September,2001

 

Myths and Facts about Canola
Lynda Zimmerman, zimmermanl@missouri.edu

Have you seen the e-mail message that warns about the dangers of using canola oil? Apparently, it’s making the rounds on the Internet.

Here are some common questions — and research-based answers — to debunk some of the misinformation that’s being spread.

Q: Is canola oil made from rapeseed?

A: Yes and no. Canola oil is made from a special variety of rapeseed, called canola. However, it is chemically very different from rapeseed. Researchers developed canola in 1974 at the University of Manitoba in Canada. They named it canola: can- for "Canadian" plus -ola, for "oil."

Q: Does canola oil contain high levels of erucic acid, like rapeseed oil?

No. Traditional plant breeding methods significantly lowered the erucic acid content of canola. The reason for this modification is the possibility that high levels of erucic acid may stunt growth. While erucic acid makes up 40-50% of the total fatty acids in the rape oil, canola oil averages just 0.6 percent erucic acid. All high erucic acid rapeseed oil is used only for industrial purposes—not in our food supply—and is grown on very limited acreages.

Q: Is canola made of a "very long chain fatty acid oil (c22)" that can cause degenerative diseases?

A: No. Canola oil's fatty acid profile consists predominantly of three c18 unsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Canola does not cause or contribute to any disease; in fact, it may improve health. The low levels of saturates and high levels of monounsaturates (as well as being a good source of the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid) make canola a very “healthy” oil. When used as part of a balanced meal plan, canola oil has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and have a beneficial effect on clot formation, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Q: Does canola oil or rapeseed oil cause emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness?

A: No. After extensive animal and human testing, canola oil has been proven to be absolutely safe to consume and will not produce these or any other diseases or ailments.

Q: Is either rapeseed oil or canola oil linked to mad cow disease?

A: No. Mad cow disease (bovine spongiform enephalopthy or BSE) is caused by a virus-like oranism. It is associated with cattle feed made with contaminated whole sheep carcasses, including brain and spinal tissue. There is no connection beween BSE and either of these oils.

Q: Is rape oil also the source of the infamous chemical-warfare agent, mustard gas?

A: No. The confusion with rapeseed is because it belongs to the mustard family of plants also known as Brassicaceae. Turnips, cabbage, watercress, horseradish, and radishes are also members of this family of plants.

For more information, visit these web pages:

Urban Legends
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcanola.htm/once=true&

Urban Legends Reference Pages
http://www.snopes2.com/

The bottom line: there’s no scientific evidence that canola oil is unhealthy or bad for us. So hit the delete key if this hoax comes your way.

Sources: Canola Council of Canada; Cancer Association of South Africa