Study: Canola oil is bad for your brain

Rapeseed oil has been asked to resign.8

I bought cold pressed which studies proved to be fine but I’ll just toss out the Canola.

Wow - almost every list puts Canola oil at the top for health and cooking (high smoke point). Those Canola oil people must really have good marketing. I don't use a lot of oil, but periodically do need to use it. Is pure vegetable oil the best overall - olive oil has a strong taste that sometimes overpowers whatever you're cooking.

Sunflower is bad and apparently has higher incidence of cancer in tests.

Soy Bean is high in Omega 6 which compete against Omega 3 for heart health benefits (lowering them).

Light olive oil is chemically processed.

BUTTER

I've been using avocado oil for a few years now; I started back whenever Costco started selling big bottles for $10. I thought you weren't supposed to cook with olive oil (beyond low heat, anyway) because it oxidizes quickly, making excessive free radicals.

R4, I love butter, too.

[quote]For one thing, the canola-fed mice gained weight, while the mice fed olive oil did not. All of the mice were fed the same number of calories. The mice that ate canola performed 40 to 45 percent worse on working memory tests than those that ate the regular diet. Short-term memory, which improved by 40 percent in the EVOO mice, was 50 percent worse in the canola mice than in control-group mice (those that got no additional oils). The connections between brain cells were considerably reduced in the canola mice. While tau was not affected, the mice that had eaten canola had more clumps of amyloid than the control mice.

[quote]Pratico said he considers the study a “red flag” for canola oil users, though he would not tell people to stop eating it. However, he said, he doesn’t think there’s adequate evidence to claim it’s a healthy alternative to olive oil.

[quote]In both studies, the mice ate the human equivalent of about one tablespoon of oil a day.

[quote]Pratico now would like to study corn oil and a diet richer in animal fat. He also wants to alter doses of canola oil to see how much is needed to induce brain changes and whether changes are reversible.

[quote]As to why canola might affect the brain differently than olive oil, Pratico said he is not sure. He said olive oil is richer in phenolic compounds, which “are well known to have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.”

I had read canola oil wasn't great, then a few days ago I was looking up omega-3:omega-6 fatty acid ratios in oils and fats and canola had a good enough profile where I was reconsidering my position. Reading canola oil helps with bone mineraliztion in "Canola oil vs Coconut oil" in SFGate's "Healthy Eating" complicated the matter. Apparently it's not the omega-3:omega-6 ratio that's the culprit but the industrial processing of the rapeseed into canola oil that makes it toxic to the brain. The rapeseed is washed in hexane, which is an air pollutant and neurotoxin.

Neither the solvent-extraction of canola oil nor hexane is mentioned in today's newspaper items about the Temple University study.

Why didn't they call it Canova oil?

I use Ole oil.

The documented benefits of olive oil sure outweigh the extra expense for me. It's too bad so many mass market foods contain canola. Reading the labels in my pantry was a bit shocking today.

When I was 3 my mom was worried when she saw me reading labels on boxes of food. She took me to a doctor who got me diagnosed with high-functioning autism. This was in the 1980s when you actually had to get a diagnosis. Over the next decade, things just got worse.

The rise of autism correlates with the rise of obesity. How often do you see people on the autism spectrum who are physically fit?

It causes canolingus.

If you're determined to never use canola oil in your diet don't ever buy Italian olive oil. The Italian olive oil industry is rife with corruption, and many of the brands that are sold have only 50% real olive with the rest being a mixture of different oils but mostly canola.

Have you actually read the ingredients list for "Beyond Meat"? It has canola oil in it. [italic]South Park[/italic] was right; that stuff is crap.

I prefer the paleo version of Beyond Meat: it's called meat.

True R14 a lot of Italian, Greek, and Spanish olive oil is fake like that. Unless you know exactly where the olives were grown, harvested, and processed in Southern Europe, and know the people who make the olive oil, it's probably fake.

I only use extra virgin olive oil and only buy certified. Just as an interesting tidbit, corruption in the olive oil trade has been a thing since ancient Roman times.

I’ve never used Canola. Not once.

It goes rancid between recipes. I have only ever used olive oil.

I only agreed to go out to dinner with the rapeseed oil. I didn't mean for... I didn't agree to.... Oh! *Flees from room, weeping uncontrollably*

It lacks Wessonality.

if you are cooking on medium to high heat, butter. Or ghee. or peanut oil. Rapeseed oil is gross.

I live in an area that grows a lot of canola. I have never used it. It tastes strange to me. I was once mocked by a local for saying I didn’t trust canola oil, which was “created”.

I use olive oil and sunflower oil from Ukraine. They don’t grow canola in Ukraine, and sunflower oil is cheap there.

I fry potatoes in sunflower oil, fry onions in butter, and use olive oil for salads.

I keep cubes of bacon/lard - lardons in French - in little packs. Can fry many things in that. My cholesterol is fine.

Why do people buy this unnatural poison?.. It is so simple to make your own all natural olive oil. Simply plant an olive tree. Wait five years. Pick the olives by hand under a new moon.You harvest the olives by knocking them out of trees onto fresh linen cloths laid on the ground You wash the olives and separate out as many leaves as you can. Purchase a half ton rolling stone..You crush the olives by hand into a paste using your large rolling stone. If you've ever seen an olive as it comes off a tree, you know that it has a very hard seed inside, sort of like a miniaturized peach pit. These seeds get crushed too.You then spin the paste in your handy centrifuge to separate the oil . You filter the oil through new muslin at least six times. You bottle the oil in hand blown tinted glass bottles.. Sealed with new cork stoppers.. Note unless you are a virgin you can not label your oil Virgin. Easy peesy.

R25 is an extra virgin.

They even have nitrite free lardons. Though I tend to wonder if nitrites are fine. Nutritional scientists haven't pass judgement on them. They could be bad, but humans consume a lot naturally and could be good, and the body even makes and uses them.

How’s peanut oil? That’s what I’ve been using. Canola tastes bad to me. Also use safflower oil. Maybe mixing it up a bit is better.

R4 Yes, butter, butter, butter! I lived to 91--a few days short of 92--so I know what I'm talking about.

R20 #metoo

I use Olive oil and sometimes Sunflower oil.

Olive oil isn't a lot more expensive here in Europe and Sunflower oil is the same price (or cheaper) than Canola (Rapeseed) oil as the Canola is better for Biodiesel.

I use peanut for high heat, corn for ordinary use, and olive oil for delicate flavoring/Italian foods.

Haven't done any high-heat/deep frying since the Air-Fryer was launched almost 10 years ago.

R31

R29 For frying, Peanut oil is one of the best tasting..

I used canola for about 5 years, because of the claim that it was good for you. I finally gave up on it because of how it made my kitchen stink with it's smell, I hated the smell of it. Now I use a sunflower oil that I buy at Trader Joe's. Olive oil for other things. For extra virgin olive oil needs I use California Olive Ranch. Butter always works, too.

I don't like the smell of it either. I use Californian olive oil for most things now.

I hate the taste of olive oil.

Either canola or sunflower oil for me.

A lot of rape is grown in East Anglia in South-Eastern England near where I was at university. That stuff absolutely stinks. It smells of rotting cabbage, or old wet socks that have been left in a bucket to go mouldy. The local kids are told to steer clear of it because it's pollen causes allergic reactions, and the sap from the plants can cause skin irritation. It's hard to see this stuff as health food.

I don't agree about the reliability of Italian olive oil, incidentally. Olives are mostly grown in the self-disciplined North, around Tuscany, Umbria and Liguria; well away from Mafia-land in the South. The growers and the local authorities are well aware that it would be a commercial disaster if Italian oil got the reputation for being adulterated, so controls are pretty tight. If you buy your cooking oils from a well-known brand like Filipe Berio, you won't be getting great-tasting oil, but you will be getting genuine Italian olive oil. If you want the great-tasting stuff as a salad dressing or condiment, go to a deli and get a special bottle. You will pay $50 - 70 for a nice locally pressed oil, but it will be really good. It is equally expensive in Italy, and you can taste that it is not adulterated.

Wrong about Filipo Berio, R38; in a test, that oil was also not what it was supposed to be. Same with Carapelli. I live in southern Europe and buy olive oil directly from the producer at the farmers' market. It's dark green, opaque and with an inch of olive sludge at the bottom. Tip - put olive oil in the fridge; if it solidifies, it's olive oil. But it may not be extra-virgin however.

All right, now I'm confused.

Tell me, the bottom line, DL: what oil should I use for the pan-frying that I sometimes do?

[quote]what oil should I use for the pan-frying that I sometimes do?

I use olive oil. I can't stand cleaning up after pan-frying, so I really don't do it more than four times a year. And I'm just talking sauteeing, not deep-frying.

Sauteeing is what I'm talking about, r41.

I don't deep-fry anything, but I thought that olive oil shouldn't even be heated to the point where you can really fry out a nice steak?

Canola gets its name from canada-oil. Another shitty product from that frozen wasteland along with ice hockey and Tim Hortons.

For steak, I would use butter. For potatoes, sunflower oil, but not domestic brands, as they are too refined. For anything else, sunflower oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, or avocado oil.

When baking, if a recipe calls for vegetable oil, I substitute coconut oil.

Yes, I forgot coconut oil! I use it when I prepare Thai stir fry curries. It gives a very subtle sweetness.

Bad effects of sunflower oil

r9

You're at least on the right track

Is pig lard any good?

[quote]If you're determined to never use canola oil in your diet don't ever buy Italian olive oil. The Italian olive oil industry is rife with corruption, and many of the brands that are sold have only 50% real olive with the rest being a mixture of different oils but mostly canola.

It's old news. Italy has cracked down on fraud in the last 2 years in a big way. New strict legislation has been passed. Even so, if you want good Italian olive oil, you have to know that it's expensive and you have to go the small producers. Check labels and go to their websites.

Anyway, if I lived in the states, I'd go with Californian oil. I've had olive oil from California that was excellent.

And BTW: good olive oil does not smell.

I've never used canola oil...I only use olive oil, butter or lard. I also save the fat if I'm cooking pork or beef and use it later.

If you want a mild tasting oil then try rice bran oil. It has a high smoke point and is ok for cholesterol levels. I started using it to cook for my parents as my mother dislikes the taste of olive oil.

What does the DL suggest for baking and stir-frys? I need something with a high smoke point and that doesn't have a flavor.

R51 where do you find rice bran oil?

Banned from my kitchen after one (awful-smelling) use.

8 parts peanut oil, 1 part sesame oil for Asian stir-fry.

Doesn’t all oil solidify in the fridge? Good olive oil doesn’t smell...?!

[quote] As to why canola might affect the brain differently than olive oil, Pratico said he is not sure. He said olive oil is richer in phenolic compounds, which “are well known to have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.”

Is that all they have for a theory...?

I think r8 is on to something.

[quote]Good olive oil doesn’t smell...?!

No, it doesn't "smell". It has a light scent. The same intensity as a good sweet butter.

I only ever use ole.

It's only bad for my brain?

Is it worse than palm oil?

It does NOT cause canolingus, r13!

.....

I've always thought canola oil tastes horrible, so I don't use it. I mainly use olive oil. I also keep sunflower oil, butter, coconut oil, and bacon fat for use in specific recipes. I like peanut oil, but peanut products cause inflammation in me, so I avoid it. Second to flavor nastiness after canola oil is soybean oil, which ruins the taste of anything. It also causes inflammation. That mean I don't eat a lot of processed foods.

wtf is wrong with my typing skills. You get the gist.

What’s wrong with good old Crisco??

Sally Fallon is a good reference for anyone who needs to learn about oils and healthy cooking. So much of what she advocated is turning out to be true. Per her recommendation, I use animal based oils for cooking - bacon fat is my favorite. Good quality butter gets used, but only in the last stages of cooking. We get uncured, naturally raised bacon up this way, so I'm fairly confident of the quality and yes, there's a huge difference. I wouldn't dare try it with CAFO bacon.

I learned that overheating oils creates toxins that the body doesn't deal with too well (cellulite is one result), so olive oil is only used in my house for salads and as a dressing at the last minute AFTER cooking. I store it in a dark, cool place in the pantry, and yeah, I buy a brand from Tuscany because I know it's really good. It's from a Biodynamic farm and though it's crazy expensive, I use it sparingly, so a small bottle lasts about 6 months.

I also took an Indian cooking class years ago and we had a whole day talking about the various cooking oils and it was understood that you never overheat them, no matter what you use.

Would you come to my house and viciously slap my partner? I buy good oils and fats, but he overheats everything until it's a choking toxic cloud of death.

Sure, R66, if it would help. Violence in the kitchen ruins the meal, tho', so I'll let you handle the rough stuff elsewhere.

Best advice I ever gave or received re: cooking: you control the fire and so you must TEND it. Relax and give yourself the time to cook a wonderful meal. Put on some good tunes and prep before you fire it up.

I used to turn off the heat if things got too rushed or I forgot to prep something ahead. As a kid I learned a lot from Julia Child about getting things ready and having a joy around cooking meals that never left me. Run a few of her tapes with your partner, with a great glass or two of a good red, and talk about how we are what we eat so not matter what we cook - canned, fresh, or frozen - should be done with love. Organic goes a long way, but love makes up for a lot when you have to live on a budget.

Can someone here recommend a good unadulterated brand of extra virgin olive oil?

Any word on grape seed oil? It is always recommended for high temperature cooking. I have a bottle of it in my pantry that I got to use in a salad dressing recipe, and it's just sitting there.

I've always stood by the classics. Olive oil, butter, and animal fat. It is what we have used through all of humanity.

The Greeks and Southern Italians eat tons of olive oil and those places are fucked up! So much for it being good for your brain.

Over 70 threads, and no one's commented yet on epic gayface in the picture at OP's link?

^70 posts, duh.

R52, I am in UK and just get it at the local supermarket but it is the oil that is used in a lot of East Asian cooking for stir fries etc so if you can’t get it in your local supermarket I imagine you can get it in a Chinese food supplies type shop. I just assumed it would be widely available there too.

Read Fats that heal, fats that kill by Udo Erasmus.

Foods cooked in canola oil gives me horrible gas (I've seen it happen to other people). If you check the labels on most pre-prepared foods (e.g. Trader Joe's salads, sandwiches, etc), almost all of them will have canola oil.

You’re going to die anyway whatever you do. Use the oil of your choice.

Canola oil can impart a fishy odour to potatoes and chicken. I noticed this years ago before reading about it. The first time I was celebrating Hannukah with a friend who fried the latkes in this toxic industrial oil. It vaguely smelled of fish and chips! All of these vegetable seed cake oils are unhealthy. I'll take the risk of adulterated olive oil before I ever buy canola, soybean, or mixed vegetable oils. I use butter, ghee, schmaltz, beef fat, and bacon fat when not using olive oils. Coconut for baking desserts. I'm not sure on the science, but on the rare occasions my mum fries, she uses safflower and grapeseed from La Torangelle. She was a trained chef, and smarter than most when it comes to healthier choices. She has given up preaching to her friends about the evils of canola and soy, as they think she is a fanatic.

Canola is a shit GMO oil. Best avoided.

R43 sounds black.

Indeed R79. It contains Glyphosate residue too. Before it was genetically modified, it was "naturally" toxic on its own due to the high Erucic acid content.

R71, such a Karen Walker comment. Came here knowing I'd find it😅

I am not a mouse

You're not a whiff smarter than a mouse if you believe Canola is healthy R83. Rather than argue against animal models in studies, you should research the history of turning canola into an [italic] edible [/italic] oil. If you still believe it is a health food, continue to enjoy your GMO Rapeseed, Glyphosate and Hexane cocktail my friend.

California Olive Ranch brand oils are no longer made from purely Californian olives. They claim its due to shortages and changing climate.

R83 If I were you, I would check and double check whether there isn't a conflict of influence with the writer. The only one to comment positively on her article is "THE" Kevin Folta. He is a big time biotech shill, and in addition to a podcast, has a prominent place on Genetic Literacy Project. A bogus website for Big Ag and Biotechnology. ALL MONSANTO SHILLS.

Ghee (clarified butter) has quite a high smoke point and tastes good too. But (apart from butter) the best tasting fat is duck or goose lard. Lip-smacking good.

You can't fry latkes in bacon fat.

What's the consensus on safflower oil ? Safflowers are so pretty.

Safflower oil is great for baking because it has very little flavor of it's own, that it won't impart it into what you are baking. I have found it difficult to find where I live. I use to use it a lot, but now, no where to be found here.

R88 Sure you can. Jewish food doesn't have to be Kosher for most of us. I use light olive oil or schmaltz personally.

Ew, schmaltz? You wouldn't have that problem if you got a shower wand.

R92 You're confusing schmutz with rendered chicken fat my goyish friend.

I use butter or ghee for light pan frying. Peanut oil for deep frying. Coconut oil or butter for baking. Olive oil for everything else.

Ugh. So many people seem to use so many different oils for different purposes. Is there not one (or two) that can be used for mostly everything?

Not a good idea R95, as they are not suitable to every use. You need a high smoke point (can tolerate high temps without breaking down) for deep frying, baking, and medium-high for sautéing, and some have flavours that are too strong for certain things like baking. It is healthier to consume a variety rather than solely relying on one type. Better to inform yourself so you can make the best choices.

I've found some really good tasting olive and other oils at Homegoods. You have to check the label date, though, to make sure it isn't old. A lot of their stock is extras from trade shows. But I've had generally good luck there.

R97 Many great food items and condiments too.