Is canola oil good for you? To get to know whether one can use it for daily cooking or whether it is bad for health, read on.
There is always a huge debate going on in the quest of the best cooking oil suitable for health as well as the taste buds. There are numerous types of oils that are used for culinary purposes. Canola oil is one cooking oil that is said to be beneficial for overall human health.
Where does canola oil come from? Well, canola oil is derived from rapeseed plant, which is a member of the mustard family. Rapeseed oil is found to be used in many parts of the world including India, China, and Japan.
Today, with the help of genetic engineering canola oil is said to have improved and the amount of existing fatty acids changed to a great extent. This oil is also being marketed as one of those extra healthy cooking oils having less amounts of saturated fats that actually make it a healthier option for regular usage.
There are many views and counter views about this, with theories of their own. A study of these may take us to the exact answer of these questions.
Canola Oil: Bad or Good?
Canola oil is marketed as an oil with lesser amounts of saturated fats and higher amounts of good fats like polyunsaturated fats and mono-unsaturated fats. By far, we all are well aware about the ill effects of saturated fats on human health and how it is bad for the heart of a person.
Studies have revealed that a high percentage of mono-unsaturated fats in one's diet can reduce risk of many life-threatening diseases like cancer and heart diseases. This view actually makes this oil a healthy choice for consumption.
Canola oil is also a rich source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which is beneficial for skin care and for the overall health of a person. Also, due to the higher percentage of the mono-unsaturated fats present in the oil, it is a highly rated oil compared to its counterparts like safflower oil, corn oil and sunflower oil.
So is this oil bad for your health? Well, no, and it doesn't take a genius to answer this question too. But, what we are missing here are the negative effects, which cannot be neglected.
Canola Oil Dangers
Until recently, canola oil aka 'rapeseed oil' was not allowed for internal consumption. It was used for other purposes such as a repellent, lubricant, fuel and a solution to illuminate the colored pages of the magazines, rather than as a cooking oil. This was before the rapeseed oil, was genetically modified.
However, consequent research has revealed certain health dangers related to consumption of this oil, like respiratory diseases, emphysema, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, constipation, irritability and blindness.
Another fact is the smoking point of the oil, which makes it useless for deep-fry cooking. One can use it for baking purposes, wherein minimum amount of canola oil is required.
Is Canola Oil Hazardous to Your Health?
It is always a built up propaganda that canola oil is equal to the heavenly olive oil, which is sheer exaggeration. An astonishing fact is that it was not used for human consumption due to the amount of saturated oils present in it. Various animal studies have also proved certain deleterious effects of canola oil on health of the subjects like pigs and rats.
Canola oil is genetically modified (GM). Till date, no adequate study has been performed about the safety of the GM foods, including this oil. On the other hand, canola oil also contains trans fats, which are hazardous to your health after its prolonged usage.
For Your Hair
Canola oil is not a 'real' plant oil and hence, it cannot be trusted upon, either. There are people who encourage using it as a hair oil and as a moisturizer because it is thought to be a better option for skin care.
However, there have been many cases, wherein people have suffered severe hair loss after using canola oil for culinary purposes as well as external usage. We would rather suggest that you use extra virgin olive oil (though, expensive) or coconut oil instead.
For Your Skin
Canola oil has no significant amounts of the AHA alpha hydroxy acids. But, it is also a fact that this oil does contain traces of sterols that have soothing properties. However, there is a lot of confusion amongst the researchers about the effects of canola oil on the skin.
Some studies have shown several positive effects of canola oil on the irritated skin, which became soft after its application. While other studies showed no results at all. Hence, we can say that canola oil has no significant effects on the texture of the skin and remain neutral on this issue.
It is very important for the marketers and the end consumer to keep the human health ahead of the hype and hoax about the benefits of canola oil, so that the truth may win. Till then, there are other safer, cheaper and healthier choices available for you to make, so that you can enjoy a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.