Is Canola Oil Bad for You?

Because canola oil is low in unhealthy fat and high in healthy fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), it is a safe and heart-healthy choice for cooking use.

One of the benefits of canola oil is that it has a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 (alpha-linolenic) fatty acids. One tablespoon of canola oil gives you 1,279 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent various diseases including:

• Heart diseases
• Alzheimer's disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Cancer
• Age-related macular degeneration

Canola oil may also be a good addition to your diet to reduce inflammation. Inflammation plays a key role in conditions such as high cholesterol level, heart disease, and obesity. Including canola oil in your diet can help you manage diabetes since the oil helps lower your glycemic load, which is a parameter used to describe aspects of a particular food that can influence blood glucose.

Some people feel that cold-pressed or virgin oils are better than commercially processed or refined oils. While cold-pressed oils are extracted by crushing the canola seeds slowly, refined oils are typically made by heating and using chemical solvents. However, it hasn’t yet been proven whether cold-pressed oils are better than refined oils.

Whether cold-pressed or refined, it’s best to include a variety of different oils when cooking and avoid using butter or other unhealthy fats. For example, olive oil can be used to add flavor, and soybean oil can be used for cooking. Whatever oil you use, make sure not to heat the oil at too high a temperature, as this can destroy the fatty acids and compromise the health benefits of certain oils.