"What are the facts about canola oil?



Having pinned down the sources of most of this, let's move on to a good

representative sampling of the claims made within the text.



"Here are just a few facts everyone should know before buying

anything containing canola. Canola is not the name of a natural plant

but a made-up word, from the words 'Canada' and 'oil.' Canola is a

genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed

Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants. "



It is true that canola oil is made from the seeds of rapeseed plants, and they do

belong botanically to the mustard family, but not all rapeseed plants grown for

this purpose have been genetically engineered. In fact, according to D'Arce

McMillan's Market Watch article on the Western Producer Website, currently

only about half of them have been genetically altered, for the purpose of

rendering them resistant to applications of the herbicide Roundup. The rest are

plants that have been naturally hybridized through traditional methods and no

more to be very low in erucic acid because of health concerns that have

emerged in recent decades about the consumption of saturated fats. As you

can see at the Canola Council of Canada's site, canola is the commercially

available oil that contains the least of such fats. Whole Foods Market is one

source of non-GE canola oil in the U.S.



"Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an excellent insect

repellent. I have been using it ... to kill the aphids on my roses for the

last two years ... it suffocates them."



Oils will suffocate insects. This is no reason to conclude the oils are

poisonous.



"Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in England and Europe

between 1986 and 1991, when it was thrown out."



The fact of the matter is that rapeseed meal, not the oil processed from it first,

has been used as animal fodder for a long time—and still is to this day, even in

England and Europe. Similarly, the facts behind what the missive claims about

the rise and fall of Mad Cow disease are not borne out by science. Most

scientists concur that Mad Cow disease developed when the animals were fed

sheep offal that was contaminated with a virus-like disease known as Scrapie.

There is absolutely no known link between sheep Scrapie disease and canola

oil.



"US and Canadian farmers grow genetically engineered rapeseed and

manufacturers use its oil (canola) in thousands of processed foods, with

the blessings of Canadian and US government watchdog agencies. The

canola supporting websites say that canola is safe to use. They admit it

was developed from the rapeseed, but insist that through genetic

engineering it is no longer rapeseed, but 'canola' instead."



That the agencies of two governments approve the use of it just might be

reason enough to celebrate canola oil. Other governments, including those of

Japan and Australia, also approve. I've seen no evidence of websites trying to

hide the fact that canola is made from processed rapeseed.



"... rape oil was the source of the chemical warfare agent mustard gas,

which was banned after blistering the lungs and skins of hundred of

thousands of soldiers and civilians during W.W.I."



This statement is patently absurd. Mustard gas was so named because of how

it smells, not because any plant in the mustard family was used in its

manufacture. It is stated in a similar debunking article by Dr. Carl Albrecht on

the CANSA Research site, as elsewhere, that mustard gas "or

Bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide is made by treating ethylene with sulfur chloride or

dihydroxyethyl sulfide with HCl gas (Merck Index). These are highly

dangerous reactions and can only be done by experts."



Interestingly, later in this article Dr. Albrecht goes on to say, "After analysing

the statements of John Thomas ... as well as consulting textbooks, Medline,

The Merck Index and other sources of information, I am satisfied that this

attack on Canola Oil is without substance and is a travesty of the truth."



"Studies with lab animals were disastrous. Rats developed fatty

degeneration of heart, kidney, adrenals, and thyroid gland. When

canola oil was withdrawn from their diets, the deposits dissolved but scar

tissue remained on all vital organs."



This was a disastrous circumstance indeed. Why? Because the natural diet of

a rat is made up of grains, raw fruits and vegetables and is very low in fatty

acids. Introduce a load of heavier fats into a critter's diet and sure all sorts of

health problems might develop. Later studies demonstrated that cooking oils

other than canola (specifically, sunflower seed oil) produced the same results

in laboratory rats, as well as demonstrated that the digestive system of a rat is

rather different from that of a human.



"Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare fatal degenerative disease

caused by a build up long-chain fatty acids (c22 to c28) which destroys

the myelin (protective sheath) of the nerves. Canola oil is a very long

chain fatty acid oil (c22). Those who will defend canola oil say that the

Chinese and Indians have used it for centuries with no effect, however it

was in an unrefined form (taken from FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS

THAT KILL by Udo Erasmus)."



Now it is just inexcusable to misquote an author this way. The book referred

to was first published in 1986, and is still in print and available today in a

revised 1993 edition published by Alive Books. You can read more about it at

Udo Erasmus's Website. This passage from it is on page 117: "In fact, erucic

acid may have some beneficial effects. In recent years, a preparation of 20%

erucic and 80% oleic acids, called Lorenzo's Oil after the boy whose

condition inspired its development, has been used to treat a rare, fatal

degenerative genetic condition known as Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), in

which a buildup of very long-chain fatty acids (C22 to C28) destroys the white

matter (myelin) in the brain. Erucic acid helps to normalize the levels of these

fatty acids...." Gee, and canola oil also contains some erucic acid.



Earlier on the same page it says, "In China and India, millions use high erucic

acid mustard and rape seed oils (up to 40% or more erucic acid) as a staple,

apparently without developing the problems that rats and governments have

with these oils."



It must be understood that Mr. Erasmus is not recommending canola oil to

anyone, nor any other refined and processed cooking oil. In his book he makes

use of the scientific method of inquiry to evaluate all cooking oils. His favored

choice is unrefined virgin olive oil.



"Rape seed oil used for stir-frying in China found to emit

cancer-causing chemicals. (Rapeseed oil smoke causes lung cancer)"



According to the Newsletter of the Cooperative Extension of the University of

California, four different oils were tested in the study referred to: unrefined

Chinese rapeseed, refined US rapeseed (canola), Chinese soybean, and

Chinese peanut. The study revealed that cooking oils heated to a high

temperature release certain compounds, regular exposure to which may put

one at an increased risk of cancer. The unrefined rapeseed oil fared the worst

in this study, with canola coming in second, and with peanut oil rated as the

safest.



"Stephanie hit her mom's arm with the back of a butter knife in a

gesture, "Oh mom" not hard enough to hurt. My daughters arm split

open like it was rotten."



Hmm. Pretty much just as the rest of the email text, this bit here sounds like

nothing other than—an urban legend."

source:

http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.com%2fweb%3fq%3dwhy%2bdoes%2bcanola%2boil%2bcome%2bfrom%26o%3d4%26page%3d1&q=why+does+canola+oil+come+from&u=http%3a%2f%2ftm.wc.ask.com%2fr%3ft%3dan%26s%3da%26uid%3d297c60fc197c60fc1%26sid%3d397c60fc197c60fc1%26qid%3d5B05B9D8D7BC6746BA7EFB455D25FBAC%26io%3d0%26sv%3dza5cb0db4%26o%3d4%26ask%3dwhy%2bdoes%2bcanola%2boil%2bcome%2bfrom%26uip%3d97c60fc1%26en%3dte%26eo%3d-100%26pt%3dCanola%2bOil%2bHazardous%2bto%2bYour%2bHealth%2b(NOT!)%2b-%2bPart%2b2%253a%2bWhere%2bDid%2bThis%26ac%3d1%26qs%3d0%26pg%3d1%26ep%3d1%26te_par%3d127%26te_id%3d%26u%3dhttp%3a%2f%2furbanlegends.about.com%2flibrary%2fblcanola2.htm&s=a&bu=http%3a%2f%2furbanlegends.about.com%2flibrary%2fblcanola2.htm&o=4
-----
Bill DiFabio

Azteclizard.com

Email Me

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