If you've had questions about canola oil recently...
The canola plant, a cousin of the rapeseed plant, was developed through traditional plant breeding methods for specific nutritional qualities. The resulting canola oil—extracted from the seeds of the canola plant—is very low in saturated fat. Unlike oils from the rapeseed plant, which have been consumed in Europe and Asia for centuries, canola oil is also extremely low (less than 1 percent) in erucic acid. (Erucic acid has been linked to cardiac muscle abnormalities in experimental animals, but has never been shown to affect human health.) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes canola oil as a safe ingredient.
In addition to being low in saturated fat, canola oil is a great source of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which—according to the American Heart Association—lower blood cholesterol levels when these fats replace saturated fat in the diet.
In a recent human feeding study at Tufts University, in which subjects consumed a diet rich in canola oil, canola oil was found to decrease low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) levels without decreasing high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) levels. Therefore canola oil, as part of a diet that is moderate in total fat, can improve an individual's HDL:LDL ratio—an important goal for people trying to manage their cholesterol.
Because of canola oil's light color and taste and its beneficial fat profile, it offers consumers a versatile and healthful choice in cooking oils.
