Canola Oil for Healthy Cooking
Not all fats are created equal!
Some fats are good for you, some are not.
Your body needs fat to provide energy and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Certain fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential for good nutrition and must be consumed as part of a healthy diet. It is important to choose fats wisely because some fats are healthier than others. Canola oil provides higher amounts of healthier fats than other popular vegetable oils.
Every body needs good fats to stay healthy.
Choose a healthy oil. In keeping with dietary recommendations* canola oil is:
• low in saturated fat
Saturated fat raises the bad LDL cholesterol in blood and has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease.
• a source of omega-6 fat
Omega-6 fat must be consumed as part of the diet and is important for the brain and essential for the growth and development of infants.
• high in omega-3 fat
Omega-3 fat must also be consumed in the diet and helps protect against heart attacks and strokes.
• high in monounsaturated fat
Monounsaturated fat may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering bad LDL cholesterol in the blood and helping control blood glucose.
• cholesterol and trans fat-free
Trans fat raises bad LDL cholesterol and lowers good HDL cholesterol.
The U.S. government recommends that people “consume less than 10% of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible."
Health Canada advises “for good health, include a small amount (2 - 3 Tbsp/30 - 45 mL) of unsaturated fat and limit the amount of saturated and trans fat in your day."
Canola Oil Qualified Health Claim
Canola oil may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized, in October 2006, a qualified health claim for canola oil based on its high percentage of unsaturated fats.
The claim states: “Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 11/2 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day."
