Exactly, What is Canola Oil?

By Joan McDaniel September 16, 2012

Canola Oil to the Rescue

First we had the Fat-Free diet; Dr. Atkins changed that to a glycemic index diet. That didn’t completely address the problem. A growing number of independent lab test results are showing some troubling results. We now we have the Canola Oil solution. The Health Food Industry mistaken and untested “lipid hypothesis”, edict that “All Saturated Fat is bad your heart” is coming under increased questioning. The FDA has now ruled that Trans-fat has to be listed on the product label.

Most of the Health Food Industry’s products are from hydrogenated vegetable oils, of which 70% is trans-fat. The Food Industry is under pressure to produce “Heart Healthy” Oil that will deal with or pass the growing concern. Canola Oil to the rescue and a high priced slick advertising campaign was to follow.

The Fat-Free Diet and My Hypertension.

Many years ago, I followed the recommended fat-free diet to the letter. I had developed high blood pressure. My pressure was so high, I could hardly see. I felt like my head was going to blow off judging from the pressure I felt in the back of my neck. After having pressure readings of 200/195 and several doctor’s visits, my doctor prescribed several medications and recommended I change my diet and “avoid salt” at all costs. In those days, the Fat-Free diet was all the fad and I became the biggest fan of all. I became a strict fat-free advocate with flare, and of course, low salt. I bought several cook books, watched Fat-Free cooking programs on TV. I subscribed to magazines and started cooking. I even baked fat-free muffins. I began to cook for myself, my patients and my friends. I was very proud of myself. I did notice then that the diet seemed to cut out everything that tasted good except sugar. But, of course, what do I know. I wasn’t even a Nurse then.

I can’t believe it’s not Butter! Ad Campaign.

Remember the advertisement “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, can you?” It was promoting margarine that as a healthy alternative to butter. This buttery “type” spread was developed in 1979 by J.H. Filbert. It was meant to be a lower costing alternative to butter. It was the introduction of Canola Oil to the public. In an attempt to eliminate trans fats, the manufacturers introduced this oil into the market. It is a blend of soybean and canola oil. The trick is – it is not hydrogenated oil (so there’s 0g trans-fat). In fact, it is monounsaturated oil just like Olive oil.

The ad is still running and the product is still in most grocery stores where butter and other types of margarine are found. The product has been so successful; Canola oil is now marketed as a substitute for Olive Oil and is in most grocery stores where Olive Oil is found.

I just hope more than a few have learned that margarine in not good for you and neither is the Fat-Free Standard American Diet (SAD). And as this article will show, neither is Canola oil.

(SAD) is Low Fat high Carbs with a moderate amount of fiber. Note the majority of the diet is rice, potato, bread and pasta which are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates convert to instant sugar in the body. Sugar in the body causes inflammation which causes illness in the future. Hopefully many of my readers know that by now.

Years of eating Fat Free did not help me.

Now, years later I have found the Fat-Free diet did nothing for me. I still had the Hypertension which was getting worse. I needed 3 pills, instead of one. Plus I had developed the early signs of insulin resistant diabetes and at the start of the year was hospitalized for 10 days, because I could hardly breathe, was too weak to even walk and my hypertension was out of control. Some progress HUH! Plus, I kept getting weaker and sicker as each year went by.

Now, of course, all that has passed, since finding my new diet consisting of coconut oil, iodine, sea salt and the rest of the good stuff, I have written about. Today, I no longer take any prescription medication. I am no longer hypertensive; my thyroid is enjoying its iodine and providing me lots of renewed energy. Now I’m trying to break my carb habit and become free from any sugar and insulin resistive problems. But along the way….

Reading Labels produced some real surprises.

Take mayonnaise for example;

Along the way of investigating and research I found reading product labels, was generated some real surprises, one major surprise was mayonnaise. I have found all mayonnaise, even the advertised “real mayonnaise”, is made either with vegetable oil, or soy. I was looking to add a real mayonnaise with olive oil, like I had added a real butter back into my diet.

To help with my fact finding, I was visiting my local Health Food Store often. One day I was visiting, looking for an olive oil based mayonnaise. The assistant manager and I had become friends. Her knowledge of food and nutrition was very informative, and I had learned to trust her knowledge. She had even given me a large, very helpful and informative book on nutrition.

Upon seeing her I said, “I just found out most mayonnaise is made from vegetable oils or soy”. She confirmed my suspicion about soy being a GMO. She responded, “I have just the thing for you”. I followed her down the aisles. She handed me a bottle of mayonnaise. “This is just the thing”, she said “It’s made with the new Canola Oil”. It’s healthy and safe and better for you.

So, Exactly What is Canola Oil?

On October 6, 2006 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled the approval of canola oil’s health claim on its ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content. Canola Oil was introduced to the FDA for approval by the Canola Council of Canada. Barb Isman the councils chairman said, “The FDA’s stamp of approval is proof positive that canola oils are really Good for Every Body”!

The resulting advertising campaign like the “I can’t believe it’s not butter” campaign has been very successful. Many people believe it, including the people from Health Food Store who now talk of the “Good Oil”. Many stores feature food cooked in the oil. In fact, many honest food producers are using Canola Oil over Olive Oil because it is less expensive.

But what is a Canola, is it like an Olive? What is a Canola?

Olive oil comes from Olives, Coconut Oil comes from coconuts, Walnut oil comes from walnuts, and Canola oil comes from — are you ready? — the seed of the yellow flowing rapeseed plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants.

RapeSeed Plant

Rape Seed

According to the Health Ranger, “The Canadian government subsidizes rapeseed planting and harvesting. These plants are easy to grow because they are GMO modified to be insect resistant. Canola oil is cheaper and easier to use for processed foods than the more expensive, healthier cold pressed oil such as olive oil. The Canadian government, it is reported, put up the cash to have the FDA classify Canola oil as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe). This classification allowed the Canola industry to avoid long term safety testing”

Canola oil stands for Canada Oil or Oil from Canada. After all, Rapeseed Oil does sounds a little odd.

Expeller Press and Cold Pressed

All oil is produced by pressing. Olive oil presses olives; coconut oil presses coconut meat; walnut oil… etc. Even mustard is made by pressing mustard seeds. You get the picture.

There are two types of pressing process, cold press and expeller pressed.

Expeller pressed is a chemical-free mechanical process that extracts oil from seeds and nuts. The temperature reached during pressing depends on the hardness of the nut or seed. The harder it is the higher the friction which increases the temperature. Rapeseed comes from the mustard family and like mustard it’s seed is one of the harder type, therefore the heat generated during pressing is high (over 300 degrees).

Cold Pressing is used to produce delicate oils, or those when flavor is key. The temperature is keep below 120 degrees F.

To compare it to Olive oil is a sin. Real olive oil is not processed, it is pressed from real fruit an olive not a flower seed. There are more minerals and healthy things in an olive then there is in any seed. Ancient societies have worshiped the Olive and Olive Oil for its life giving qualities. Local oil growing communities have olive oil tasting ceremonies when the oil is first pressed.

In previous articles on this site I have shown research material indicating many manufactures cutting costs and not using Olive Oil at all to make extra virgin olive oil. They are adding another oil to reduce cost and meet demand.

I also have included other articles reporting on Olive Oil and the dangers when heating it:

Heating a monounsaturated fat like olive oil, makes the oil break down and become perishable with oxidative damage which then forms free-radicals, inflammation and illness in the body.

If anyone wants to know the difference between cold pressed and expeller pressed, taste the difference with Coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is cold pressed. For those of you who want the benefits of coconut oil but do not like the taste or smell, use expeller pressed. The friction based process removes all taste and smell. Unlike olive oil, coconut oil withstands any nutritional changes because it is a saturated fat and is safe to eat. Expeller pressed coconut oil is used in things like free smelling soap.

Look out Canola oil is sold in bottles next to the Olive Oil. Read Your Food Labels Carefully.

The oil is sold separately in bottles, but added warning for it is also included in many prepared or processed foods, even in the health food store. For it is healthy remember?

Meanwhile, the health food industry sells and uses it as a healthy alternative despite growing evidence of toxic dangers. In fact, since even an expert cannot tell virgin olive oil by taste, you better look at the label extra carefully for if it says Expeller processed IT IS NOT OLIVE OIL.

Expeller processed is NOT OLIVE OIL. To be Olive Oil IT MUST BE COLD PRESSED.

Olive Oil is so delicate it has to be cold pressed to be healthy. I have even seen bottles of canola oil and olive oil together and YES I HAVE SEEN expeller pressed olive oil. It was made by the same manufacture of the Canola oil that’s on the next shelf down.

I did not take the time to expand on the real dangers of Canola Oil which can be found in the following list of articles. There are some major health dangers in this product. Read the following links to get more of the story.

All those above highlights can be found in Sources listed below but the best one is a video from the Health Ranger himself.

Health Ranger Video

you eating pesticides? Canola oil a great insect killer

The Health Ranger reveals how the No. 1 ingredient in a pesticide product is actually canola oil, and describes the warnings on the product which include that you should never get the oil on your skin or clothing. Soybean oil is also discussed as a key ingredient in another pesticide product.

http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=AEE77E1636E97778AB05E6F31D6B1C27

“The Truth About Canola Oil”

Rapeseed was originally a very toxic acid called lear oil which had to be removed from the market.

Rapeseed oil is genetically modified to withstand Monsanto’s weed killing herbicide Roundup.