do this doesn't make the approved food canola oil or corn oil, for example that you buy at the grocery store somehow poisonous or harmful!
    Q: Does canola form "latex-like substances which agglutinate red blood corpuscles"?

    A: No. In fact, canola oil has good effects on your blood. Canola oil is a good source of alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, for short. ALA is an essential omega-3 fatty acid required in the human diet because our bodies cannot make it.

    Animal and human clinical studies show that ALA has many of the same beneficial effects on blood clotting, platelet aggregation and the vascular system as omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel.
    Q: Does canola oil cause emphysema, respiratory distress, anaemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals and humans?

    A: No. After extensive animal and human testing, canola oil has been proven to be absolutely safe to consume and will not produce these or any other diseases or conditions.
    Q: Does the Canadian government subsidize Canadian food processors who use canola oil?

    A: No. Canada's food processors use canola oil because their customers want healthy food.
    Q: Is mustard gas made from canola oil?

    A: No. Mustard gas is an oily volatile liquid which got its name from its mustard-like odour. It bears no relation to canola, or any other plant member of the mustard family.
    Q: Is it true that in China, rapeseed oil was found to emit harmful emissions when heated?

    A: Yes. However, the study also found that other vegetable oils tested in China produced the same emissions under the same conditions. Most people in China cook with unrefined rapeseed oil, which is not processed to remove contaminants and contains no antioxidants. Temperatures during wok cooking in China are about 100o F (38oC) higher than those used in Canada and the U.S. This combination of frying with unrefined rapeseed oil at very high temperatures (to the point where the oil produces a thick, black smoke) can produce harmful emissions.

    Consumers in other countries use more refined vegetable oils– never rapeseed oil - at much lower cooking temperatures. These two factors prevent these emissions. All vegetable frying oils used in Canada and the U.S. (and many other countries) are refined and frequently contain antioxidants which help prevent harmful emissions during frying.
    Q: Does canola oil turn rancid quickly?

    A: No. Canola oil’s shelf life stored at room temperature is about one year. Except for flaxseed oil, the shelf life of other vegetable oils stored at room temperature is similar. Flaxseed oil should be stored in the refrigerator.
    Q: Is canola oil linked to mad cow disease?

    A: No. There is no connection between BSE and canola oil.
    Q: Can canola kill insects such as aphids?

    A: Yes. Pour any cooking oil– canola, olive, corn, sunflower or peanut– over an insect and you’ll suffocate it. Vegetable oils in general are recommended by many horticulturists as a non-chemical, more environmentally friendly insect control method.
    Q: Does canola contain cyanide?

    A: No, canola does not contain cyanide. Canola contains compounds that sound a little like that - isothiocyanates, compounds found naturally in many foods, especially in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, turnips and canola.

    Isothiocyanates are sulphur-containing compounds that have anti-cancer properties, a fact first recognized some 30 years ago. In rats and mice, isothiocyanates inhibit the development of tumours in esophagus, mammary and lung tissue. Isothiocyanates appear to act by interfering with the metabolism of cancer agents and increasing their removal from the body. The cancer-fighting properties of cabbage, cauliflower and the other members of the mustard family are likely due to their isothiocyanate content.
    Q: Is canola made of a "very long chain fatty acid oil (c22)" that can cause a degenerative disease?

    A: No. Canola oil's fatty acid profile consists predominantly (over 90%) of the 18 carbon unsaturated fatty acids oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Canola does not cause or contribute to any disease and in fact, it can improve health. The positive effects of canola's unsaturated fatty acids on certain health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, are well documented.
    Q: Are the covalent bonds holding fatty acids together harmful?

    A: No. Millions of organic compounds found on earth contain covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are those in which atoms share their electrons. There is nothing dangerous or harmful about covalent bonds. They are the glue that holds most organic compounds such as fatty acids, proteins, glucose and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) together.

    When necessary, the body uses enzymes (types of proteins) to break the covalent bonds during normal metabolism. The fatty acids found in canola oil and all other fats and oils contain covalent bonds that can be broken by enzymes to create compounds used to produce energy or make hormones and other important compounds.
    Q: Do the glycosides in canola suppress the immune system?

    A: No. There is no evidence that canola oil depresses the immune system. Glycosides are compounds formed from reactions involving alcohols and sugars such as glucose. Many compounds found in plants – flavorings, colors and steroids – occur as glycosides. Table sugar – or sucrose, as it is known chemically– is a glycoside, as is lactose or milk sugar and potato starch. So is salicin, the bitter-tasting glycoside obtained from willow bark and used by First Nations peoples many years ago to treat fevers and other ailments. Today, we use a related compound for the aches and pains of sore throats, colds and the flu– we call it ASA. Glycosides are a key part of normal human metabolism. There is no evidence that canola oil depresses the immune system.
    Q: Is it true that Europe has banned canola oil since 1991?

    A: No. The European Union (EU) countries together produce more canola than Canada. Europeans call their canola "oilseed rape" and the oil "rape oil" or "rapeseed oil" but it is canola. They chose not to adopt the new name "canola" when it was developed. So Europeans consume canola oil every day and have ever since canola was introduced in Europe shortly after being developed in Canada.

    The difference at present is that European farmers are prevented by law from growing genetically modified canola (or any GM crop). Europeans therefore consume canola oil from non-GM plants. Most of the canola oil from Canada can be exported to the EU and the EU has approved some of the GM canola seed for processing as well.

    Canola oil produced from GM plants is safe and healthy. And - canola oil itself does not contain any GM ingredients. The GM modification is made to one canola gene and it is a protein. All proteins are removed from canola oil during processing so canola oil made from GM plants is no different from conventional canola oil.
    Links:

    * Mayo Clinic says canola oil is healthy.
    * From Spectrum –The truth about canola oil.
    * Snopes - Debunking the myth about canola oil!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read an article on the Internet that said canola oil contains toxins that are harmful to humans. Is this true?
    - Majid / No state given
    Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.
    Answer

    Health concerns about canola oil that are being circulated on the Internet are unfounded.

    Misinformation about the safety of canola oil may stem from the fact that, years ago, oil was produced from the rapeseed plant. Rapeseed oil contains very high levels — 30 percent to 60 percent — of erucic acid, a compound that in large amounts can be toxic to humans. The canola plant was developed by natural cross-breeding from the rapeseed plant in the early 1970s. Canola oil is produced from canola plants, not rapeseed plants.

    Canola plants have very low levels of erucic acid. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), canola oil contains erucic acid levels in the range of 0.3 percent to 1.2 percent. This is well below the 2 percent limit set by the FDA.

    Canola oil is very low in saturated fat and has a very high proportion of monounsaturated fat. So, it's a healthy and safe choice when it comes to oils.

    ReplyDelete
  5. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

    ReplyDelete
  6. Canola oil -good or bad?

    BY DR CARL ALBRECHT

    Introduction:

    On the 12th July 2000 I received an e-mail containing very negative aspects of Canola Oil. I decided to analyse the veracity of these statements because the Cancer Association of South Africa has identified Canola Oil as a possible food item that could help to reduce the incidence of cancer due to the presence of omega-3-fatty acids. These fats are deficient in the average Western diet and it is thought that the diet should contain a balance of omega-6- and omega-3-fatty acids for optimum health.

    Using the Copernic 2000 search engine and the search term "Canola Oil" I retrieved 70 websites. One of these, www.naturalhealthinfo.com contained an article by John Thomas on Canola Oil. This article contained the same statements as were circulated in the e-mail. I also contacted canola@canolainfo.org , and requested further information. I received an official statement by Prof Bruce MacDonald of the Department of Nutrition of the University of Manitoba in Canada from Dorothy Long as well as her personal remarks. According to these documents, a Mr Thomas in a "health magazine called Perceptions" in 1995 made the original "attack" on Canola Oil. In order to analyse the statements of Mr Thomas I will place them in a table on the left, with rebuttals on the right. Many of the statements were checked against the prestigious Medline site, which contains 11 million medical abstracts. The Medline site address is www3,ncbi.nlm.gov/Entrez/medline.html.


    ATTACK ON CANOLA OIL AND REBUTTALS
    Statement by John Thomas Rebuttal
    Canola oil comes from the rapeseed, which is part of the mustard family of plants. This is correct, except that Canola oil is from a special variety of rape which is not chemically identical to the common rape plant.
    Rape is the most toxic of all food plants I could find nothing to support this statement. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica website, www.britannica.com, rape seed oil is native to Europe where it is used in cooking, in soap, margarine, as a lamp fuel as a lubricant and the seeds as bird feed. No mention is made of toxicity in Medline
    Rape is a weed. Insects won't eat it. It is deadly poisonous. Not support found for these statements.
    Oil from rape is hundred times more toxic than soy oil No evidence could be found for this statement.
    Rape oil is industrial oil and does not belong in the body. Rape oil appears to be used in industry as a lubricant but this is no argument to exclude it as a food.
    Canola oil forms latex-like substances that agglutinate red blood corpuscles, as does soy. No evidence could be found for this statement. According to Dorothy Long, Canola oil products have been on the market in Canada since the late 1970's and now make up 85% of salad oils, 45% of margarines and 50% of shortenings. I find it highly unlikely that this would be the case if Canola Oil was toxic to the red blood corpuscles.

    According to the official Canola statement there is no evidence for this. It is stated that" there is evidence from our research that linolenic acid in Canola oil gives rise to higher tissue levels of eicosapentaenoic acid that, in turn, gives rise to thromboxane A3, which has weak aggregating activity compared to the more common thromboxane A2". Thus Canola Oil should actually reduce the aggregation of blood platelets.
    Rape oil causes blindness and antagonizes the central and peripheral nervous system. Deterioration takes years. The official Canola statement comments "There is no evidence, to my knowledge, of Canola oil or rape seed oil having any adverse effect on vision or the central or peripheral nervous systems.
    Rape (Canola) oil causes emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability and blindness in animals. No evidence in Medline for this.According to the Canola statement, healthy human subjects were fed 75 grams of Canola oil for 21 days in numerous studies and no complaints of any kind were recorded.
    Rape oil fed to animals in England caused Mad Cow Disease. Experts agree that Mad Cow Disease was caused by a virus-like organism called Scrapie in sheep and that contaminated sheep offal was fed to the cows. I have never heard of this being related to rapeseed oil in any way. No Medline evidence for this.
    Canola Oil is "Low in Erucic Acid" This is true.

    Rape oil contains a fat called erucic acid. It constitutes 40-50% of total fatty acids in the oil.

    Erucic acid is "drastically reduced", "essentially eliminated" in the Canola variant of the Rape plant according to the Canola statement. The reason for this is that erucic acid stunts growth (according to Medline abstracts).

    Erucic acid was part of the so-called "Lorenzo's Oil" which was used to treat a genetic defect causing long chain fatty acids in the brain to accumulate.

    According to Medline, clinical studies did not support this use of Erucic acid. No information could be found that Erucic acid was toxic. Patients were treated with it for more than two years.
    Canola oil contains omega 3, 6 and 12 fatty acids. According to the Canola Statement, there is no omega-12 fatty acid.
    The term Canola is derived from the words "Canadian oil" This appears to be correct
    Rape oil is also the source of the infamous chemical-warfare agent, mustard gas. This is totally wrong. Mustard gas or Bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide is made by treating ethylene with sulfur chloride or dihydroxyethyl sulfide with HCl gas (Merck Index ). These are highly dangerous reactions and can only be done by experts.

    The confusion with rapeseed is because it belongs to the so-called mustard family of plants also known as the Brassicaceae.
    Canola contains large amounts of "isothiocyanates" which contain cyanide, which can inhibit the formation of ATP, which keeps us healthy and young. According to the Canola statement, there is no evidence that Canola Oil contains isothiocyanates, at least at levels that produce physiological effect.

    There is evidence that isothiocyanates in food such as cabbage can stimulate so-called Phase 2 enzymes to excrete carcinogens from the body, i.e. protect the body against cancer. I am not aware of any evidence that these molecules can release cyanide in the body. If they could, we certainly would not be eating cabbage.
    Canola glycosides depress the immune system. "The T cells go into a stupor and fall asleep on the job" There is no known evidence to support this.

    On the contrary, the relatively high levels of omega-3-fatty acids in Canola Oil may play a role in stimulating the immune system (Canola Statement)
    Canola glycosides interfere with the biochemistry in animals and humans. Their presence in rattlesnake venom inhibits muscle enzymes and causes instant immobilization of the victim. There is no evidence for this. Rattlesnake poison contains small peptides that block receptors for neurotransmitters; this has got nothing to do with glycosides.
    Alcohol in Canola Oil shut down the immune system There are no free alcohols in Canola Oil (Canola statement).
    Academia and Government continue to bamboozle the public with stories of "safe" science and cheap food through the use of poisons. There is no evidence that Canola Oil contains any poisons.

    Comments:

    This article by John Thomas an excellent example of misinformation created to discredit a bona fide commercial product.

    After analysing the statements of John Thomas and Prof Bruce MacDonald as well as consulting textbooks, Medline, The Merck Index and other sources of information, I am satisfied that this attack on Canola Oil is without substance and is a travesty of the truth.

    I am satisfied that Canola Oil is an advance in human nutrition and the relatively high levels of omega-3-fatty acids in this oil could be of benefit in promoting health.

    There is accumulating evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent cancers of the colon, breast, and possibly the prostate by suppressing neoplastic transformation, enhanced apoptosis and anti-angiogenicity (Omega-3 fatty acids as cancer chemopreventive agents, Rose DP and Connolly JM, Pharmacol Ther, 1999, 83, 217-244). There is growing consensus that human nutrition requires a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, i.e. a 1:1 ratio such as found in the traditional Greek diet. The current ratio in the Western World is about 10 :1. This is a very large disparity and is worthy of serious consideration. Main sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the US are vegetable oils such as soybean and Canola. Studies have shown that the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio has decreased from 12,4:1 to 10.6 to 1 since 1985 to 1994 and that this decrease is mainly due to a 5.5 fold increase in the use of Canola Oil (Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in the United States, Kris-Etherton PM et al., Am J Nutr, 2000, 71, 179S-188S).

    The Canola Council of Canada will shortly be posting a Q&A feature titled -Canola Facts & Myths -on their Web site home page at www.canola-council.org which will address the points raised in the "Thomas" letter.

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  7. Dear Alice,

    I recently received an alarming e-mail regarding the dangers of eating Canola oil. Apparently it is made from rapeseed, which is supposedly highly toxic and has been shown to develop cancer in rats. The e-mail also referred me to an article by a Tom Valentine called "The Canola Oil Report." I located the report, read it, and quite frankly, threw out the remaining canola oil I had in the kitchen. Is there any truth to this article? And if there is, surely this is criminal.

    Thank you,
    Confused


    Dear Confused,

    Canola oil comes from a hybrid plant developed in Canada during the late 1960s - 1970s using traditional pedigree hybrid propagation techniques (not genetically modified) involving black mustard, leaf mustard, and turnip rapeseed. The original rapeseed plant was high in erucic acid, which is an unpalatable fatty acid having negative health effects in high concentrations. Canola oil contains less than 1 percent erucic acid. Actually, another name for canola oil is LEAR (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed) oil.

    Your confusion about canola oil's safety is understandable. While the Internet can be a great source of information, many rumors and urban legends have circulated on web sites and been passed along in e-mails. Urban legends usually warn of dire consequences from something perfectly innocent; they often relate a story about someone who had such a terrible experience with something, yet that person almost always remains anonymous. These often frightening stories or accusations usually lack enough detail to make scientific, logical evaluation of the claim. The scare tactics of canola oil fit into this scenario.

    Some of the information circulating on the Internet states that canola oil causes endless maladies: joint pain, swelling, gum disease, constipation, hearing loss, heart disease, hair loss... the list goes on. Canola oil has undergone years of extensive testing to assure its safety. In truth, canola oil contains essential fatty acids that our bodies need and cannot make on their own. Over 90 percent of the fatty acids present is the long chain unsaturated variety that has been proven beneficial to health.

    It has also been claimed that canola oil is used in making mustard gas, a poison. This is totally untrue. Actually, mustard gas doesn't even come from the mustard plant; it was so named because it smells similar to mustard. Canola oil has allegedly been used as an industrial lubricant and ingredient in fuels, soaps, paints, etc. The truth is that many vegetable oils, such as corn, soybean, and flax, are also used in these applications. That doesn't make those oils unhealthy or dangerous. Canola oil has also been accused of killing insects, such as aphids. Again, all other oils can do the same, not by poisoning insects, but by suffocating them.

    Some people have blamed the Canadians for paying the United States government to have canola oil added to its GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) list. There is absolutely no evidence of this.

    In China, rapeseed oil cooked at very high temperatures was found to give off toxic emissions. In the U.S., the combination of refined oils, added antioxidants, and lower cooking temperatures prevents this from occurring. In China, the oil contains contaminants, is not refined, and has no antioxidants.

    As you can see, misinformation can be used to scare people. For more information on canola oil, see the Canola Council of Canada web site.

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  8. Oh NO!! Do not eat again...
    by the way, this yellow flowers looks so nice...

    [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_F3jkVaKcrKE/SQ_rQlBdi5I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/Qsw65rjMNzo/s320/Canola_Field_Road.jpg[/img]

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  9. While canola may not be as hazardous as some would claim, I still can't believe it is perfectly healthy.

    Myself and many other heartburn sufferers found that our heartburn entirely went away after we stripped all canola oil from our diet. So far as I can tell, there have been no studies centered around canola and heartburn or GERD. I just can't believe that something so hard on my stomach can actually be good for me.

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  10. This article is an Internet hoax, circulating for more than one decade.

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

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  11. Great atrticle Canola oil comes from a hybrid plant developed in Canada during the late 1960s - 1970s using traditional pedigree hybrid propagation techniques (not genetically modified) involving black mustard, leaf mustard, and turnip rapeseed. The original rapeseed plant was high in erucic acid, which is an unpalatable fatty acid having negative health effects in high concentrations.you can find more information about diet health from this.
    http://lahealthandrejuvenation.com/

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  12. Great article!!useful information about Canola oils that comes from hybrid plant.Thanks for sharing :)

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  13. The anti-canola BS in this article is a hoax. Please see http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp for details of the hoax.

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  14. 1. Caustic refining, bleaching, degumming (using high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety), deodorizing (because omega 3 oils in Canola oil will become smelly after high temperature).

    The standard deodorization process of Canola Oil removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids, thereby turning them into trans fatty acids.

    2. And since a large portion of refined processed Canola Oil hardens into trans-fatty semi-solids, that large portion becomes your "Canola Margarine"! TRANS-FAT! OBESITY! HEART DISEASE!

    3. All food grade Canola, including the varieties sold in health food stores, are deodorized from its natural terrible stink with 300 degree F. High temperature refining. "You cannot cook a vegetable oil at that temperature and leave behind anything much edible." - David Lawrence Dewey

    4. Traces of hexane, normally remains in the oil, AFTER Canola oil is refined. Hexane is poisonous.

    5. "Canola Oil has no C22." (found via http://www.canola.okstate.edu/canolaoilmeal/canolaoilmythsdebunked.pdf )
    Let me refer to a statement on the website of the Canola Council via http://www.canolacouncil.org/canola_oil_the_truth.aspx and http://www.canola-council.org/canola_oil_the_truth.aspx "When rapeseed oil is fully hydrogenated, its erucic acid becomes behenic acid - a natural saturated fatty acid found in peanuts and peanut butter." Behenic Acid is combustible "docosanoic acid" and is a LONG-CHAIN FATTY ACID. Canola Oil manufacturers deny about C22 - which has long chain fatty acids - are in their Canola Oil!

    And so much more! I choose to avoid Canola Oil AFTER reading from both sides of the argument.

    Thanks for blogging abt this! more need to be aware n make their own choices of what they want or don't want.

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  15. I would much like for everyone to understand that the main issue with canola is the way it is extracted from the seed. Expeller Cold Pressed and Unrefined Canola is a perfectly healthy, delightfully aromatic, fantastic oil for light frying or sauteing or salads.

    ANY oil that is bleached, deodorized, hexane extracted at high temperatures is created for the profits of large corporations and continues to kill 2/3 north americans every year.

    Source local, independent companies focused on creating fresh, nutritious foods for the health of people and the planet and your kids will thank you!!!

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  16. Canola oil has plenty of benefits to achieve a good health level. Around 70% people use canola oil in their cooking which is a healthy approach. Thanks for sharing very important points on canola oil. Keep it up!

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  17. I was not aware about canada oil before. I only know about sunflower oil and olive oil

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  18. grape seed oil and olive oil are beneficial for your health....and NO question if it will poison you. Why take a chance? Not like the FDA has ever approved something and years later go...OOPS!

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  19. I would strongly recommend that you remove the image that you are currently using. You could face legal action if it is not removed. Thanks.

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