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• #canola oil
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• #processing

What About Canola Oil?

We hear that canola oil is actually healthy for us, and it is one of the top four vegetable oils used in the United States. It is important to know that most canola oil is referred to as RBD -- refined, bleached, deodorized oil.

• RBD oils are produced by crushing the organic matter used, the most commonly used being seeds, to squeeze out the oil. Then the crushed, organic material is removed and the rest of the oil is extracted with low-boiling solvents. The most commonly used solvent is hexane, a gasoline by-product and toxic solvent.  It's important to know that companies are not required to test for traces of hexane residue in their product.
• Research from the University of Florida - Gainesville  found that between .56 and 4 percent of canola oil on store shelves contain trans fats.
• Canola oil also contains a significant level of polyunsaturated omega-3 ,also known to be good for your heart.  However, cooking or processing with heat can distort the omega-3 molecules, converting them into trans fats!
• Canola oil contains significant amounts of phytosterols which reduce the absorption of cholesterol into the body. Unfortunately that reduction has been accompanied by higher risks of stroke in a lab study published in The American Study for Nutrition.

The heat and toxic solvent may give you pause about canola oil, but remember, organic or cold-pressed canola oil is not processed with heat and hexane and will not have the same amount of trans fats.