Canola oil It is a vegetable-based oil found in numerous foods. Consumption is considered risky due to concerns about health effects and production methods.
Well is it really so? “Is canola oil beneficial or harmful? "
"What does canola oil mean", "canola oil benefits", "canola oil damages", "what does canola oil do" If you have anything you want to learn about, keep reading.
What is canola oil?
Canola ( Brassica L.) is an oilseed product created by hybridization of plants.
Scientists in Canada have developed an edible version of the rapeseed plant, which itself contains toxic compounds called erucic acid and glucosinolates. The name "Canola" means "Canada" and "ola".
Canola plant Although it looks the same as rapeseed plant, it contains different nutrients and its oil is safe for human consumption.
Canola plant Since its development, plant growers have been working on improving seed quality and canola oil It has developed many varieties that cause an increase in production.
Most canola cropGenetically modified to improve oil quality and plant tolerance to herbicides, ie GMO.
Canola oilcan also be used as a fuel alternative to diesel and as a component made from plasticizers such as tires.
How is canola oil made?
Canola oil production There are too many steps in the process. According to the Canadian Canola Council, "How is canola oil produced?" The answer to the question is as follows:
Seed cleaning
Canola seeds are separated and cleaned to remove impurities such as stems and dirt.
Seed preparation and separation
The seeds are pre-heated at about 35, then they are sprayed with roller mills to break the cell wall of the seed.
Cooking seeds
The seed flakes are cooked in a steam-heated oven. Typically, this heating process takes 80-105 minutes at 15 ° –20 ° C.
Pressing
Then the cooked canola seed flakes are pressed in screw presses. This process removes 50-60% of the oil from the scales, the rest is removed by other methods.
Solvent extraction
The remaining seed flakes containing 18-20% oil are further broken down using a chemical called hexane to extract the remainder of the oil.
Desolventing
Hexane is then extracted from canola seed by heating it for a third time at 95–115 ° C by steam exposure.
The extracted oil is refined by various methods such as steam distillation, exposure to phosphoric acid, and leaching from acid activated clays.
Canola Oil Nutrition Facts
Like most other oils, canola is not a good food source. A tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil It contains the following nutrients:
Calories: 124
Vitamin E: 12% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Vitamin K: 12% of the RDI
With the exception of vitamins E and K, this oil lacks vitamins and minerals.
Fatty acid composition
Canola is often touted as one of the healthiest oils due to its low saturated fat level. Canola oilThe breakdown of fatty acids is as follows:
Saturated Fat: 7%
Monounsaturated fat: 64%
Polyunsaturated fat: 28%
Canola oilThe polyunsaturated fats in contain 3% linoleic acid (better known as omega-21 fatty acid) and 6% alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-11 fatty acid derived from plant sources.
Canola Oil Damages
Canola oilis the second largest oil product in the world. Its use in foods continues to grow and has become one of the most popular sources of fat in the commercial food industry.
That's why damages of canola oil comes to the fore more often. What are these?
High in omega-6 fats
Canola oilözellikleriOne of them is its high omega-6 fat content. Like omega-3 oils, omega-6 oils are important for health and perform important functions in the body.
However, the modern diet is extremely high in omega-6s found in many refined foods, and the low omega-3 found in natural foods causes an imbalance that leads to increased inflammation.
While the healthiest ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 1: 1, it is estimated to be around 15: 1 in a typical diet.
This imbalance Alzheimer's diseaseis linked to a number of chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease. Canola oilThe excess of omega-6 fatty acids prepares the ground for these diseases.
Mostly GMO
GMO foods are produced with genetic material to clarify or eliminate some traits.
For example, high demand crops such as maize and canola have been genetically engineered to be more resistant to herbicides and pests.
While many scientists consider GMO foods safe, there are concerns about their potential impact on the environment, public health, crop contamination, property rights, and food security.
More than 90% of canola products are genetically engineered. Although GM foods have been approved for human consumption for decades, there is little data available on potential health risks, so it is best to be careful about their consumption.
Canola oil production It is exposed to high temperatures and chemicals during the Considered to be a chemically refined oil, canola goes through chemical steps (such as bleaching and deodorization).
Refined oils - canola, soy, corn and palm oils included - known as refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) oils.
The refining process significantly reduces nutrients in oils such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Unrefined, cold pressed canola oils Although available, most canola on the market is highly refined and lacks the antioxidants found in unrefined oils such as extra virgin olive oil.
Is Canola Oil Harmful?
Although it is one of the most widely used oils in the food industry, there are few studies on its effects on health.
Moreover, it is said to exist canola oil benefits many studies on, canola oil producers powered by. Some evidence suggests that this oil may negatively affect health.
Increase inflammation
Some animal studies, canola oilassociates the increase in inflammation and oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between antioxidants that prevent or slow down free radical damage and harmful free radicals - which can cause inflammation.
In one study, 10% canola oilMice fed the diet experienced reductions in many antioxidants and increases in levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol compared to mice fed soybean oil.
The second reason to use the canola oilsignificantly reduced lifespan and led to significant increases in blood pressure.
Another recent rat study, canola oilIt has been shown that compounds formed during heating of the oil increase certain inflammatory markers.
Memory effect
Animal studies show that this oil can negatively affect memory.
A study in mice, long-term canola oil They concluded that consuming it significantly impairs memory and leads to significant increases in body weight.
Heart health effect
Canola oilWhile said to be a heart healthy oil, some studies dispute this claim.
In a 2018 study, 2.071 adults reported how often they used oil for cooking.
Among overweight or obese participants, it is often who use canola oilPatients were more likely to have metabolic syndrome than those who used it rarely or never.
Metabolic syndrome is the name given to a number of conditions that increase the risk of heart attack, such as high blood sugar, excess belly fat, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
What can be used instead of canola oil?
Canola oilconsumptionIt is clear that more research is needed to fully understand how symbiosis affects health. But many other oils have health benefits backed by scientific evidence.
The following oils are heat resistant and can be used for various cooking methods. substitute for canola oil available.
Olive oil
Olive oil is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, including polyphenol antioxidants that can prevent heart disease and mental decline.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil It is one of the best oils for high-temperature cooking and helps increase "good" HDL cholesterol.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is heat resistant and contains carotenoid and polyphenol antioxidants that may benefit heart health.
The following oils can be used for salad dressing and other conditions that do not involve heat:
Linseed oil
Studies show that flaxseed oil can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
Walnut oil
It is stated that walnut oil reduces high blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Hemp seed oil
Hemp seed oil is highly nutritious and tastes great to use in salads.
As a result;
Canola oilis a seed oil commonly used in cooking and food processing. Studies on this subject have conflicting findings.
While some studies state that it benefits health, most people suggest that it causes inflammation and damages memory and heart.
Until larger and higher quality studies are available canola oil Instead, choose one of the oils with proven benefits.
