Canola (Genitically Modified/Engineered Rapeseed) Oil

You might be surprised to find out that the "heart healthy" canola oil that is touted by advertisers, and some misinformed health care providers, is not so healthy for you after all. In fact, in 1998, the Omega Nutrition company, a major producer of organic, cold-pressed oils released a statement saying that "if you cook with canola oil of any quality, youo might as well be using margarine". This is because any health benefits that we could have gained from the omega-3 fatty acids in canola are processed away and replaced with unhealthy trans-fatty acids. It also might surprise you to know that canola oil was literally invented in the 1980s. Here is a brief history of Canola oil over the last 20 years.

In the mid 1980s, the medical community was begin to realize that the polyunsaturated fats that they had been praising for the last decade were turning out to be less than ideal for our heart health. With new research, attention began to turn towards monounsaturated fats, which are much healthier for your cardiovascular health. The most well known monounsaturated fat is of course Olive Oil. At this time, olive oil was fairly scarce in the United States, and rather expensive. There are not many places in the U.S. where olives can grow in the abundance needed for mass production. So, the U.S. and Canadian governments began looking for an alternative. They stumbled upon a little known plant called the rapeseed. Rapeseed grows well in the U.S. and Canadian climates, and is virtually a "worry free" crop, as insects won't touch the stuff. There was only one problem: rapeseed oil in it's unadulterated form is highly toxic to both humans and animals. According to AgriAlternatives, an industry journal, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes, are toxic to humans and other living animals". So, to make a long story shorter, the Canadian's genetically engineered a new type type of rapeseed oil called LEAR (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed) oil. Unprocessed, this new LEAR oil (which I will explain later, cannot be found in our food supply today) DOES contain the high levels of unsaturated fats and Omega-3 fatty acids that it was created to contain. So, the marketing race was on to get this new oil on to the market ASAP. Theoretically, it is not an easy task to get a new product onto the market in the U.S., especially not one meant to be used as a food product. The FDA requires years of research and studies to make sure that the product is healthy for it's citizen's. I say theoretically because, unlike other food products, in 1985, somehow the Canadian governtment managed to acquire the needed FDA GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status needed for LEAR to enter the U.S. food suply without ANY of the normally required testing and research. It may be interesting for you to know that there has NEVER been a long term study done on the effects canola oil has on humans.

So, now that LEAR oil is approved, it is time for the PR blitz, starting with a name change. The Canadian government knew from years of marketing experience that the average consumer might be a little skeptical, even fearful, of a product with the name "rape" in it, so they renamed their new cash crop "Canola", a combination of the words Canada and Oil. This made it so the avarage citizen would be more likely use Canola. But what about food manufacturers? To ensure marketabilty to the producers of our countries processed food industry, the Canadian government offered, and still does offer, low prices, and a monetary subsidy to ensure repeat business. Canola oil is now the cheapest, and thus most frequently used, oil in the U.S. processed food industry. But exactly how is it processed?

Right now, you may be saying to yourself..."so far so good, I haven't heard anything too alarming. They "re-designed" a toxic oil into a non-toxic oil, and changed the name to be less scary. What is the harm in that"? Not counting the controversy surrounding Genetically engineered/modified foods, I agree, so far so good. The problem arises in the area of shelf-life and long term shelf stability. The very trait of Canola oil that marketers exploit, it's high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, make Canola oil highly perishable. In short, canola oil turns rancid FAST. Here is a quick chemistry lesson: Although there is a 2:1 ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids, unless used cold, canola oil is of little use. Once heated above 120 degrees Farenheit, the omega fatty acids turn into transfats. The transfats created in canola oil during heating are 4.5% higher than margarine! To process canola, oil is removed from the seeds using a combination of high temperature (300 degrees) pressing and chemical solvent extraction. It is further refined, bleached, and degummed using another round of high temperature and chemicals. This leaves the canola rancid and foul smelling due to the deterioration of the Omega-3 fatty acids in the high temperatures. Now, the canola has to be deoderized to remove the foul smell. This removes a large portionof any remaining Omega-3 fatty acids, turning them into trans-fats. The final process is hydrogenation to attain shelf stabilty. You heard me right...canola oil MUST be hydrogenated to be put into ANY product on your grocery store shelf, are it would turn rancid too quickly, leaving the food manufacturers with millions of dollars in unusable products.

Now that we know the history, and the manufacturing procedures for Canola oil, let'e review the possible results to our health. There are many scary email going around the internet that discuss the toxic effects of canola and rapeseed oil. However, after much research, many of these claims have been found to be unsubstatiated. The only effects that will be discussed are those that can be linked to actual scientific studies. Due to the large amount of referencable material, the best format to present this information is a list form. To review the full abstracts and articles used for references, please go to our Canola Studies page.

Health Effects of Canola Oil

• In Studies done on rats fed a special canola oil diet, the rats developed fatty degeneration of the heart, kidney, adrenal, and thyroid glands. Whent he diet was discontinued, teh deposits disolved, but left scar tissue on all vital organs.
• Canola oil contains a very-long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid which, under the right circumstances, is associated with fibrotic lesions.
• In 1996, a study in Japan discovered that lab animals given a special canola diet actually died. In 1997, the Canadian governement published a "rebuttle" study they had done on piglets in response to the Japanese study. In the Canadian study, piglets that were given a canola-based milk replacer diet began to have dangerously low levels of Vit. E. Vitamin E (tocopherols) control lipid peroxidation. Without vit. E, dangerous free radical activity can result in lesions on arteries and other cardiovascular-related problems.
• Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare fetal degenerative disease caused by a build-up of long-chain fatty acids (c22 to c28) which destroys the myelin (protective sheath) of the nerves. Canola oil is a very long chain c22 fatty acid
• Canola oil is high in glycosides that inhibit enzyme function. The cummunlative effects of glycosides in the body is a demyelenation of the nerves
• Rapeseed oil is a "penetrating" oil. It contains erucic acid, a toxic substance. Even after processing to reduce the erucic acid content, it is still a penetrating oil. Penetrating oils cause the skin to split and tear easily
• Studies have shown that growth retardation can occur with ingestion of canola oil. Hence, there is a ban on the use of canola oil in infant formula
• When consumed in food, Canola oil may supress the immune system
• Canola oil is a genetically engineered/modified food product. Some of it's seed have been bread to resist certain pesticides and are not fit for human consumption. There is little to no regulation to avoid these seeds getting into the food supply

Hydrogenated Oils

It is no doubt that you have seen the new banners proudly displayed on boxes all over the grocery stores: Trans-Fat Free! What exactly are they talking about? As mentioned in the above information on canola oil, trans-fatty acids are bad for our bodies, especially our hearts. Any keyword search in any search engine on the internet will give you a wealth of information as to why hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats) are unhealthy. To save you, the reader, time, here is a quick summary of detrimental health effects of canola oil, along with a few resources that you might want to visit to read for yourself.

Health Effects of Hydrogenated oils

• Directly promotes heart disease
• Promotes cancers: breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer
• Results in low birth weight infants
• Raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol
• Raises blood sugar levels and promotes weight gain
• Interferes with the absorption of essential fatty acids and DHA
• Impairs brain function and damages brain cells
• Accelerates tumor growth
• Accelerates the progress of type-2 diabetes
• Raises serum cholesterol
• Impairs immune system function
• Promotes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Impairs development of the brains of fetuses
• Causes gallbladder disease
• Causes liver disease
• Causes 30,000 deaths per year in the United States alone
• Clogs blood, makes blood cells stick together
• Blocks the body's creation of natural pain-reducing hormones (eicosanoids)
• Causes the creation of free radicals that promote inflammation
• Creates nutritional deficiencies of healthy oils and essential fatty acids (EFAs)
• Promotes cystic fibrosis
• Lowers essential fatty acids in the breast milk of nursing mothers
• Clogs artery walls and promotes atherosclerosis
• Cause gum disease and rotted teeth
• Lowers tissue oxygen intake
• Causes infertility
• Directly damages blood vessels
• Causes high blood pressure
• Weaken cell walls and compromises cellular structure
• Causes dandruff and acne

Hydorgenated Oil Information Links

Additives & Preservatives

An additive is anything that is added to food products to improve flavor, texture, color, or smell. A preservative is anything added to food that helps extend shelf life, by inhibiting pre-processed foods from going stale, or getting moldy. Here is a list of a few of the most widely known preservatives in use today in the U.S. packaged food industry:

Sulphites

• Calcium hydrogen sulphite
• Calcium sulphite
• Potassium bisulphite
• Potassium sulphite
• Potassium sulphite
• Sodium bisulphate
• Sodium metabisulphite
• Sodium sulphite
• Sulphur dioxide

Sulphur dioxide and other sulphite compounds are preservatives which are used in such foods as soups, biscuits, dehydrated vegetables, fruit juices, jams, sauces, instant coffee, dried fruit, French fries, and many other products. Because preservative keep food from going brown they may also be put on French fries, flour or food starches to bleach them white.

Benzoates

• Benzoic acid
• Calcium benzoate
• Methylparaben or Methyl-p-hydroxy-benzoate
• Potassium benzoate
• Propylparaben or Propyl–p-hydroxy-benzoate
• Sodium benzoate
"

Benzoates are preservatives that are tasteless and odorless, which are used to extend the shelf life of some fruit juices, soft drinks, sauces, margarine, jams, pickles, cider, juices, milk-shake syrups and tomato juice.

Nitrates and Nitrites

• Potassium nitrate
• Potassium nitrite
• Sodium nitrate
• Sodium nitrite

Nitrites and nitrates are found in most red meat and fish produces to prevent toxic bacteria that cause food poisoning to develop. They are also added to meat to keep it looking red and from not turning brown.

Key Additives and Preservatives to Avoid and Their Health Risks

• Sulphites-linked to asthma attacks, dizziness, nerve problems, blurred vision, stomach problems and other possible ailments. Research has linked sulphites with the reduction of vitamin B1 or thiamine which can affect the nervous system, The possible negative effects of sulphates can be added onto by eating a combination of foods containing sulphites.
• Benzoates- have linked to allergies, asthma, skin reactions, hyperactivity, gastric irritation, and migraine headaches. They have been known to cause problems for persons that suffer from asthma, hyperactivity and urticaria. According to research Benzoate can affect the natural balance of bacteria in the intestines. Their use is highly restricted in some countries.
• Nitrates-aid in the development of cancers in many animals. Their use is highly restricted in many countries. JECFA (the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) says it is “highly probable” that nitrites are carcinogenic in humans.
• Hydrogenated Fats—cardiovascular disease, obesity
• Artificial Food Colors—allergies, asthma, hyperactivity; possible carcinogen
• Nitrites and Nitrates—these substances can develop into nitrosamines in body, which can be carcinogenic
• Sulfites (sulfur dioxide, metabisulfites, and others)—allergic and asthmatic reactions
• Sugar and Sweeteners—obesity, dental cavities, diabetes and hypoglycemia, increased triglycerides (blood fats) or candida (yeast)
• Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K and Saccharin)—behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies, and possibly carcinogenic. The government cautions against the use of any artificial sweetener by children and pregnant women. Anyone with PKU (phenylketonuria—a problem of phenylalanine, an amino acid, metabolism) should not use aspartame (Nutrasweet).
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)—common allergic and behavioral reactions, including headaches, dizziness, chest pains, depression and mood swings; also a possible neurotoxin
• Preservatives (BHA, BHT, EDTA, etc.)—allergic reactions, hyperactivity, possibly cancer-causing; BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver
• Artificial Flavors—allergic or behavioral reactions
• Refined Flour—low-nutrient calories, carbohydrate imbalances, altered insulin production
• Salt (excessive)—fluid retention and blood pressure increases
• Olestra (an artificial fat)—diarrhea and digestive disturbances

Other Concerns Related to Additives and Preservatives

• Food Waxes- (protective coating of produce, as in cucumbers, peppers, and apples)—may trigger allergies, can contain pesticides, fungicide sprays or animal byproducts.
• Plastic packaging—Carcinogenic (vinyl chloride); immune reactions, lung shock

Links to Resources for More Information