I follow some Kidney boards on various websites, and there was a lot of discussion about Canola Oil. I don’t use Canola Oil, I prefer Olive Oil, but it piqued my interest because a lot of kidney recipes call for using Canola Oil. So, I thought I would do some searching around to find answers.
Canola is an oil mostly made in Canada and apparently was created by Canada. It is derived from crushing rapeseeds. The biggest complaint I was reading is that Canola Oil is unhealthy because it contains a very small amount of Trans-fats. Trans-fats are known to cause or complicate many illnesses. The US has banned Trans-fats which went into effect in 2019. That means companies can no longer use trans-fats in their products. However, some foods will still contain small amounts, less than 0.5 percent is still considered no trans-fats. Canola Oil does have a very small percent of low trans-fats, as do all vegetable oils that go through processing procedures. So, people saying Canola Oil is bad need to know that all vegetable oils go through this process. Unless you purchase cold-pressed vegetable oils which are apparently quite expensive and hard to get. A better approach would be to limit the amount of oil you use.
So, why is Canola Oil used in so many kidney recipes? It is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 in good proportions. Canola oil has a ratio of 2 to 1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. These fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation and may help prevent heart disease. Individuals with kidney disease have an increased risk of getting heart disease. Canola Oil has been shown to help reduce cholesterol levels which also may lead to heart disease. I use Olive Oil, but I may very well switch to Canola Oil. I will try to find cold-pressed Canola Oil. Olive Oil is very healthy, but it has a 13 to 1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio.
Below are some sources for you to read about Canola Oil and other oils. Use the contact form below to message me if you are interested in my Health Coach services.
https://www.kidney.org/news/keephealthy/newsletter/KH_Test-Your-Oil-IQ
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/trans-fat-foods#section3
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