FAQ's For Mom
Choose the vegetable oil with the best nutritional profile - the one low in saturated fat, moderate in monounsaturated fat (to help reduce blood cholesterol levels) and a source of omega-3 fatty acids (for growth, reproduction and vision). Your best choice? Health professionals agree - canola!
Nutritionists have had one consistent message for consumers when it comes to their eating patterns: eat less fat. While this dietary advice is still right on target, nutritionists now realize that the type of fat in the diet is also important. Canola oil provides a unique blend of fatty acids that contribute to good health.
Canola Contains Essential Fatty Acids
Canola oil contains two fatty acids that are essential in our diets. These polyunsaturated fatty acids - linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) - must be obtained from foods because our bodies cannot manufacture them. They play important roles in growth, reproduction and vision; in maintaining healthy skin and cell structure; in the metabolism of cholesterol; and in regulating genes, the genetic material found in every cell of the body. They may also be beneficial in preventing heart disease and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Omega What?
The term omega refers to the chemical structure of the fatty acid. Sometimes the letter "n" is substituted for the word omega. So, linoleic acid can be called an omega-6 or n6 fatty acid; alpha-linolenic acid is an omega-3 or n-3 fatty acid.
Linoleic Acid is Important...
This omega-6 fatty acid is a major component of brain tissue and cell membranes and is required for the growth and the development of infants. When the diet is low in linoleic acid, virtually all organ systems are impaired. The central nervous system, the eye and platelets in the bloodstream are particularly vulnerable to a deficiency of linoleic acid.
... Alpha-Linolenic Acid, too
The major omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (Triglycerides are fats that travel in the bloodstream to storage sites in the body.)
The omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart attacks and strokes, and they also play a role in reducing the inflammation of joints associated with rheumatoid arthritis. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid required for the development of the eye and brain in infants.
Dietary Sources
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid found in leafy vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds of and oils made from seeds of canola.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid found in plant leaves, flaxseed, walnuts, red and black currant seeds and some vegetable oils such as canola. In fact, the alpha-linolenic acid content of canola oil is higher than that of other vegetable oils available in supermarkets today. Two other omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They are found in human milk and fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, herring, trout, sardines and blue fin tuna.
Linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid can also be found in food products made from vegetable oils like canola oil.
Canola is not Rapeseed
Rapeseed is not a word that can be used in the place of canola. Canola was derived from the rapeseed plant using traditional plant breeding methods. The two differ in their chemical composition and nutritional qualities.
Canola Offers the Best Blend
Canola oil offers the best mix of fatty acids - it is low in saturated fat and provides a moderate amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Canola oil is second only to olive oil as a rich source of monounsaturated fat. Canola's unique fatty acid profile has important implications for health.
Studies in animals, patients with coronary heart disease and healthy volunteers consistently show that diets high in saturated fat raise blood cholesterol. Canola oil, by virtue of its being low in saturated fat, can be substituted for more saturated vegetable oils, margarines and butter to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Even explorers in Antarctica had lower blood levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) when they used canola oil and canola margarine instead of their regular oil and margarine during the long winter! This fairly simple dietary change improved the explorers' blood lipid profile. North American consumers can enjoy the same benefits by using canola oil in their diets.
Canola oil is rich in monounsaturated fat that, when substituted for saturated fat in the diet, helps to reduce blood cholesterol. Moreover, large-scale population studies show an inverse relation between consumption of monounsaturated fat and risk of coronary heart disease. In other words, populations with high intakes of monounsaturated fat - for example, people living in Mediterranean countries where olive oil is consumed widely - are less likely to die from heart attacks. In North America, canola oil is a leading source of monounsaturated fat.
Canola also contains linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, two polyun-saturated fats that help lower blood cholesterol levels when substituted for saturated fat in the diet Alpha-linolenic acid, in particular, appears to protect against cardiovascular diseases. For example, people who consume alpha-linolenic acid regularly have a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes than people with low intakes of this fatty acid. Furthermore, alpha-linolenic acid reduces inflammatory responses and may be beneficial for people with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Canola Oil - Just Right for Health
Today's busy consumers want foods that taste good and boost health. Canola oil fits the bill. It has a unique blend of fatty acids that provides health benefits especially for people at risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Plus, its mild flavor makes it ideal for baking, braising and frying and for use in salad dressings, sauces and baked goods.
References
1. Caggiula AW, Mustad VA. Effects of dietary fat and fatty acids on coronary artery disease risk and total and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations: Epidemiologic studies. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65(Suppl):1597S-1610S.
2. Caughey GE, et al. The effect on human tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1 production of diets enriched in n-3 fatty acids from vegetable oil or fish oil. Am J Clin Nutr 1996;63: 116- 122.
3. de Lorgeril M, et al. Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: Final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study. Circulation 1999;99:779-785.
4. Dietschy JM. Dietary fatty acids and the regulation of plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. J Nutr 1998;128:444S-448S.
5. National Cholesterol Education Program. Report of the Expert Panel on Population Strategies for Blood Cholesterol Reduction. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH Pub. No. 90-3046, 1990.
6. Sessler AM, Ntambi JM. Polyunsaturated fatty acid regulation of gene expression. J Nutr 1998;128:923-926.
Factsheet researched and written by Diane H. Morris, Ph.D, R.D.
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