Canola Oil

For the past few years, Canola oil has been marketed as a healthy oil for all to turn to.  I am truly hoping that each and every one of you have done their homework on this oil.  If you have not started yet, here is a little tidbit to start you with:

So we know that olive oil comes from olives, sesame oil comes from sesame seeds, coconut oil comes from coconut; where does the Canola oil come from? Canola is a made-up name that stands for “Canadian Oil Low Acid”.   It comes from rapeseed, a genetically modified product that is simple and cheap to manufacture. 

Canola works well as an industrial oil, not for consumption.  It has been used in candles, soaps, lipsticks, lubricants, inks and biofuels. Unfortunately it has been brought to market with the claim that it is a wonder oil that is low in saturated fats, and has omega-3 fatty acids.

The side effects of Canola oil cannot be exaggerated. Rapeseed Oil is a monounsaturated oil, and has high levels of erucic acid. Erucic Acid is a fatty acid that is associated with heart damage, specifically blood platelet abnormalities, not allowing normal growth (this is why it is banned from infant formula), free radical damage, and highly carcinogenic due to hydrogenation.

In addition to the genetic modification, the process of making Canola oil is concerning. The procedure involves a combination of high-temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extract, usually using hexane.  Even after considerable refining, traces of the solvent remain in the oil. Like most vegetable oils, Canola oil also goes through the process of bleaching, degumming, deodorizing, and refining, at very high temperatures.

Unfortunately shopping is becoming a tedious task, due to the fact that they have now added this oil to most products as well as pet food, dry and wet.   A popular brand name mayonnaise boasts the phrase "With Olive Oil," along with a picture of an olive and olive leaves on the front label. Once you actually read the fine print in the ingredients, you discover that Canola oil is listed at the top of the long paragraph, olive oil near the end. Even worse are products promoting that they are made with olive oil, yet in the ingredients they state: "May include olive, Canola, or sunflower oil."

Please pay attention and read the ingredient listing before you shop.  There is much added into food that we never had before.  From fake sugars and oils to all kinds of additives and colours.  More and more of our pets are getting to know ailments that they never knew in nature, due to these extra additions in their diet under the label of “healthy”.  Please do your homework.  Don’t take anyone’s word for it.

Live in Light!

EL