Canola oil can be considered a budget alternative to olive oil for everyday frying – both of these products are rich in omega-9 fatty acids. In fact, canola oil is a refined vegetable oil obtained from modified rapeseed.
Canola oil – what is it?
Canola oil is a crop created by crossing plants. Since the introduction of the canola plant, breeders have developed many varieties that have improved the quality of the seed and led to a boom in canola oil production.
Canola oil can also be used as a fuel, an alternative to diesel fuel, and as a component of plasticizer products such as rubber.
In 1985, the FDA decided that canola was safe for human consumption. Canola oil is commonly found in margarine, mayonnaise, etc. Canola is also used in the production of cosmetics, fabrics and printing inks.
An important benefit of canola oil is its ability to withstand high temperatures without burning through. In other words, it is ideal for frying food. Recall that harmful trans fats appear in vegetable oils as a result of repeated heating to high temperatures – especially if the process is repeated many times. That is why canola oil is recommended to be used for cooking only once.
What is the benefit?
Unlike sunflower and soybean oils, canola does not disrupt the balance of Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and Omega-6 (linoleic acid) in the human diet.
More than 60% of the composition of canola is oleic fatty acid – second only to olive oil in this respect.
Most of the fears about canola oil being harmful are based on the fact of refining and chemical processing – however, these fears are disproved by scientific research.
Therefore, canola oil is intended for human consumption and frying. The main advantage of canola is the balance of fatty acids in the composition – in this parameter it is significantly superior to other oils.