Canola Oil or Olive Oil

This South Beach life style has me re-considering many of my food choices, and this is a biggie -- I've been using a gallon or more of olive oils from around the world every year. But, my internist and a cardiologist I've consulted both recommended that I cut back on olive oil -- only use it as a flavoring agent -- and replace it for most purposes with canola oil.

Their reason: new studies show that olive oil raises good cholesterol and lowers the bad cholesterol, but blood vessels continue to stiffen and lose flexibility. Canola oil has the same effect on cholesterol, but blood vessels improve. [Not a technical explanation, but good enough for this OF's purposes.]

The Culinary Institute seems to be jumping on this band wagon -- or at least training chefs on how to cook with canola oil. The intro to their site reads: "Americans are finally getting the message: Some dietary fats are good for you, and some fats should get the boot. This is why canola oil is in the limelight. Take part in a FREE online training experience and discover what canola has to offer the health-conscious chef. Recipes and streaming videos demonstrate how to use canola to replace less desirable fats in your kitchen."

The site is called "The Professional Chef Discovers Canola Oil", is free [!!!!], and is located at http://www.ciaprochef.com/canola/

A short extract indicates how well written the site is:

"Like mustard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, canola is a crucifer — so called because its yellow flowers have the shape of a cross. To botanists, who prefer Latin, all of these plants belong to the Brassica family along with cabbage, kale and turnips. Most of these nourishing crops have been with us for centuries; only canola is a relative newbie."

What do you think about the basic point -- dump olive oil for canola oil? I'm skeptical -- but these two docs have topflight reps, don't have any affiation with the Canadian canola interests, and I pay them a ton of money for their professional opinions.

Thanks, Bob

Canola oil certainly has all the certifications for health claims from practically every government and private Assn./Org., so as long as you don't mind using a product from a "GM" genetically modified plant, it's all go! Yep, another case of damned if you do and damned if you don't...

About 80 per cent of canola from Canada is GM, modified for weed control resistence. But, it is easily possible to find non-GM canola oil in this area if it's a matter of concern.

About 80 per cent of canola from Canada is GM, modified for weed control resistence. But, it is easily possible to find non-GM canola oil in this area if it's a matter of concern.

Doesn't bother me personally, just pointing it out.

Well, if you constantly shift your diet around based on the very latest research, you'll never lack for variety!

You might want to also consider taking l-arginine to relax your blood vessels.

True, enough, Mike.

These reccos are kind of old news, at least to these two hotshots. The internist told us five years ago, according to Janet, and the cardiologist told me two years ago during a stress test.

True, enough, Mike.

These reccos are kind of old news, at least to these two hotshots. The internist told us five years ago, according to Janet, and the cardiologist told me two years ago during a stress test.

Well, it's hard to see how it could hurt unless you don't like the taste of canola.

You might want to also consider taking l-arginine to relax your blood vessels.

I eat many of the foods that enable my body to produce I-arginine, Larry.

The Wikipedia entry would give me pause before taking the suppement, frankly.

"[edit] Possible increases in risk of death from heart disease
A clinical trial found that patients taking an L-arginine supplement following a heart attack didn't improve in their vascular tone or their hearts' ability to pump. In fact, more patients who were taking L-arginine died than those taking a placebo and the study was stopped early with the recommendation the supplement not be used by heart attack patients. [6][7][8] The supplement is still widely marketed.


[edit] Lung inflammation and asthma
The Mayo Clinic web page on L-arginine reports that inhalation of L-arginine can increase lung inflammation and worsen asthma.[9]"

Despite a long history of high cholesterol, my blood vessels appear to be in pretty good shape according these guys; my internist was a little wistful, I thought: 'It looks like we can't do business on that front, Bob."

The study pointed out that it was for post-infarction people, and what was the dosage? Other studies show it's useful for type II diabetes. But I agree that inhaling l-arginine might be bad for you. My caplets would get lodged in my nostrils.

Bob,
Canola and EVOO are the only two oils we stock (ignoring butter). We use Canola for many dishes that involve heating the oil to high heat, but continue to use EVOO for many applications: salad dressings, pasta sauces, most Mediterranean cooking. The flavor is important to us and we (fortunately) haven't had to consider the cardiovascular differences yet. To me, the flavors are dramatically different and I'd question just how much more benefit is derived from Canola over olive oil. Canola is higher in Omega-3 fatty acids but also in Omega-6. It is this latter which has been associated with an increase in inflammatory eicosanoids. Perhaps go to a 50/50 or 2/1 mix and see how that works for you?

Mark Lipton

Another story like the rest of the stories...one year - don't eat eggs, the next year - "oh, now we find eggs are all right". It goes on and on. Moderation in everything is the key. I've also read that the process Canola goes through creates a chemical that should not be ingested. It's all a huge experiment.

Another story like the rest of the stories...one year - don't eat eggs, the next year - "oh, now we find eggs are all right". It goes on and on. Moderation in everything is the key. I've also read that the process Canola goes through creates a chemical that should not be ingested. It's all a huge experiment.

I'm a little less cynical, Karen; science has helped us understand a great deal about us. As a former farm boy, I followed the egg story with great interest. It's one of the successes of scientific inquiry in my opinion. Here's a brief history from a cardiologist, which jibes with what I remember.

For more than 30 years, I’ve been telling my heart patients—and anyone who was vulnerable to cardiac disease and hardening of the arteries—to avoid eating eggs. In so doing, I was following the advice of the medical establishment and nutritional scientists. Their logic was that, since the plaques that narrow arteries in the heart, brain and elsewhere contain cholesterol, it made sense to avoid cholesterol-rich foods. One egg contains 212mg of cholesterol. That’s a lot—e specially considering that the daily upper limit of cholesterol consumption is just 300mg a day.

However, now we’ve learned that the cholesterol we eat has very little effect on its level in the blood. What’s more important is how much saturated fats and trans-fatty acids we consume. (Eggs may have taken a bad rap because of the other foods people eat with them, such as sausages, ham, butter and margarine.) So doctors are rethinking their advice about not eating eggs.

Recent data obtained from long-term studies of dietary habits in more than 100,000 men and women have shown that one egg a day has no effect on the future development of cardiovascular disease in healthy men and women. (For diabetics, however, it can increase the risk of heart disease.)

Here’s what I tell my patients: If you are healthy and your cholesterol level is normal, eat as many eggs as you like. However, reduce your intake of saturated fats (bacon, red meat, whole milk and other dairy products) and avoid the trans-fatty acids in junk foods, fried foods and potato chips. Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

According to Drs Michael and Mary Dan Eades MDs in their book Protein Power, the problem with Canola Oil is the high level of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) in it. This slows down the body's production good eicosanoids (also know as gatekeepers, keeping bad eicosanoids away from the body). This is same thing that trans fatty acids do to you, admitedly to a greater extent. Canola Oil is 10% ALA and 60% monounsaturated. Of the popular cooking oils only Flaxseed Oil at 57% ALA is worse than Canola. Olive oil is 0% ALA and 82% monounsaturated.

Links to Snopes urban legends re Canola and Wiki on Alpha Linolenic acid
http://www.snopes.com/toxins/canola.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-linolenic_acid

Bob,

It looks like there is still some good and applicable information here...

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16962&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=moderator

[Jenise]

So all that olive oil I've been eating isn't that good for me? Oh crap.

Jenise,
Crap is worse.

John

[Jenise]

Jenise,
Crap is worse.

John

I'm willing to take your word for it.

Another story like the rest of the stories...one year - don't eat eggs, the next year - "oh, now we find eggs are all right". It goes on and on. Moderation in everything is the key. I've also read that the process Canola goes through creates a chemical that should not be ingested. It's all a huge experiment.

Yes, and how about the new evidence that tells us that poultry fat is good--supposedlyl it has some of the same chemical components as Olive Oil. I was really glad to hear that one--I don't feel nearly as guilty for nibbling the skin.

Another story like the rest of the stories...one year - don't eat eggs, the next year - "oh, now we find eggs are all right". It goes on and on. Moderation in everything is the key. I've also read that the process Canola goes through creates a chemical that should not be ingested. It's all a huge experiment.

Yes, and how about the new evidence that tells us that poultry fat is good--supposedlyl it has some of the same chemical components as Olive Oil. I was really glad to hear that one--I don't feel nearly as guilty for nibbling the skin.

One of the easiest ways to tell, actually, is a visual one: the more liquid a fat is, by and large the better for you it is. The fact that chicken/duck/goose fat melts at a lower temperature is due to the presence of unsaturated fats, specifically some omega-3 fats, in the makeup. Lard, tallow, shortening and butter are far more solid because of the absence of unsaturated fats, i.e. they are saturated.

Sorry for the schmaltzy explanation,
Mark Lipton

It's pretty hard to sort out the truth about Canola oil (Canadian Oil Low Acid), but I remain suspicious of it. It's been hybridized to reduce the erucic acid content (nothing wrong with that), and, as I hear it, 80% of the production is genetically modified to be "Round-up ready" (not too keen on that.) Mainly though it seems to be too much of a highly processed industrial product to make me feel comfortable consuming it. The suspicion is that it breaks down when heated into unhealthy chemicals. There are alternatives. I make most of my pie crusts with oil, and used to use Canola oil for good health. No more. I now use grape seed oil, which has a high smoke point, with some nut oil added for flavor.

Sorry for the schmaltzy explanation,
Mark Lipton

Cute!

Bob,

Free range chickens and their eggs, grass fed beef, coconut oil. You'll be kicking ass in no time at all. (Oh, and you can find the omega-3 capsules from the smaller fish online quite easily).