Contents:
- Medical Video: Healthy Cooking Oils 101
- Overview of canola oil
- Is canola oil good for health?
- Wisely choose canola oil for cooking
Medical Video: Healthy Cooking Oils 101
Canola oil is one of the choices of cooking oil that is good for cooking. But is this oil really healthier for the body? Check out the answer here.
Overview of canola oil
Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil derived from Canola plant seeds (Rapeseed) The name canola itself actually stands for Canada Oil, as the main producer country.
Canola or canola oil contains 63% monounsaturated fats and alpha-linoleic acid, a derivative of omega-3. Both of these compounds have long been associated with benefits to improve heart health. Canadian oil is also proven to be low in erucic acid content, a fatty acid that causes heart damage.
Even so, canola oil does not have as much antioxidant content as "friends" of one group, olive oil, because it has gone through a variety of complex refining techniques. Because this distillation process canola oil contains only a few essential nutrients. What remains is a little vitamin E and fat-soluble vitamin K.
Is canola oil good for health?
Although it contains many compounds that can benefit heart health, but this oil is not ideal for use in cooking at high temperatures. For example, frying or burning.
Vegetable oils containing monounsaturated fats such as canola oil can minimize the risk of various heart diseases. On the other hand, canola oil contains high levels of linoleic acid, a derivative of omega-6 fatty acids which, when consumed in excessive amounts, can increase the risk of various health problems.
When heated, this oil will experience oxidation and react with oxygen to form free radicals and dangerous compounds. Omega-6 will produce eicosanoids compounds that trigger inflammation.
Inflammation can increase risk factors for several serious diseases, such as heart disease, joint inflammation (arthritis), depression, and even cancer. Inflammation caused by omega-6 may also damage the structure of DNA. Linoleic acid can accumulate in body fat cells, cell membranes, until absorbed into breast milk. Increased omega-6 in breast milk is associated with asthma and eczema in children.
In addition, about 80 percent of canola oil is produced from genetically modified canola plants (GMOs). Canola oil is also often processed from canola seeds using chemical solvents, usually hexane, which of course can have a negative impact on health. The oil refining process also adds a little bit of trans fat. One study found that canola oil contained about 0.56-4.2% trans fat.
Wisely choose canola oil for cooking
Overall, canola oil is not as bad as other vegetable oils, but is far from healthy. Even so, so far there have been no studies linking canola oil to the risk of certain diseases.
Use organic canola oil that does not contain high amounts of trans fat, so it might be better to consume. You should consume olive oil or coconut oil that is healthier.
But if you want to reduce the health risks of trans fat, reducing packaging and fast food is not enough. You also need to reduce all fried foods and also use vegetable oils for cooking, even just as a salad.
