Apr 30, 2001 06:34 PM
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This review may seem very comfortable and assuring at the beginning, but CANOLA OIL IS SHROUDED IN CONTROVERSIES.
Canola is widely used in Canada and the United states and is promoted as a healthy, low fat oil, low in calories, good for heart. Canola is a clear, light oil with no flavor of its own. Nor does it transfer food flavors when used for fondues or fries. It is free flowing even when refrigerated. It's high smoke point makes it suitable for baking, to grease cake pans and cookie sheets. It also blends well with salad ingredients. All these properties make it an ideal choice as a cooking oil.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, HOW SAFE IS CANOLA COOKING OIL ?
In India, we do not use Canola. Instead we have a choice of other oils for the discerning, health conscious consumer. All vegetable oils are cholesterol free. Cholesterol is contained only in animal products. We have liquid vegetable oils like Corn, Sunflower and even Olive when available, which are more healthier than palm, coconut and animal fat.
WHAT IS CANOLA ? WHY IS IT WIDELY USED IN US ?
Canola oil is extracted from Rapeseed which belongs to the Mustard family of plants. It is a weed. Even insects will not eat it. It is highly poisonous and unfit for human consumption. Rape seed oil is highly toxic and is used for industrial purposes in lubricants, fuel, soap and synthetic rubber base, and as an illuminant for colour pages in magazines. It is an INDUSTRIAL OIL and does not belong to the human body. 'Canola' is in fact Rape seed oil, genetically engineered for consumption in Canada and presented as cooking oil. The name Canola disguised the introduction of Rape seed to America. Thousands of processed food marketed in the US uses Canola oil which is THE CHEAPEST FORM OF COMMERCIAL OIL . In fact you may even come across in the Ingredients list, the name ''peanut oil'' replaced by ''Rape oil.''
I was gifted some smart Canola spray cans boasting 'FAT FREE', low in calories, heart-friendly, but, which is in fact, quite the contrary. The content of Erucic acid in Canola is associated with FIBROTIC HEART LESIONS. Also the ''transformation'' processes on the Canola oil create a DEFICIENCY OF VITAMIN E, which is absolutely essential for Cardiovascular health. Secondly, any vegetable oil which is processed and Hydrogenated or partially Hydrogenated to promote ''spreadability'' and avoid spoilage, contains ''TRANS-FATTY ACID'' which is a BAD acid; It lacks the ability to integrate in the living tissue. This leads to cancer. BEWARE of all products labelled 'HYDROGENATED OR P.HYDROGENATED '---they contain Trans-fatty acid. The word ''Trans-fatty acid'' may or may not be indicated on the label, but it's easy to calculate it; just add up all the types of unsaturated fats and deduct this amount from the 'Total Fat' indicated on the label. The answer is Trans-fatty acid ! Rape seed oil can cause glaucoma, blindness and irritability in humans and animals, respiratory distress, anaemia and weaken the Immune system.. (Some years ago, the blindness and disease in animals was almost linked with the use of rape seed which is widely grown in Europe) .
Believe in its origin and inherent properties OR Not, Choose or Not Choose CANOLA ?...is the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION! With the wide usage and popularity of Canola oil in all processed foods, we can only hope that the Canola way to Health is'nt too slippery.
PS: (I have used the Canola oil Spray, and experienced a lot of discomfort...even the smell emitted when sprayed in the pan was so awful, unlike any edible material smell, ..When I asked about these cans, I was'nt fully satisfied with the information, and decided to check things out for myself through Search engines on the Internet. And now I share this with you, and I am still in possession of a few Canola cans which I will never use or maybe use as a Lubricant on machinery?
One thing is sure. I'll never use Canola nor recommend it to anyone else.)
