Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Is canola oil a good choice?

ingles dietitianQuestion: Is canola oil safe and healthy for me to use?

Answer: Yes! I use it myself for cooking and baking. Here are some facts about canola oil:

Fact: “canola” comes from “Canada low oil acid”.

Fact: Canola is an entirely different seed and plant than rapeseed. 

Scientists worked to develop (through traditional breeding methods) using rapeseed an entirely different plant that would produce seeds that could be ground to make an edible oil. 

While rapeseed is used as a lubricant for machines and also as a fuel oil, canola is used around the world as a cooking oil. The difference between the two is actually regulated: “There is an internationally regulated definition of canola that differentiates it from rapeseed, based upon its having less than two percent erucic acid and less than 30 umoles glucosinolates. Oilseed products that do not meet this standard cannot use the trademarked term "Canola."

Related Items

Fact: Canola is a member of the brassica family (related to broccoli) and you can actually eat the entire canola plant (I have!) from the blossoms to the leaves. 

Fact: Canola oil has a variety of health benefits.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746113/

“A literature search was conducted to examine the effects of canola oil consumption on coronary heart disease, insulin sensitivity, lipid peroxidation, inflammation, energy metabolism, and cancer cell growth. Data reveal substantial reductions in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as other positive actions, including increased tocopherol levels and improved insulin sensitivity, compared with consumption of other dietary fat sources. In summary, growing scientific evidence supports the use of canola oil, beyond its beneficial actions on circulating lipid levels, as a health-promoting component of the diet.”

Source:http://wdm.ca/skteacherguide/WDMResearch/CanolaResearchPaper.pdf

 

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.