Canola oil is a good choice, but you have to use “Expeller pressed, unrefined” canola oil.
Not just your run of the mill canola oil.
I’ve read this about Canola too in “The Good Fat Cookbook”, but I still don’t understand whether this means that ALL Canola contains transfatty acids that are as yet not indicated on the label, or we should only watch out for the magic words next to canola “partially hydrogenated” as we always have.
Mayo was originally made with olive oil but I can’t find any mayo on the shelf with olive oil. I made it successfully with extra virgin but it was too harsh. I think you have to cut it with olive oil for a more neutral taste.
PB and Mayo, I used to do that all the time. Everytime I say I used to eat that though, people look at me like I’m crazy. It was actually pretty good.
Dude if you make your mayo with olive oil won’t it get all nasty if you put it in the fridge?
I’d like to rub different kinds of oils all over Cass, This is the best way to get in your good fats. Be careful not to OD though she’s very yummy!
JA
Spectrum sells Mayo made with good EFAs.
JA
What does Cass know about fats? Don’t listen to her.
Oh yeah, she only studies this stuff every day and knows this ‘fat stuff’ inside out.
I’ll take her side.
Plenty of people know their stuff inside out. How about looking at the arguments presented instead of blinding deferring to the nearest authority?
-Zulu
Are you implying that I don’t have the ability to look at both sides of the arguement? That maybe I’m not intelligent enough or educated?
Cass still wins the arguement.
Actually, Zulu and Neil are correct, but so is Cass.
Problem is that they are each talking about a different type of oil: Processed and Unprocessed.
Hi y’all,
I’m woman enough to admit that I don’t know everything, and I will admit that I was slightly incorrect in my statement regarding the trans-fat content in canola oil. But, I was not ENTIRELY incorrect.
I’ve been ridiculously spending the last 6 hours reading and researching the claims made on the site that NielG sent me (westonsprice), and have determined that some of the statements they made hold validity while others are quite far-fetched. It’s easy for any internet site to make health claims about something (in this instance, canola oil) to the uneducated consumer, because they presume that this reader will not bother to check the references at the end of the article. However, I was one reader who did, and I found mistakes. Some of the names of the authors in the research paper were spelt incorrectly, and some of the titles were not accurately referenced (that’s not a good thing).
So, to start my rebuttal, I’ll begin with the topic of the trans fatty acid content in canola oil.
This is the info presented by NeilG and westonaprice:
And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids.
Now me: Deodorization is a process of thermal stress where oils are heated to high temperatures >200 C for 1 hour. This process removes undersirable compounds in the crude oils that affect final taste and smell. Indeed, n-3 fatty acids are a part of these compounds that have the potential to become rancid, and that is why some of them are removed. And as stated in the above paragraph, during this process the n-3’s can be converted to trans n-3’s. In a recent publication of European Journal of Lipid Science and Tech (2001, Vol 103, Issue 7) “Rapeseed oil deodorization study using the response surface methodology”, investigators found that after the deoderization process in canola oil, at maximum, 30% of the total ALA (n-3) can be converted to trans. But, this conversion is dependant on the time and temperature of the deodorization process. So, per 100g of canola oil there could possibly be 7g of normal ALA and 3 g of trans ALA from really stressful conditions. Now, this appears to be a bad thing, as many of us know of the health implications of trans fats. However, most of us don’t ever come close to consuming 100g of canola in one day or even in one week. At most you might consume 2TBSP of canola oil, which is 30g, and in turn will contain 0.9g of trans n-3’s. More importantly, in this 30g you will be getting a lot of MONO’s and POLY n-6.
This is a very small amount of TFA’s in canola oil, and amounts like this have been proven to not have any deleterious effects (See, Health Effects of trans-ALA isomers, EJLST, 2001 103, 7). The levels of trans fats that cause the health problems seen are more at levels of 11-20g per day, and they accumulate from the hydrogenated oils and fats found in bakery products, fried foods, and added oils. This paper that I cited here also recognized that the amount of TFA in canola oil is not acceptable even though it is so small. They have identified that in order to prevent this transformation of the n-3’s, it’s as simple as reducing the temperature and time of the deodorization process which will still allow the removal of the other undersirable compounds. I believe that this new processing procedure is now in effect so we can all be happier that our canola oil today is much safer.
Now in regards to the other processing methods used to produce vegetable oils
Modern oil processing is a different thing entirely. The oil is removed by a combination of high temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Traces of the solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, even after considerable refining. Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety.
This process applies to all oils, even olive oil. The solvent hexane used in exraction is food grade hexane which has been extensively tested for it’s safety and toxicological effects. This type of hexane is completely safe for human consumption unlike the n-hexane that is used in many industrial plants and crude oil facilities. In these places the workers have been found to have much neurological damage and develop diseases like Parkinsons. However, like I said, this is NOT the hexane used to make edible oils. Also, only traces of this solvent may ever be found in edible oils, but 99.99999% of the time, all the hexane is distilled away as it is supposed to.
Now, back to olive oil for a second. Just so you know, expeller pressing is a process that also subjects the olive to high pressure and temperature, 150 C, which could also influence the health properties.
more to come…
These are also other claims made against canola oil in the westonaprice website:
In a 1998 paper, the same research group reported that piglets fed canola oil suffered from a decrease in platelet count and an increase in platelet size.15 Bleeding time was longer in piglets fed both canola oil and rapeseed oil. These changes were mitigated by the addition of saturated fatty acids from either cocoa butter or coconut oil to the piglets diet. These results were confirmed in another study a year later. Canola oil was found to suppress the normal developmental increase in platelet count.16
Now, reference 15 is by two researchers, Sheila M Innis, and R Dyer (which is one of the references that westonaprice spelled wrong). Sheila was a grad student of my current MSc supervisor so I am familiar with her work. She has pioneered a lot of the fat requirements of newborn and preterm infants.
Here is the actual abstract from the paper:
Abstract:
This study was undertaken to determine the effects of canola oil on platelet characteristics, blood lipids and growth in exclusively formula-fed piglets. Piglets were fed from birth to 10 or 18 d with formula containing 51% energy from fat, with 100% fat as canola or soybean oil; 26% soybean, 59% high oleic acid sunflower and 12% flax oil (canola mimic); or 26% canola (canola blend) or soybean (soybean blend) with high oleic acid sunflower, palm and coconut oil. The canola mimic provided similar carbon chain 16 and 18 fatty acids without the sterol or 20:1 and erucic acid (22:1) of canola oil. The oil blends provided formula resembling infant formulas but with higher 16:0 and lower unsaturated fatty acid levels than in canola or soybean oil. Body weight, weight gain and heart and liver weight were not different after 10 or 18 d feeding canola when compared to soybean oil alone or blended oil formulas. Piglets fed formulas with 100% canola oil had lower platelet counts than piglets fed formula soybean oil or the canola oil mimic. Platelet counts were lower, and platelet distribution width and volume were higher, when formulas with 100% canola or soybean rather than the blended oil formulas were fed. The results show that formula fat composition influences the developing hematological system and that canola oil suppresses the normal developmental increase in platelet count in piglets by a mechanism apparently unrelated to the formula 16:0, 18:1, 18:2(n-6) or 18:3(n-3), or plasma phospholipid 20:4(n-6) or 20:5(n-3).
In this study Innis and Dyer looked at the health implications of canola oil in formula fed infants. As we see above, canola oil was shown to decrease platelet count…increase bleeding time etc. What we need to realize though, is that:
1) This study was conducted on growing infants, which does not translate into the health of grown adults. Growing infants have completely different nutrient requirements than adults. The milk from mothers breast is actually very high in the short and long chain saturated fatty acids, essential fatty acids, cholesterol and the trans fatty acid: conjugated linoleic acid. (yes, CLA is a trans fat!) So, if you change the fatty acid profile of the food fed to an infant you will create many, many problems. This study concluded that 100% canola oil was the problem, but that is because the fatty acid profile of canola is completely different that breast milk, while the other oil blends contained a fatty acid profile more similar to human milk.
Also, this study used a canola oil that was high in erucic acid (22:1), which is a dangerous fatty acid not normally found in the canola oil we buy on the shelf.
Here is another more recent paper by Innis, that shows canola oil is not as dangerous as this earlier study thought:
Low erucic acid canola oil does not induce heart triglyceride accumulation in neonatal pigs fed formula.
Green TJ, Innis SM.
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Canola oil is not approved for use in infant formula largely because of concerns over possible accumulation of triglyceride in heart as a result of the small amounts of erucic acid (22:1n-9) in the oil. Therefore, the concentration and composition of heart triglyceride were determined in piglets fed from birth for 10 (n = 4-6) or 18 (n = 6) d with formula containing about 50% energy fat as 100% canola oil (0.5% 22:1n-9) or 100% soybean oil, or 26% canola oil or soy oil (blend) with palm, high-oleic sunflower and coconut oil, providing amounts of 16:0 and 18:1 closer to milk, or a mix of soy, high-oleic sunflower and flaxseed oils with C16 and C18 fatty acids similar to canola oil but without 22:1. Biochemical analysis found no differences in heart triglyceride concentrations among the groups at 10 or 18 d. Assessment of heart triglycerides using Oil Red O staining in select treatments confirmed no differences between 10-d-old piglets fed formula with 100% canola oil (n = 4), 100% soy oil (n = 4), or the soy oil blend (n = 2). Levels of 22:1n-9 in heart triglyceride and phospholipid, however, were higher (P<0.01) in piglets fed 100% canola oil or the canola oil blend, with higher levels found in triglycerides compared with phospholipids. The modest accumulation of 22:1n-9 associated with feeding canola oil was not associated with biochemical evidence of heart triglyceride accumulation at 10 and 18 d.
Lipids. 2000 Jun;35(6):607-12.
Now about the platelet issue:
2) Decreased platelet aggregation and increased bleeding time are actually favorable outcomes in the prevention of heart disease. Of course they are not good for a new infant, but these factors are important to decrease the incidence of atherosclerosis.
In fact, the Greenland Eskimos, which we all know have the lowest incidence of coronary build up, have low platelet aggregability and prolonged bleeding times. This is how scientists have discovered that EPA and DHA were cardioprotective, as these fatty acids affected platelet function. Further studies with canola oil have shown these benefits in adults as well. The reason that increased bleeding time and decreased aggregation are anti-atherogenic is because it helps avoid the prevent the first step in plaque build up which is the accumulation of platelets to a injured arterial wall, due to stress of mechanical, oxidative, or chemical nature. The conclusive research with canola oil (the low eurcic kind) elicits these effects via the n-3 fatty acid (ALA) and the oleic acid content.
NielG, you also stated this:
[i]Cass,
It’s all in the processing. The stuff goes rancid when processed at such high heats (or by using chemical solvents).[/i]
This is completely contradictory to the statement you posted below it.
As I stated (and your post stated) deodorization is a process to prevent the unstable unsaturated polyunsaturated n-3’s from turning rancid.
Rancidity is a chemical reaction where oxygen (which is found in the air we breath every day…) reacts with the unpaired electrons at sites of unsaturation in the poly fats. This chemical reaction occurs with ALL fats that contain poly’s including flax seed oil and salmon oil whenever they are exposed to air, a small amount of heat, and light. This is why flax oil is usually stored in a dark bottle in the refrigerator, and it contains the antioxidant vitamin E (tocopherols) to prevent this oxidation process. It’s much more likely that your flax oil will go rancid before your canola oil ever will because it contains so MUCH more polyunsaturated fat.
Also, solvents will not make the oil go rancid.
In fact, a overally high proportion of poly fat is not even great to have in the diet (this includes, n-3 EPA, DHA, and ALA as well as the n-6’s). This is because high levels of poly’s in the cell membranes of the body are also susceptible to peroxidation and will form free radicals. Therefore anyone consuming a lot of poly fat should also take in a high dose of antioxidants from fruits, and supplements to prevent this from happening. (I’m not saying that poly fat is completely bad, just that you have to avoid taking in TOO much, and try to combat it’s high rate of oxidation with antioxidants)
The best fat to consume the largest quantity of is actually the mono fats. These fats will still keep the cell membranes fluid like polys, but they are not as unstable. The mono fats produce a very favorable lipid profile, and they are associated with decreased incidences of disease (as evidence by the Mediterranean diet). Canola oil and Olive oil are two of the oils in our diets that have a high proportion of mono fat. Actually, there is now new varieties of high oleic safflower oil and sunflower oil, that you can buy if you don’t like olive oil or canola
Overall, the diets that we consume naturally as T-men and T-vixens, are usually highest in Monos, then in Polys and lowest in Saturates. As long as we get a balance of fats over a period of a few days by adding different fats to our diets (by using olive oil meal, canola oil the next, and fish oil the next etc etc), we will most likely have low incidences of negative health events and improved body composition.
Interesting, Cass.
“Also, solvents will not make the oil go rancid.”
Oops. Yeah, bad wording on my part.
I still don’t get why such a highly processed oil like Canola would be “good.” Even relatively stable oils like olive and peanut oil are supposed to only be used for light cooking to avoid rancidity. The fact that they have to deodorize it should draw a black flag.
Cass- Do you ever sleep?
I just got this image of Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction
Jules
Please continue. What’s the matter? Oh, you were finished? Well allow me to retort.
Cass… marry me.
Just for a quick reference, kids, Weston A. Price was a dentist. In a lot of ways, he had some good ideas: starchy, refined carbs cause gum and tooth disease, diabetes, and all the other diseases of civilization. How he concluded then, that we ought to eat more milk and bacon, I’m not sure. But there it is.
Dan
Remember not all trans is artificially made
Ruminants have bacteria who produce reasonable quantities of trans into the fat, altho is trasvaccenic acid rather than the more common eladic
(3)
Hello all!
I am a long time reader of T-Mag but new to this forum and just wanted to say hello to everyone.
While I have been reading the forum for a while I finally decided to get brave and actually post occasionally.
Talk to you all later.
Well, that was certainly a very interesting post. Let me just point that discussion is not about ‘winning’ but evaluating the evidence at hand. I have a great deal of respect for Cass for having looked over the info by Fallon and Enig and anaylzing it.
Three questions jump out at me:
1.) CLA is a trans-fat? Isn’t CLA healthy? Tell us more!
2.) Why use Canola? I see no benefit to consuming something which contains transfat (perhaps less than suspected, but nonetheless), is highly processed or easily go rancid. The n-3 content isn’t necessary and the mono fats can be gotten from nuts or olive oil!
3.) Why is monounsaturated fat better than saturated fat?
Cheers,
-Zulu
Hey Cycomiko,
Yes, you are correct about CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, formed from LNA) being one of the trans fatty acids found naturally occuring in the food chain.
The isomers of CLA are produced by the process of biohydrogentation of dietary PUFA by the rumen microorganisms of ruminant animals (eg. cows, goats, sheep etc). The tissues of these animals are therefore richer in trans fatty acids than of simple-stomached animals.
CLA is present in a range of food fats like beef fat, but milk fat and dairy products containing milk fat have the highest concentrations. Reports that processing of dairy products can alter the CLA content must be treated with caution since there is greater variation in according to the season in which the milk was collected. However, the presence of whey protein during the processing seems to increase the CLA content. In fact, cheeses are the richest sources of CLA: blue cheese has 0.6mg/g fat, Parmesan has 1.9mg/g, and processed cheese with whey protein concentrate added have 8.8mg/g.
Effects of CLA include anti-cancer properties, antioxidant abilites, anti-atherogenicity, and improved growth efficiency in young animals.
So, you could say that the naturally occuring trans fats found in foods are health promoting, while the man-made trans fats are EVIL.
I still don’t get why such a highly processed oil like Canola would be “good.”
NeilG, not everything that’s processed is bad, and not everything that’s natural is good. Arsenic is natural and it’ll kill you; Grow! is nothing but processed and it’ll help you get bigger.