We recently came across a shocking report which revealed an ugly truth about a number of popular olive oil products. Brands such as Primadonna, Mezzetta, Carapelli, Pompeian, Primadonna, Mazola, Sasso, Colavita and others claim that their oil is 100% made from olive oil; however, an investigation into the quality of olive oil found that these brands have been diluting their oil with cheaper alternatives like canola oil to increase profits, at the cost of our health.
Before we take a closer look at the negative repercussions of canola oil, let us briefly explain how it is manufactured. Canola is not a plant, rather it is the name given to rape seeds that have been bred in order to eliminate some of the containing undesirable substances such as euric acid, which leads to heart damage, and glucosinolate, which tastes very bad.
Canola oil is one of the most consumed oils in the world alongside soybean oil, palm and corn oil. These are referred to as refined, bleached and deodorized oils, meaning they are heavily processed. Oils are extracted as a result of seed crushing. For oil manufacturing companies to maximise the amount of oil squeezed from seeds, they often resort to the use of chemicals. A common toxic chemical solvent used in this respect is called hexane.
Now you might be wondering why in the past you had heard that canola oil is healthy and beneficial to your heart. Which brings us to our next point.
Canola oil is generally considered as a “healthy” oil because it is low in saturated fat (only 7%). On the other hand, it is high in monounsaturated fats (63%) and also contains polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (around 11%), both of which can be beneficial when eaten in moderation. So far so good.
The problem however arises once canola oil is taken through industrial processing for an eventual sale.
Omega-3 fatty acids will easily go rancid when in contact with air and high temperatures, both of which are elements present in the manufacturing process. Rancid fatty acids smell and taste bad, necessitating the process of deodorization in meeting expected consumption properties. This process destroys a large chunk of the omega-3s by turning them into trans fatty acids or trans fats. These are incredibly dangerous for your health and are very often associated with heart disease and high cholesterol.
Naturally, no manufacturer notes this on a brand’s product label, which is why we are writing this article today in trying to open your eyes and educate your purchasing decisions. The safest bet would be thus to avoid the brands listed above and go for the ones which passed the quality test, namely Corto Olive, Lucero, McEvoy Ranch Organic, Omaggio, California Olive Ranch, Bariani Olive Oil, Lucini, Ottavio, Olea Estates, Cobram Estate and Kirkland Organic.
To fitness with love,
Martina
The labels on my cheap canolas says like decimal points, eg 0.01g trans fat / 100g , so does that exclude it hiding it?