Skip to primary navigation

Skip to main content

Skip to primary sidebar

The Weston A. Price Foundation

Home

About

About the Foundation

Our Logo = Our Mission

Board of Directors

Staff

A message from Dr. Weston A. Price

11 Dietary Principles

Brochures

Shopping Guide

Healthy 4 Life

Beginner Tour

Vegetarian Tour

Take a Stand

Funding

Disclaimer

Comment & Privacy Policy

Contact Us

Health Topics

Podcast/Videos

Wise Traditions Podcast

About the Show

Tradiciones Sabias Podcast

Videos

Journals

Recipes/Reviews/Blogs

Book Reviews

Video Reviews

Recipe of the Week

Mother Nature Obeyed

Campaign for Real Milk

Find Food/Local Chapters

Local Chapters

Shopping Guide

RealMilk.com

Help for Farmers

Events

Wise Traditions Annual Conferrence

All Upcoming Events

Wise Conversations

Past Conferences

Conference Recordings

Get Involved

Action Alerts

Advertising Information

Journal Ad Pricing

Sample Ad Pages

SG Product Review

Podcast Ads

Why Advertise on Our Podcast

Wise Traditions Podcast Ad Form 2021

Health Freedom

Membership

Join Email Update List

Legislative Updates

Letters & Testimonials

Local Chapters

Library

Translations

Press

Petitions & Testimony

Web Watch

Membership/Store

Become a Member

Login/Member Status

Member Renewal

Gift Membership

Donate

Store

Main Content

The Great Con-ola

July 28, 2002 By Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD 45 Comments

🖨️ Print post

Canola oil is “widely recognized as the healthiest salad and cooking oil available to consumers.” It was developed through hybridization of rape seed. Rape seed oil is toxic because it contains significant amounts of a poisonous substance called erucic acid. Canola oil contains only trace amounts of erucic acid and its unique fatty acid profile, rich in oleic acid and low in saturated fats, makes it particularly beneficial for the prevention of heart disease. It also contains significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, also shown to have health benefits. This is what the food industry says about canola oil.

Canola oil is a poisonous substance, an industrial oil that does not belong in the body. It contains “the infamous chemical warfare agent mustard gas,” hemagglutinins and toxic cyanide-containing glycocides; it causes mad cow disease, blindness, nervous disorders, clumping of blood cells and depression of the immune system. This is what detractors say about canola oil.

How is the consumer to sort out the conflicting claims about canola oil? Is canola oil a dream come true or a deadly poison? And why has canola captured so large a share of the oils used in processed foods?

HIDDEN HISTORY

Let’s start with some history. The time period is the mid-1980s and the food industry has a problem. In collusion with the American Heart Association, numerous government agencies and departments of nutrition at major universities, the industry had been promoting polyunsaturated oils as a heart-healthy alternative to “artery-clogging” saturated fats. Unfortunately, it had become increasingly clear that polyunsaturated oils, particularly corn oil and soybean oil, cause numerous health problems, including and especially cancer.1

The industry was in a bind. It could not continue using large amounts of liquid polyunsaturated oils and make health claims about them in the face of mounting evidence of their dangers. Nor could manufacturers return to using traditional healthy saturates–butter, lard, tallow, palm oil and coconut oil–without causing an uproar. Besides, these fats cost too much for the cut-throat profit margins in the industry.

The solution was to embrace the use of monounsaturated oils, such as olive oil. Studies had shown that olive oil has a “better” effect than polyunsaturated oils on cholesterol levels and other blood parameters. Besides, Ancel Keys and other promoters of the diet-heart idea had popularized the notion that the Mediterranean diet–rich in olive oil and conjuring up images of a carefree existence on sun-drenched islands–protected against heart disease and ensured a long and healthy life.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sponsored the First Colloquium on Monounsaturates in Philadelphia. The meeting was chaired by Scott Grundy, a prolific writer and apologist for the notion that cholesterol and animal fats cause heart disease. Representatives from the edible oil industry, including Unilever, were in attendance. The Second Colloquium on Monounsaturates took place in Bethesda, Maryland, early in 1987. Dr. Grundy was joined by Claude Lenfant, head of the NHLBI, and speakers included Fred Mattson, who had spent many years at Proctor and Gamble, and the Dutch scientist Martign Katan, who would later publish research on the problems with trans fatty acids. It was at this time that articles extolling the virtues of olive oil began to appear in the popular press.

Promotion of olive oil, which had a long history of use, seemed more scientifically sound to the health-conscious consumer than the promotion of corn and soy oil, which could only be extracted with modern stainless steel presses. The problem for the industry was that there was not enough olive oil in the world to meet its needs. And, like butter and other traditional fats, olive oil was too expensive to use in most processed foods. The industry needed a less expensive monounsaturated oil.

Rapeseed oil was a monounsaturated oil that had been used extensively in many parts of the world, notably in China, Japan and India. It contains almost 60 percent monounsaturated fatty acids (compared to about 70 percent in olive oil). Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the mono-unsaturated fatty acids in rapeseed oil are erucic acid, a 22-carbon monounsaturated fatty acid that had been associated with Keshan’s disease, characterized by fibrotic lesions of the heart. In the late 1970s, using a technique of genetic manipulation involving seed splitting,2 Canadian plant breeders came up with a variety of rapeseed that produced a monounsaturated oil low in 22-carbon erucic acid and high in 18-carbon oleic acid.

The new oil referred to as LEAR oil, for Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed, was slow to catch on in the US. In 1986, Cargill announced the sale of LEAR oil seed to US farmers and provided LEAR oil processing at its Riverside, North Dakota plant but prices dropped and farmers took a hit.3

MARKETING LEAR

Before LEAR oil could be promoted as a healthy alternative to polyunsaturated oils, it needed a new name. Neither “rape” nor “lear” could be expected to invoke a healthy image for the new “Cinderella” crop. In 1978, the industry settled on “canola,” for “Canadian oil,” since most of the new rapeseed at that time was grown in Canada. “Canola” also sounded like “can do” and “payola,” both positive phrases in marketing lingo. However, the new name did not come into widespread use until the early 1990s.

An initial challenge for the Canola Council of Canada was the fact that rapeseed was never given GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status by the US Food and Drug Administration. A change in regulation would be necessary before canola could be marketed in the US.4 Just how this was done has not been revealed, but GRAS status was granted in 1985, for which, it is rumored, the Canadian government spent $50 million to obtain.

Since canola was aimed at the growing numbers of health-conscious consumers, rather than the junk food market, it required more subtle marketing techniques than television advertising. The industry had managed to manipulate the science to make a perfect match with canola oil–very low in saturated fat and rich in monounsaturates. In addition, canola oil contains about 10 percent omega-3 fatty acids, the most recent discovery of establishment nutritionists. Most Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, which had been shown to be beneficial to the heart and immune system. The challenge was to market this dream-come-true fatty acid profile in a way that would appeal to educated consumers.

Canola oil began to appear in the recipes of cutting edge health books, such as those by Andrew Weil and Barry Sears. The technique was to extol the virtues of the Mediterranean diet and olive oil in the text, and then call for “olive oil or canola oil” in the recipes. One informant in the publishing industry told us that since the mid 1990s, major publishers would not accept cookbooks unless they included canola in the recipes.

In 1997, Harper Collins engaged Dr. Artemis Simopoulos to write a cookbook featuring the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.5 Dr. Simopoulos was a pediatrician who had served for nine years as chair of the Nutritional Coordinating Committee of the National Institutes of Health before becoming president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health. She had published several papers on omega-3 fatty acids, calling attention to their disappearance from the food supply due to the industrialization of agriculture. Her most famous paper, published in 1992 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, compared omega-3 levels in supermarket eggs from hens raised on corn with eggs from hens allowed to roam and eat a more varied diet.6 The more natural eggs contained twenty times more omega-3 than supermarket eggs.

Empty cans of canola oil in an alley behind a Chinese restaurant. In China, lard was traditionally used for frying.

Simopoulos’s The Omega Plan came out in 1998 and was reissued as The Omega Diet in 1999. The book discusses the virtues of monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids in the Mediterranean diet.7 Since unprocessed canola oil contains not only lots of monounsaturated fatty acids, but also a significant amount of omega-3, it shows up in most of the book’s recipes. Simopoulos claims that the Mediterranean diet is low in saturated fat and recommends lean meat and lowfat yoghurt and milk as part of her regime.

The canola industry’s approach– scientific conferences, promotion to upscale consumers through books like The Omega Diet and articles in the health section of newspapers and magazines–was successful. By the late 1990s, canola use had soared, and not just in the US. Today China, Japan, Europe, Mexico, Bangladesh and Pakistan all buy significant amounts. Canola does well in arid environments such as Australia and the Canadian plains, where it has become a major cash crop. It is the oil of choice in gourmet and health food markets like Fresh Fields (Whole Foods) markets, and shows up in many supermarket items as well. It is a commonly used oil in sterol-containing margarines and spreads recommended for cholesterol lowering. Use of hydrogenated canola oil for frying is increasing, especially in restaurants.

DANGERS OVERSTATED

Reports on the dangers of rapeseed oil are rampant on the internet, mostly stemming from an article, “Blindness, Mad Cow Disease and Canola Oil,” by John Thomas, which appeared in Perceptions magazine, March/April 1996. Some of the claims are ludicrous. Although rape is a member of the brassica or mustard family, it is not the source of mustard gas used in chemical warfare.

Glycosides or glycosinolates (compounds that produce sugars on hydrolysis) are found in most members of the brassica family, including broccoli, kale, cabbage and mustard greens. They contain sulfur (not arsenic), which is what gives mustard and cruciferous vegetables their pungent flavor. These compounds are goitrogenic and must be neutralized by cooking or fermentation. As rapeseed meal was high in glycosides, it could not be used in large amounts for animal feeding. However, plant breeders have been able to breed out the glycosides as well as the erucic acid from canola oil.8 The result is a low-glycoside meal that can be used as an animal feed. In fact, canola meal for animal feed is an important Canadian export.

Hemagglutinins, substances that promote blood clotting and depress growth, are found in the protein portion of the seed, although traces may show up in the oil. And canola oil was not the cause of the mad cow epidemic in Britain9, although feeding of canola oil may make cattle more susceptible to certain diseases.

Like all fats and oils, rapeseed oil has industrial uses. It can be used as an insecticide, a lubricant, a fuel and in soap, synthetic rubber and ink. Like flax oil and walnut oil, it can be used to make varnish. Traditional fats like coconut oil, olive oil and tallow also have industrial uses, but that does not make them dangerous for human consumption.

We have had reports of allergies to canola, and internet articles describe a variety of symptoms–tremors, shaking, palsy, lack of coordination, slurred speech, memory problems, blurred vision, problems with urination, numbness and tingling in the extremities, and heart arrhythmias–that cleared up on discontinuance of canola. None of this has been reported in the medical journals, however. Writing for the Washington Post, Professor Robert L. Wolke (www. professorscience.net) chastises the publishers of these reports as spreading “hysterical urban legends about bizarre diseases.”10 The industry actually profits from such wild claims, because they are wrong and easily dismissed.

Nevertheless, consumers do have reason to be cautious about the establishment’s favorite oil, now showing up in an increasing number of products.

THE STUDIES

Says Wolke: “I found no research studies indicating that today’s low-erucic-acid canola oil, as distinguished from ordinary rapeseed oil, is harmful to humans.” That’s because, even though canola oil now has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, no long-term studies on humans have been done.

Animal studies on Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed oil were performed when the oil was first developed and have continued to the present. The results challenge not only the health claims made for canola oil, but also the theoretical underpinnings of the diet-heart hypothesis.

The first published studies on the new oil were performed in 1978 at the Unilever research facility in the Netherlands.11 The industry was naturally interested to know whether the new LEAR oil caused heart lesions in test animals. In earlier studies, animals fed high-erucic-acid rape seed oil showed growth retardation and undesirable changes in various organs, especially the heart, a discovery that touched off the so-called “erucic acid crisis” and spurred plant geneticists to develop new versions of the seed. The results of the LEAR study were mixed. Rats genetically selected to be prone to heart lesions developed more lesions on the LEAR oil and the flax oil, than those on olive oil or sunflower oil, leading researchers to speculate that the omega-3 fatty acids (not erucic acid) in LEAR and flax oil might be the culprit. But rats genetically selected to be resistant to heart lesions showed no significant difference between the four oils tested and LEAR oil did not cause heart problems in mice, in contrast to high-erucic oil which induced severe cardiac necrosis.

In 1979, researchers at the Canadian Institute for Food Science and Technology pooled the results of 23 experiments involving rats at four independent laboratories. All looked at the effects of LEAR and other oils on the incidence of heart lesions. They found that saturated fats (palmitic and stearic acids) were protective against heart lesions but that high levels of omega-3 fatty acids correlated with high levels of lesions. They found a lesser correlation with heart lesions and erucic acid.12

In 1982, the same research group published a paper that looked at the interaction of saturated fats with LEAR oil and soybean oil. When saturated fats in the form of cocoa butter were added to the diets, the rats in both groups had better growth and a significant lowering of heart lesions. Said the authors: “These results support the hypothesis that myocardial lesions in male rats are related to the balance of dietary fatty acids and not to cardiotoxic contaminants in the oils.”13

Canadian researchers looked at LEAR oils again in 1997. They found that piglets fed milk replacement containing canola oil showed signs of vitamin E deficiency, even though the milk replacement contained adequate amounts of vitamin E.14 Piglets fed soybean oil-based milk replacement fortified with the same amount of vitamin E did not show an increased requirement for vitamin E. Vitamin E protects cell membranes against free radical damage and is vital to a healthy cardiovascular system. In a 1998 paper, the same research group reported that piglets fed canola oil suffered from a decrease in platelet count and an increase in platelet size.15 Bleeding time was longer in piglets fed both canola oil and rapeseed oil. These changes were mitigated by the addition of saturated fatty acids from either cocoa butter or coconut oil to the piglets’ diet. These results were confirmed in another study a year later. Canola oil was found to suppress the normal developmental increase in platelet count.16

Finally, studies carried out at the Health Research and Toxicology Research Divisions in Ottawa, Canada discovered that rats bred to have high blood pressure and proneness to stroke had shortened life-spans when fed canola oil as the sole source of fat.17 The results of a later study suggested that the culprit was the sterol compounds in the oil, which “make the cell membrane more rigid” and contribute to the shortened life-span of the animals.18

These studies all point in the same direction–that canola oil is definitely not healthy for the cardiovascular system. Like rapeseed oil, its predecessor, canola oil is associated with fibrotic lesions of the heart. It also causes vitamin E deficiency, undesirable changes in the blood platelets and shortened life-span in stroke-prone rats when it was the only oil in the animals’ diet. Furthermore, it seems to retard growth, which is why the FDA does not allow the use of canola oil in infant formula.19 When saturated fats are added to the diet, the undesirable effects of canola oil are mitigated. Most interesting of all is the fact that many studies show that the problems with canola oil are not related to the content of erucic acid, but more with the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and low levels of saturated fats.

RAPESEED OIL IN TRADITIONAL DIETS

Rapeseed oil has been used in China, Japan and India for thousands of years. In areas where there is a selenium deficiency, use of rapeseed oil has been associated with a high incidence of fibrotic lesions of the heart, called Keshan’s disease.20 The animal studies carried out over the past twenty years suggest that when rapeseed oil is used in impoverished human diets, without adequately saturated fats from ghee, coconut oil or lard, then the deleterious effects are magnified. In the context of healthy traditional diets that include saturated fats, rapeseed oil, and in particular erucic acid in rapeseed oil, does not pose a problem. In fact, erucic acid is helpful in the treatment of the wasting disease adrenoleukodystrophy and was the magic ingredient in Lorenzo’s oil.

High levels of omega-3 fatty acids, present in unprocessed rapeseed oil, don’t pose a problem either when the diet is high in saturates. A 1998 study indicates that diets with adequate saturated fats help the body convert omega-3 fatty acids into the long-chain versions EPA and DHA, which is what the body wants to do with most of the 18-carbon omega-3s.21 Conversion is reduced by 40-50 percent in diets lacking in saturated fats and high in omega-6 fatty acids from commercial vegetable oils (particularly soybean oil). In the animal studies on canola oil, dietary saturated fats mitigated the harmful effects of omega-3s.

A 1995 Wall Street Journal article reported that use of rapeseed oil in cooking was associated with greatly increased rates of lung cancer in the women breathing the fumes.22 Once again, a lack of saturates in the diet may explain the association, because the lungs can’t work without adequate saturated fats.23 In India, rapeseed oil has been used as a cooking oil for thousands of years, but only recently have Indian housewives been cajoled into the belief that saturated butter and ghee should be avoided. Many now use vanispati, an imitation ghee made of partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

PROCESSING

Rapeseed has been used as a source of oil since ancient times because it is easily extracted from the seed. Interestingly, the seeds were first cooked before the oil is extracted. In China and India, rapeseed oil was provided by thousands of peddlers operating small stone presses that press out the oil at low temperatures. What the merchant then sells to the housewife is absolutely fresh.

Modern oil processing is a different thing entirely. The oil is removed by a combination of high temperature mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Traces of the solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, even after considerable refining. Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of caustic refining, bleaching and degumming–all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. Although the Canadian government lists the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid oil.24 The consumer has no clue about the presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil because they are not listed on the label.

A large portion of canola oil used in processed food has been hardened through the hydrogenation process, which introduces levels of trans fatty acids into the final product as high as 40 percent.25 In fact, canola oil hydrogenates beautifully, better than corn oil or soybean oil, because modern hydrogenation methods hydrogenate omega-3 fatty acids preferentially and canola oil is very high in omega-3s. Higher levels of trans mean longer shelf life for processed foods, a crisper texture in cookies and crackers–and more dangers of chronic disease for the consumer.26

FLOW CHART FOR EDIBLE OIL PROCESSING

THE MYTH OF MONOUNSATURATES

Consumer acceptance of canola oil represents one in a series of victories for the food processing industry, which has as its goal the replacement of all traditional foods with imitation foods made out of products derived from corn, wheat, soybeans and oil seeds. Canola oil came to the rescue when the promotion of polyunsaturated corn and soybean oils had become more and more untenable. Scientists could endorse canola oil in good conscience because it was a “heart-healthy” oil, low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturates and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

But most of the omega-3s in canola oil are transformed into trans fats during the deodorization process; and research continues to prove that the saturates are necessary and highly protective.

At least it can be said that canola oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat–like olive oil–and therefore not harmful. . . Or is it? Obviously monounsaturated fatty acids are not harmful in moderate amounts in the context of a traditional diet, but what about in the context of the modern diet, where the health-conscious community is relying on monounsaturated fats almost exclusively? There are indications that monounsaturated fats in excess and as the major type of fat can be a problem. Overabundance of oleic acid (the type of monounsaturated fatty acid in olive and canola oil) creates imbalances on the cellular level that can inhibit prostaglandin production.27 In one study, higher monounsaturated fat consumption was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.28

Even the dogma that monounsaturated fatty acids are good for the heart is at risk. According to a 1998 report, mice fed a diet containing monounsaturated fats were more likely to develop atherosclerosis than mice fed a diet containing saturated fat.29 In fact, the mice fed monounsaturated fats were even more prone to heart disease than those fed polyunsaturated fatty acids.

This means that the type of diet recommended in books like The Omega Diet–low in protective saturates, bolstered with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and relying on monounsaturated fatty acids, whether from olive or canola oil, for the majority of fat calories–may actually contribute to heart disease. Such diets have been presented with great marketing finesse, but we need to recognize them for what they are–payola for the food companies and con-ola for the public.

Sidebars

FATTY ACIDS

SATURATED FATTY ACIDS are chains of carbon atoms that have hydrogen filling every bond. In foods, they normally range in length from 4 to 22 carbons. Because of their straight configuration, saturated fatty acids pack together easily and tend to be solid at room temperature. Butter, tallows, suet, palm oil and coconut oil are classified as saturated fats because they contain a preponderance of saturated fatty acids. Saturated fats are stable and do not become rancid when subjected to heat, as in cooking.

MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS are chains of carbon atoms that have one double bond between two carbons and therefore lack two hydrogens. Normally they range from 16 to 22 carbons. They have a kink or bend at the position of the double bond so the molecules do not pack together as easily as saturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated oils tend to be liquid at room temperature but become solid when refrigerated. Olive oil, peanut oil, lard, rapeseed and canola oils are classified as monounsaturated oils. The most common monounsaturated fatty acids are palmitoleic (16 carbons), oleic (18 carbons) and erucic (22 carbons). Monounsaturated oils are relatively stable and can be used for cooking.

POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS have two or more double bonds. As there is a bend or kink at each double bond, these fatty acids do not pack together easily and tend to be liquid, even when cold. Polyunsaturated oils are very fragile. They tend to develop harmful free radicals when subjected to heat and oxygen, as in cooking or processing. Soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and flax oil are polyunsaturated oils. Omega-6 fatty acids have the first double bond at the 6th carbon from the end of the fatty acid chain. The most common omega-6 fatty acid is linoleic acid, which is called an essential fatty acid (EFA) because your body cannot make it. Omega-3 fatty acids have the first double bond at the 3rd carbon. The most common omega-3 fatty acid is the EFA alpha-linolenic acid. The consensus among lipid experts is that the American diet is too high in omega-6 fatty acids (present in high amounts in commercial vegetable oils) and lacking in omega-3 fatty acids (which are present in organ meats, wild fish, pastured egg yolks, organic vegetables and flax oil). Surfeit of omega-6 fatty acids and deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to depress immune system function, contribute to weight gain and cause inflammation.

SOYBEAN OIL VERSUS RAPESEED OIL IN INDIA

While canola oil is displacing soybean oil in many American processed foods, soybean oil is displacing traditional rapeseed oil in India. In her book Stolen Harvest, Indian author Vandana Shiva describes how American industrially processed soy oil replaced traditional seed oils in a large part of India. Each region in India has its specific edible oil used for cooking. In the North and East it is rapeseed oil, in the West it is peanut oil, in the Deccan it is sesame and in Kerala it is coconut. In India, rapeseed or mustard oil was traditionally sold in small quantities, extracted as needed with a small oil press or ghanis. Oil processing provided employment for thousands of artisans and ensured that the housewife had a fresh product. The oil cake was then fed to cattle (with no apparent negative effects). Mustard oil also served as mosquito repellent and as a nonpolluting oil in lamps.

Within a few months after the advent of “free trade” for soybean oil into India, thousands of Indians fell ill with “dropsy” due to a mysterious adulteration of rapeseed oil. The government banned the sale of all unpackaged edible oils, thus ensuring an end to all household and community-level oil processing. Edible oil production became fully industrialized and local processing became a criminal act. Thousands of workers were dispossessed of their livelihood and millions of Indians were dispossessed of a healthy oil. Cheap, highly processed soy oil immediately replaced rapeseed oil in the markets. During the crisis, the US Soybean Association pushed for soybean imports as the “solution.” “US farmers need big new export markets. . . ” reported one business publication. “India is a perfect match.” Growth was achieved by theft of an important part of the small-scale local economy.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CANOLA

The first seed oil to be created through genetic manipulation, canola is also the focus of a variety of genetic engineering (GMO) projects in which genetic material from other species is inserted into the seeds in order to magnify certain traits in the resultant plant. Herbicide-resistant GMO canola now comprises a large portion of the total canola crop. Apologists point to endorsement by the FDA and the American Dietetic Association that GMO canola is nutritionally and environmentally safe and claim that the GMO variety means less spraying of herbicides, less chemical runoff and a boon to farmers.

Percy Schmeiser, a third generation Saskatchewan farmer, found out the hard way that GMO canola may not be a boon to farmers. Pollen from Monsanto’s patented GMO canola seeds blew onto his land from neighboring farms– unlike grains, rape and canola plants spread their pollen on the wind. Monsanto’s “gene police” then invaded his farm and took seed samples without his permission. Because Schmeiser did not spray his crop with herbicides, a Canadian court ruled that he had taken advantage of Monsanto’s GM technology. Schmeiser was ordered to pay $10,000 for licensing fees and up to $75,000 in profits from his 1998 crop.

Meanwhile, genetic engineers are involved in projects to make canola oil “even more nutritious,” by further reducing the amount of saturates in the fatty acid profile and raising the levels of monounsaturates. This, they claim, will make it possible to reduce the amount of trans fats in the processed oil, presumably because levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which need to be deodorized, will also be lowered. Should the genetic engineers be successful, it might be possible to create a diet in which the vast majority of fatty acids is monounsaturated, something that does not exist in any traditional diet anywhere in the world. (Source: Eric Peters, “Let them eat canola,” Washington Times, 4/29/2002.)

References

MG Enig and SW Fallon. The Oiling of America.

RK Downey. Genetic Control of Fatty Acid Biosnythesis in Rapeseed. Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 1964;41:475-478.

Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, December 1986;63(12):1510.

Canola – a new oilseed from Canada. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, September 1981:723A-9A.

The amount of the advance was $350,000. Personal email communication, Jo Robinson, co-author of The Omega Diet.

AP Simopoulos and N Salem, Jr. Egg yolk as a source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant feeding. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1992;55

AP Simopoulos and J Robinson. The Omega Plan. Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 1998.

Canola – a new oilseed fromCanada. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, September 1981:723A-9A.

M Purdey. Educating RIDA. Wise Traditions, Spring 2002;3(1):11-18.

When we contacted Dr. Wolke to provide him with evidence of canola dangers, he was dismissive.

RO Vles and others. Nutritional Evaluation of Low-Erucic-Acid Rapeseed Oils. Toxicological Aspects of Food Safety, Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1, 1978:23-32

HL Trenholm and others. An Evaluation of the Relationship of Deitary Fatty Acids to Incidence of Myocardial Lesions in Male Rats. Canadian Institute of Food Science Technology Journal, October 1979;12(4):189-193

JKG Kramer and others. Reduction of Myocardial Necrosis in Male Albino Rats by Manipulation of Dietary Fatty Acid Levels. Lipids, 1982;17(5):372-382.

FD Sauer and others. Additional vitamin E required in milk replacer diets that contain canola oil. Nutrition Research, 1997;17(2):259-269.

JK Kramer and others. Hematological and lipid changes in newborn piglets fed milk-replacer diets containing erucic acid. Lipids, January 1998;33(1):1-10.

SM Iunis and RA Dyer. Dietary canola oil alters hematological indices and blood lipids in neonatal piglets fed formula. Journal of Nutrition, July 1999;129(7):1261-8.

WMN Ratnayake and others. Influence of Sources of Dietary Oils on the Life Span of Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Lipids, 2000;35(4):409-420.

MN Wallsundera and others. Vegetable Oils High in Phytosterols Make Erythrocytes Less Deformable and Shorten the Life Span of Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Journal of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, May, 2000;130(5):1166-78

Federal Register, 1985.

OA Levander and MA Beck. Selenium and viral virulence. British Medical Bulletin, 1999;55(3):528-33.

H Gerster. Can adults adequately convert alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)? International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1998;68(3):159-73.

Wall Street Journal, June 7, 1995, p. B6.

MG Enig. Saturated Fats and the Lungs. Wise Traditions, Summer 2000;1(2):49.

S O’Keefe and others. Levels of Trans Geometrical Isomers of Essential Fatty Acids in Some Unhydrogenated US Vegetable Oils. Journal of Food Lipids 1994;1:165-176.

JL Sebedio and WW Christie, eds. Trans Fatty Acids in Human Nutrition, The Oily Press, Dundee, Scotland, 1998, pp 49-50.

MG Enig, Trans Fatty Acids in the Food Supply: A Comprehensive Report Covering 60 Years of Research, 2nd Edition, Enig Associates, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, 1995.

Horrobin, David F, Prostaglandins: Physiology, Pharmacology and Clinical Significance, The Book Press, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1978, p 20, 35

V Pala and others. Erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and subsequent breast cancer: a prospective Italian study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, July 18, 2001;93(14):1088-95.

LL Rudel and others. Dietary monounsaturated fatty acids promote aortic atherosclerosis in LDL-receptor-null, human ApoB100-overexpressing transgenic mice. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, November 1998;18(11):1818-27.

This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2002.

🖨️ Print post

About Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

Sally Fallon Morell is the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation and founder of A Campaign for Real Milk. She is the author of the best-selling cookbook, Nourishing Traditions (with Mary G. Enig, PhD) and the Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care (with Thomas S. Cowan, MD). She is also the author of Nourishing Broth (with Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN).

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary G. Enig, PhD, FACN, CNS, is an expert of international renown in the field of lipid chemistry. She has headed a number of studies on the content and effects of trans fatty acids in America and Israel and has successfully challenged government assertions that dietary animal fat causes cancer and heart disease. Recent scientific and media attention on the possible adverse health effects of trans fatty acids has brought increased attention to her work. She is a licensed nutritionist, certified by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists; a qualified expert witness; nutrition consultant to individuals, industry and state and federal governments; contributing editor to a number of scientific publications; Fellow of the American College of Nutrition; and President of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She is the author of over 60 technical papers and presentations, as well as a popular lecturer. She is the author of Know Your Fats, a primer on the biochemistry of dietary fats as well as of Eat Fat Lose Fat (Penguin, Hudson Street Press, 2004). She is the mother of three healthy children.

Reader Interactions

Member Yet?

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a tireless advocate for nutrient-dense food and is wholly member supported. Becoming a member is incredibly affordable and has valuable benefits.

Learn More and Join

Comments

D. Johansson says

May 25, 2014 at 12:21 am

First you tell us that consumption of rapeseed causes heart lesions and other problems; then you lament the fact that rapeseed is being replaced by soy oil in the Indian diet. You seem to want to have it both ways.

Reply

Mike Angell says

December 10, 2014 at 1:28 pm

I suspect a rereading is necessary. That is not at all what I understood from this article.

Reply

M. Medford says

August 1, 2016 at 8:49 pm

You need to read the whole thing again while critically thinking. You read it, but you did not comprehend it. Short summary: Processed rapeseeds without saturated fats causes the lesions and other heart-related problems; naturally cooked then pressed traditional rapeseed with a diet high in saturated fats had no adverse effects. Soybean oil in and of itself is toxic and was never meant as a food item, neither is Canola. The replacing of natural products by a confirmed unhealthy and inedible compound should be lamented, because it’s a major cause of the poverty in India since oil pressers were chased off for making harmless products because of one incident which had nothing to do with the rapeseed oil and probably everything to do with marketers causing this. The incident was otherwise unprecedented because there was nothing wrong with the product for thousands of years before the soybean oil companies suddenly wanted to do trade in India. Tin foil hats aren’t just a fad, when something like this happens, it’s just like the PG&E case where they found out the company was harming people and hiding it – and they new the entire time.

It’s not wanting it both ways if we’re talking apples and oranges. You have natural versus processed, and the exclusion of saturates is what’s causing even natural rapeseed to be hazardous.

Reply

whisperingsage says

March 17, 2018 at 11:50 pm

Here is another take you may want ot investigate- In Joel Wallach’s book Epigenetics, He detailed what happened to monkeys in the NASA program. And I would suggest listening to Dead Doctors Don’t Lie, and getting some of his books too, to supplement what you learn here. He was a zoo vet and a pathologist, he has done thousands of necropsies and autopsies (animals are necropsies). He was brought to the NASA project through the NIH to examine what was killing the project monkeys. It so happened they had a nutritionally balanced for the knowledge at the time, Monkey biscuit. But somehow the monkeys were vitamin E deficient. Well the polyunsaturated oils have vitamin E so the porject manager told the staff to soak the biscuits in some PUFA oil, and that would resolve it. Well , the excess PUFA caused a selenium deficiency in the monkeys. It caused them to weaken and their hair turned white and some died. When Joel Wallach investigated , it turned out he found cystic fibrosis in the affected monkeys. he called expert in CF and sent his tissue samples and findings and got that confirmed. Well as long as they “knew” CF was genetic, they were thrilled. But as soon as Wallach told them he could produce these monkeys with a selenium deficiency for further study, the University in charge got mad and fired him. They didn’t want an easy cure, they wanted something complicated and money making.

After learning this, I know never to use a PUFA oil as a vitamin E source for my goats. By the way, in case you don’t know, if the selenium is not in the soil, the plants growing there cannot make vitamin E. I think that’s pretty important to know. Don’t you?

Reply

David Seal says

June 18, 2014 at 11:16 am

My problem with Canola oil is that even small quantities causes low level nausea, night-time stomach upset, excess gas, and chronic diarrhea. Elimination of this oil from my diet (nearly impossible to do completely, it’s in almost every processed food now), has cleared these symptoms for over a year now. My body either finds it no more digestible than mineral oil, or the hidden toxins rife in the product from nature or processing simply disagree with my biochemistry. Either way, if I inadvertent consume some of this Canola Oil, the symptoms rapidly return and last for days. I really wish the food manufactures would come out with lines of products similar to the “gluten free” labels: like “Canola Free” or “No Rapeseed Oil Used”. Restaurants will not tell you, they will just say they use “vegetable oil”.

Reply

Nicola says

October 17, 2018 at 1:56 am

I have the same problem only I found restaurants are not aware they are using rapeseed oil. I live in Germany where everyone thinks rapeseed oil is wonderful. I was always sick when eating in one particular restaurant I asked every time I went they assured me they did not use rapeseed oil. I had to believe them until one day the chef proudly brought out the can of livio oil th show me. And there on the tin in fairly small writing it said contains rapeseed oil. She could not apologise enough. Chefs need to know what they are cooking with.

Reply

Yonason says

January 27, 2025 at 3:04 pm

When I ingest anything with a canola oil component, I get a burning sensation in my stomach, followed by physical exhaustion, joint pain and muscle fatigue. I didn’t inow it was the canola oil for sure until I eliminated it from my diet, after which those symptoms went away and have not recurred.

ASIDE – I can also not consume cottonseed oil without terrible headaches.

Interestingly, a CRC (Chemical Rubber Company) publication titled “Food Toxiclogy” lists the components of both of those (and only those) oils as toxic. I came across that reference after I had already determined how bad those pils were for me.

Thank you and others who have shared their experience. Knowing I’m not alone is helpful.

Reply

Organic Canola Farmer says

June 19, 2014 at 1:52 am

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

Reply

K. O. Kowalski says

November 25, 2014 at 2:03 am

Snopes is nothing more than a husband and wife team who protect the interests of big business while providing specious answers to those too lazy to do their own research. Note how they brush off the issue of the kosher tax that non-Jews are forced to pay on practically all supermarket products. (deceptively marked as K, BCK, U, Parve, Pareve, COR, etc.)

I know for a fact companies are paying anywhere from $2000 a year or more to have their products certified kosher, and this is passed on to the consumer. The profits to these rabbinical unions is in the millions. Even many Jews could care less whether their food is kosher or not. It certainly doesn’t add to the quality of the product like organic certification does. Snopes is as trustworthy as a politician or head of a corporation, and just as biased. The public would do better by researching on their own and coming to their own conclusions, than by relying on the toadies at Snopes.

Reply

J.G.War says

April 27, 2022 at 12:25 pm

2000 Dollars a year is not a lot of money for any major company. They produce millions of products so i don’t think the price of goods are going up because of that. Also besides that point, the company is a private entity that has the freedom to choose if they would like to certify a product or not. Personally i think it’s very wonderful you can find so many kosher products why not be more inclusive.

Reply

H Sim says

July 6, 2014 at 1:36 am

I am one of the people who was rushed to an emergency room with symptoms of a stroke or overdose. I had consumed Atlantic salmon cooked in canola oil with salt & pepper. I was slurring and my blood pressure dropped; I passed out after vomiting. The emergency doctor wanted to order an MRI, but I was certain I wasn’t having a stroke, as there was no pain or confusion associated. Thankfully, my husband could understand me through my slurring (no one else could). We skipped the MRI, and blood tests confirmed for the doctor what I already knew: I hadn’t overdosed nor consumed a drug that would cause this. My husband was able to convince the doctor to give me treatment for food allergy (Benadryl, IV steroids, and epinephrine). Within several minutes I was feeling better and the slurring went away. I followed up with an allergist who tested for everything I’d consumed except canola oil (they don’t have allergy tests for canola, so of course it can’t be written in medical journals) and I tested with no allergies. However, each time I’ve been inadvertently exposed to canola oil, it’s happened again, only now I can feel the symptoms come on and take Benadryl before I become seriously ill. I must admit, it’s incredibly frustrating to read about this reaction being “a myth” since it’s not in medical journals. I dare say there are many illnesses not yet written about in medical journals. Assuming the illness to be a myth because it isn’t in a journal is probably the chief reason it isn’t in a journal.

Reply

Jaime says

January 15, 2015 at 1:21 pm

Thank You for this article. I found it to be well-researched with sources and well-written. I appreciate how informative it is and I especially value any article that makes an effort to debunk the erroneous information that is often repeated and shared as fact. If we are to make headway against lies masquerading as marketing campaigns we must arm ourselves with the facts.

Thank You Again,

Jaime

Reply

Tony R. says

May 19, 2015 at 1:27 pm

If canola were as dangerous as this article claims, with millions of people consuming the stuff for more than a generation since its introduction, people should be dropping dead like flies. They’re not. In fact, people are thriving, and new actuarial tables have just boosted life expectancies by a couple of years.

A few years ago I switched to canola as my dietary oil of choice. It’s high in omega fatty acids and a good replacement for or supplement to flax and cold-water fish. Its neutral taste works with all foods. I did my own research and became convinced that the breathless anti-canola reporting was nothing more than misinformed hype.

Reply

Colin says

May 31, 2015 at 7:38 pm

Tony R., paid to hype Canola much?

Where is your “research” material coming from?

“Its neutral taste works with all foods.” – really? You mean to say you’ve tried it with all foods? Good for you, but most of us reading this article don’t want this crap in out diet.

Reply

bob says

August 6, 2016 at 9:26 am

So, Colin, anyone who disagrees with you is a shill?

Reply

Whisperingsage says

February 25, 2020 at 12:57 pm

https://www.foxnews.com/health/survey-shows-74-percent-of-americans-living-with-gi-discomfort Survey shows 74 percent of Americans living with GI discomfort….“Over half of them never discussed it with their doctor,” said Dr. Rashini Raj, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, on behalf of AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, who commissioned the survey. “And that’s probably the most alarming part for me, because as you know, sometimes this can be a sign of a more serious underlying condition: celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, EPI or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency — so these are symptoms you shouldn’t ignore, and unfortunately a lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about them.”

EPI is a condition where the pancreas does not function properly, failing to produce the enzymes needed for digestion. It’s often associated with other underlying health issues like chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer or diabetes.

“It’s a condition where people experience a lot of GI distress; abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, both frequency and urgency to go to the bathroom, and it can be tough to diagnose,” Raj told FoxNews.com.

Because they are lacking the proper enzymes to break down the food they eat, patients with EPI are not able to absorb vital nutrients.

“You’re not absorbing the nutrients your body needs, so that leads to the diarrhea, and it’s often what we call steatorrhea; diarrhea where the stools are kind of oily, they’re floating,” said Raj. “These are some of the symptoms that could be pointing toward a more serious issue.”

Reply

Charles Cascales says

June 4, 2020 at 6:03 pm

Colin. the majority of Americans are obese, diabetic or pre diabetic, and on numerous pharmaceutical drugs with dangerous side effects. Canola oil is highly processed and heated to the extent that the omega 3’s are destroyed. It is also chemically deodorized because in its natural state has an odious fishy smell. It’s a toxic oil. https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-inconvenient-truth-about-canola-oil

Reply

Tony W says

July 8, 2015 at 3:15 am

“…people should be dropping dead like flies”. Do only flies drop dead? Actually members of all species die, some time, but longevity is not a measure of health. The overuse of canola oil is just one factor in unhealthy diets that lead to unhealthy populations. If you can show that using canola as a “dietary oil of choice” leads to longer, healthier, lives, please publish here.

Rather than your anecdotal argument, you should show where the explanations given in the above article fall down. The article provides reams of references which you can check for yourself. When you’ve done your homework and checked out the arguments, perhaps you could post again with your findings?

Reply

Lupus Major says

December 29, 2015 at 5:42 pm

Only… people ARE dropping dead like flies. After seed oils were introduced we’ve gotten progressively sicker. Medical science has progressed which could just as easily be the cause of increased lifespan in spite of increased illness– but a long, sick life isn’t exactly ideal.

If type 2 diabetes affecting 35% of the population, heart disease causing 30% of all deaths, not to mention cases of cancer, autoimmune disease, depression/anxiety increasing, is your definition of “thriving”, I don’t know what to say.

Correlation is not causation of course, and there are so many other possible culprits that we’re still teasing apart what affects what, but it’s hard to believe that the steady decline in health that began around the time industrial oils were introduced is 100% unrelated to this dietary change– so why give it the benefit of the doubt, when these problems were much fewer 100 years ago?

Reply

Adam says

December 9, 2021 at 3:04 pm

a generation since its introduction, people should be dropping dead like flies. They’re not. In fact, people are thriving, and new actuarial tables have just boosted life expectancies by a couple of years. -> 4 years after your comment, they are! And it’s being blamed on a fictional virus, when it is because of the 1000’s of environmental/nutritional negative catalysts introduced to our system of which Canola oil is a perfect example.

Reply

Joseph says

August 26, 2025 at 8:27 am

I wonder if Tony is still alive…

Reply

scott roberts says

September 9, 2015 at 10:46 am

References 17 and 18 are the primary evidence in this article against canola for human consumption. But these studies were in rats bred to be hypertensive rats who need cholesterol to mitigate the rigid membranes they are born with. The authors in the 2nd link think canola’s cholesterol-lowering ability was why they did not live as long and conclude “Thus, canola oil, because of its low concentration of saturated fatty acids and high phytosterol concentration, could be considered more beneficial than other common dietary fats in lowering the blood lipid risk factors for the development of CHD.” The rats receiving olive oil had the lowest lifespans, and the lowest plant sterols, indicating it was not the sterols.

Reply

Ben W says

November 26, 2015 at 3:06 pm

“indicating it was not the sterols.”

Untrue, sir. The paper states that must be due to another minor unknown element. It does not exculpate the sterols at all. The scope of the paper is still valid and verifiable in its conclusions.

The use of genetically bred rats, does not invalidate the point either. They are working with a chosen model, for whatever reasons they deemed necessary. I do not see any flaws in the extrapolation, is a logical assumption. But if you do not like the hypothesis, Bacon gives you a very easy tool, try to disprove it.

Reply

scott roberts says

September 9, 2015 at 7:22 pm

Concerning reference 12 supporting the statement “high levels of omega-3 fatty acids correlated with high levels of lesions.” The reference said diets without saturated fat are harmful to rats. Soybean and canola-only diets were both harmful, not merely that “high omega 3s” are harmful. Likewise for references 13, 14, 15, and 16: diets containing ONLY canola oil without saturated fat or excess vitamin E were harmful in animal testing. This is an important distinction from saying “high levels of omega-3 fatty acids correlated with high levels of lesions”, “piglets fed canola oil suffered from a decrease in platelet count and an increase in platelet size”, and “Canola oil was found to suppress the normal developmental increase in platelet count”. These are all true statements, but there is some context missing from the original research. The only important and dangerous-sounding aspects of these papers was the “excess” vitamin E needed to protect against the higher level of peroxidation caused by canola when compared to soybean oil (and olive oil in a 2009 paper).

I looked into this further and found out the filtering process can remove pre-existing Vit E found naturally in the oil which adds to any excess oxidation caused in refining. From a paper: “By development of auto-oxidation [peroxidation] of unsaturated lipids, hydroperoxides decomposed into aldehyde and carbonyl products.” It will not taste as well, so there is a motivation to prevent it. If a surfactant like SDS (Sodium dodecyl sulfate), the oxidation greatly increases.

I do not think this increased “rancidity” of canola coming from the refiner should be considered a drawback (a paper called anti-oxidant-stripped canola oil “TCO”). I wonder if it is a direct result of the omega-3s being easier to oxidize, and why they are so hard to find in anything except flaxseed oil. I will take an excess of vit E to offset it, if I don’t use another source of omega-3’s that are less likely to oxidize, like fish oil.

Reference 19 (Federal Register, 1985) was supposed to be the support for the statement “it seems to retard growth, which is why the FDA does not allow the use of canola oil in infant formula”. I could not find that regulation, but it was cited in one of the references, giving a different reason: “The use of canola oil in infant formulas is not permitted because infants fed formula might consume higher amounts of 22:1(n-9) than would be provided in usual mixed diets and because of the lack of data about infants fed diets containing canola oil. (Federal Register, 1985)”

Reply

Sue D says

October 10, 2015 at 3:41 pm

I really do not care what the official research says, but we now know that they got it wrong with natural oils like butter, as this turns out not to be bad for our hearts now, so the “official” research here as is probably paid for by the manufacturers anyway is just as likely to be wrong.

I do know however that this stuff even in the smallest amount makes me very unwell, I can have nausea, diarrhoea and extreme stomach cramps. Plus I know I am not alone in this. It took me years to work it out this was my problem, but now I have life is a nightmare as everything I eat has to be either made by me or heavily researched first. Restaurants I have found are helpful as they say more and more people are asking. If they say they use it, I have to apologise and leave.

Reply

T. Schumacher says

January 14, 2016 at 8:37 am

I am leaving this comment for other mothers and caregivers as anecdotal evidence to add to their own research efforts. Recently, my family went on an elimination diet. After having an unexpected inflammatory reaction to a new food, we found out that we are intolerant of canola oil. Not wanting to face the incredible inconvenience that this creates for me, as the primary sustenance giver, I challenged everybody, multiple times. Sadly, canola oil causes an inflammatory response in the skin of my teenager, gut issues for all of us, and an arthritis type low grade pain in my hands. I have removed it from our diet, and find that a very occasional slip with a pre-prepared food isn’t bad, but regular consumption causes increasing inflammation issues. We have returned to olive oil and butter, as well as various nut oils and animal fats. Unfortunately, this means that I now have to prepare almost everything by hand, since even the most ‘healthy’ prepared foods seem to use this cheap oil.

Reply

Carolyne Mas says

October 22, 2017 at 1:19 pm

Good for you. Processed foods are no good for you. My family gave them up when our son was a baby. It’s the only way to keep track of what you are actually eating.

Reply

Kay says

February 11, 2016 at 11:10 pm

“The Great Cholesterol Myth” book says this oil is not fit for consumption. Unfortunately it is in many foods, especially chips. I believe we should all avoid it. Kay

Reply

Dale Willman says

August 18, 2016 at 3:04 pm

I found the article to be well balanced with minimal editorializing (though some could not be overlooked… such as the title). The debate is likely to continue. Based on our research and a strong desire to be has healthy as possible, we will avoid Canola, even at the cost of profit margin in our new restaurant.

Reply

Chef Jemichel says

January 23, 2018 at 7:53 am

Sally you deserve a standing ovation! And this article deserves to be required reading in all schools of medicine, every culinary course and all health, nutrition, classes throughout the u.s.of A!

That’s my honest assessment and includes an up-to-date observation based on one of the so-called leading institutions and their ‘experts” on what they call “healthy oils”. “The Expert: Dr. Walter Willett”[2] says: “It is essential to include a special kind of unsaturated fat, called omega-3 fats, in the diet; good sources include … canola oil”.[1] This doctor endorses: “The Healthy Eating Plate, created by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health and editors at Harvard Health Publications,”[3] claimed to be based on the latest science. The only problem is they do not give full disclosure on all the funding that supports whatever “science” they may be referring to as well as full disclosure on whatever agenda/s they wish to achieve with their science projects.

A large part of what makes this article so great as presenting the money interest/s behind canola oil and with consistent clarification in a way that makes perfect sense to our rational intelligence as to why certain products have been essentially invented and marketed as if they were some kind of modern-day manna from heaven!

Also appreciated is the greater context and over-all guiding wisdom based on whole health that requires a diet with saturated fats as this further exposes the erroneous “thinking” of the above mentioned “expert” who also says: “Saturated fats … negatively impact health and are best consumed in moderation”[4]

A current showing of a well-made documentary called: Broken Brain also presents “the greater context” with many references to gut-brain links and how problems “in the head” have dramatically increased since the “low-fat” propaganda machine was released several decades ago. Many of us reading here know that health of body and mind/brain is wholly dependent on the health of the micro biome which of course comes back to diet. And many of us also know that special interests debased what once was our reasonably healthy four-square picture of nutrition (good fuel for our “engines”) that effectively drained the high-grade oil out of the majority of Americans’ “engines” and now we see “engines” freezing as a result! It upsets me when this disaster includes the “little engines” of children! (If this fraud were about machines there would be lawsuits flying all over the place!)

[1] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2012/06/21/ask-the-expert-healthy-fats/#good-fats

[2] Walter C. Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., is Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

[3] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

[4] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

Reply

Jus'me says

July 12, 2021 at 2:41 pm

Walter Willard is a notable vegan hack.

Reply

Chef Jemichel says

January 24, 2018 at 8:45 am

Just received a reply to my inquiry with the American Heart Association (AHA):

“To answer your question, the American Heart Association does not receive research funding from the canola oil industry.”

Where else might I look into for possible reference cites regarding the “payola” connection with AHA (or did I misread this?).

Reply

John Smith says

April 10, 2018 at 4:26 am

Clearly this article (web copy?) is extremely biased trying to protect Olive oil ? market as Canola takes their market and massive profits away.

Reply

Maureen Diaz says

April 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm

John, as with all information on this website, our articles are not written to “protect” any industry, but simply to correct the misinformation which is often put out by industrial food industries. If you thoroughly read this article you will understand that, truly, this is the case with the industrialized food industry, specifically as it pertains to canola and other industrialized fats. We do, at the same time, try to educate the public about the benefits of traditional oils such as olive oil, lard, butter, coconut oil, schmaltz, and tallow.

Reply

Yonason says

January 27, 2025 at 3:26 pm

Excellent article accompanied by some informative responses.

Thank you.

Reply

Diane says

April 29, 2018 at 7:47 pm

There is no distinction in this article about organic cold expellor pressed canola oil and conventional canola oil. Any info on this out there?

Reply

Annie says

August 31, 2019 at 4:10 am

I have suffered extreme estrogen dominance post menopause. I have been very sick for a decade and it’s taken a great deal of isolating food to figure out what is going on with my system. I have severe intolerance to canola and soy to the point where not only do I experience severe estrogen dominance from both canola and soy if it’s fed to, spray on or put in anything.. my vision becomes impaired and my brain is so badly affected by canola I can’t think to even calculate. Canola makes me so sick that I can’t function. Finding food that does not make me sick is hell and I want to have the mongrels who released canola and soy on the world jailed. I pray everyday that they suffer from testicle and brain cancer and die a long slow agonizing death. If I could have them jail I would. I would prefer to see them in front of a firing squad. I am open to going to the media and speaking about what I experience. I have found three other women who go through what I do and one man. I was not actively seeking them out. Please feel free to contact me. I am on a mission to destroy this industry.

Reply

Teresa says

October 28, 2019 at 9:16 am

Please contact me on [email-masked]

Reply

Nina says

March 24, 2020 at 12:06 am

Wow. I thought I was the only one before actually reading this.

I am 28, I have kind of a paleo/raw food diet, a very clean diet and an olympic health. I stay away from processed foods, including oils. But I tried to introduce canola oil, out of curiosity, after reading a lot of good things about it and about good fats effects ; I wanted to see if these “good fats” could make me some good. I added something like two tablespoons one day. I noticed how it made me feel full for hours, so I was happy with it. But the first day after, I already saw the first bad effects when I woke up. My skin, usually very glowy, and my lips, usually very red/pink, were so pale and lifeless, colorless. I felt tired when waking up, when I usually wake up like a charm, feeling already energetic. I felt something in my bones, like a heaviness (hands, back, feet), a tiredness, and I felt like a pressure in my veins, things I never experience usually. I kept on using canola oil for a few days. Not only did I gained some weight very fast despite a good diet, but I felt that it would trigger some weird appetite for bad food (something I don’t experience usually), and most of all, I would notice that my eyebrows and hair started to show some white strands. Being kind of a dark golden blonde, I was not sure about it, if it was just the reflection, but I’m pretty sure it was not there before. I stopped. Everything came back to place, including the white hairs that were back to their blond, in no more than 1-3 days. Being so curious about it, I did the experiment several times, because I couldn’t believe that this simple product that everybody use and that is considered so healthy could make such a difference, with only 2 tablespoons and a very clean diet. Things turned out to be the same, every single time. Unbelievable. So… I believe my body. Hope more people will know and experiment about this, so they can make the healthiest choice. Health is precious. You realize it when you don’t have it.

Reply

Nina says

March 24, 2020 at 12:14 am

Oh and I forgot something very important : when trying canola oil, I also experienced bad digestion, slightly poorer eyesight and teeth that lost their white… I thought I was going mad ?! I really wondered how this could happen so fast because of an oil and I asked myself if it was maybe already like this before, just that I didn’t notice ? But when I stopped, I noticed that indeed, my digestion came back to normal, my eyesight was clearer and my teeth went whiter again. Then I realized I was not mad. Every time I did the experience again, to be sure, I had the same symptoms. So, people can believe it or not now, all they have to do is try for themselves and see the difference. Because the actual state of your body don’t lie.

Sorry for the english mistakes, I am french.

Hope it will help someone.

Reply

just a thought says

October 15, 2020 at 4:23 pm

I saw some comments above that mentioned gut issues, which is how my symptoms begin, with a burning sensation in my stomach. After that it goes to increased stomach distress and other symptoms that fit the general description of rheumatoid arthritis. I’m basically confined to bed for a day, with symptoms abating in 3 to 5 days.

If none have considered it, I would suggest you might want to be wary of cottonseed oil, as well. Totally different symptoms, from different toxins, but also very bad if you are sensitive.

It’s difficult to find, but in ” Handbook of Food Toxicology”

By S.S. Deshpande – CRC Press, pp.348-349 we find that they are the only two vegetable oils that are listed as toxic, with brief but detailed reasons given.

Stay healthy, all!

Reply

Fernando Agudelo says

October 29, 2020 at 12:39 pm

My mother have CKD stage 3.

Can the Weston A. Foundation guide me how to find, a trully Doctor, a Nutritional Doctor, a Book, a Nephrologist to treat her symptoms. I really much appreciate all the help and expertise. Thank you and I look forward to receive your feedback.

Reply

Sue W says

March 20, 2024 at 11:11 am

I’m in the UK, also struggling never to consume any more rapeseed oil. Having unpacked a few food intolerance issues decades ago, I try to keep my antennae alert to fresh upsets. I started to have stomach aches daily and after a few months looked at the salad freeing we used regularly. I suspected the only unknown was the rapeseed, so cut it out, and the problems disappeared. It’s been fairly easy to avoid at home, but I hardly eat out at all now, because it is very hard to avoid this stuff. I would like to have some fatty spread occasionally, but don’t tolerate dairy, and every non-dairy product contains rapeseed. I am now suffering extreme headaches with some lesser hay fever symptoms each spring when the rapeseed is flowering, as now. Thank you for the well researched article, and the comments. You can feel very isolated at times with food intolerance that no authority treats seriously. My original list of symptoms, going back to the 1980s, had about 50 items on it, all of which went when I sorted out my foods.

Reply

Jason says

May 30, 2024 at 4:32 pm

I’ve been suffering from severe intestinal inflammation for over 15 years and have spent countless hour’s seeing doctors without and answer on the cause if tried so many med but nothing stopped it just masked the symptoms I had been keeping a diary of my food intake but nothing ever made sense I’d eat a salad and be fine 2 days later eat a salad and be in agony well finally I figured out it was the canola oil it was affecting my pancreas and my spleen it was inflaming both of these organs I’ve cut it out of my diet and I no longer have the irritable bowel the intense intestinal cramping and painful stabbing pains under my rib cage on the right side canola oil is a poison and it needs to be removed from our food chain

Reply

Canadian Friend says

December 27, 2024 at 6:34 pm

The article says that consuming either Canola or Olive oil in excess is associated with certain cancers and heart problems.

Would the author be kind enough to define how much is consider ” in excess” ?

I do not consume any fats or oils in excess ( I have many health problems so I am very careful ) but I am very curious to know what is considered an excessive amount.

Thank you

Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Wise Traditions Conference

Become a Member/Why Join

Join Our Email List

Request Free Info Pack

Request 7 Wise Traditions Lessons

Introduction to our Work

11 Dietary Principles

Traditional Diet Brochure

Homemade Baby Formula

Members Renew/Login

Gift Membership

Order Material

Donate

WAPF en Español

Tried & True
Dietary
Principles

SUPPORT THE WORK WE DO

DONATE NOW

MEMBER YET?
Find out more

Get the NEW 2026 Shopping Guide

Read the guide on any device, online and off.

Get PDF and FlipBook for $5

WISE TRADITIONS

Annual Conference of
The Weston A. Price Foundation

Recordings

WAPF member?
Join our members-only Facebook group.

Campaigns

Real Milk

Soy Alert!

Nourishing Our Children

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Healthy 4 Life

Restaurant Rating Project

Find Real Food

Conference Sponsors

Platinum

Gold

About the Weston A. Price Foundation

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is your source for accurate information on nutrition and health, always aiming to provide the scientific validation of traditional foodways. People seeking health today often condemn certain food groups -- such as grains, dairy foods, meat, salt, fat, sauces, sweets and nightshade vegetables -- but the WAPF diet is inclusive, not exclusive.

We show you how to include all these nourishing traditional foods in your diet through wise choices and proper preparation techniques. The result is vibrant health for every age of life, including the next generation. Read more. . .

Want a more delicious way to eat?

Get the Basics
of the Wise Traditions Diet

Connect with Us

Search for...

Contact Us

Get Involved

Disclaimer

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2026 Weston A. Price ·

X

Username

Password

Forgot Password?

Join Us

Password Reset

Please enter your e-mail address. You will receive a new password via e-mail.

Email: