Canola and vegetable oil are often used interchangeably, but they have differences in nutrition and best uses. Canola oil (or rapeseed oil) originally contained toxic compounds like erucic acid and glucosinolates, but genetic modifications lowered those levels.
Vegetable oils vary by blend, but they generally contain less saturated fat than canola oil and offer heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats. However, too much vegetable oil can bring too many omega-6 fats into the diet, which promote inflammation.
1. It Helps in Weight Loss
Compared to other vegetable oils, canola oil has the lowest percentage of saturated fat (7%). This makes it an excellent cooking choice. It has also been linked to lowering cholesterol and levels of low-density lipoprotein (“bad”) cholesterol, which can help reduce your risk for heart disease.
However, it’s important to note that vegetable oil contains omega-6 fatty acids, which have pro-inflammatory properties and can imbalance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which is crucial for heart health. In addition, some vegetable oils are not stable at high temperatures, which can lead to toxic compounds that increase your risk for certain diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
Despite these risks, many people continue to use vegetable oil because it’s less expensive than olive or avocado oils. But if you’re serious about boosting your weight loss, consider switching to another type of oil. Instead of using vegetable oil, choose other oils that are more stable at high temperatures, such as olive, coconut, or avocado oil. This will help you burn more calories and lose more belly fat in the process.
2. It Helps in Heart Health
Eating vegetable and canola oil helps in heart health. Canola oil is made from canola plants (a variety of the rapeseed plant that has been crossbred to remove most of the erucic acid they contain). It’s one of the best heart-healthy oils because it’s low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid, which are good for your heart.
Vegetable oil comes from a wide range of plant sources, including soybeans, sunflower seeds and corn. It typically contains polyunsaturated fats, which are also heart-healthy. These include linoleic acid, or omega-6, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), or omega-3 fatty acids.
Vegetable oils have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and improved blood cholesterol levels. They also contain heart-healthy omega-9 fatty acids and may help prevent blood clots.
3. It Helps in Diabetes
Unlike animal fats that are saturated, vegetable and canola oils contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that are heart-healthy. Replacing saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats lowers your cholesterol levels and decreases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other health problems associated with high cholesterol (4).
Canola oil is derived from the rapeseed plant, which has been crossbred to remove most of its erucic acid content, so it’s considered safer than other types of rapeseed-derived oils. It is also processed to be heat-tolerant and has a neutral flavor, making it a popular cooking oil.
A study published in Diabetes Care found that consumption of canola oil in conjunction with education on a low-glycemic load diet improved glycemic control and lowered systolic blood pressure in people with Type 2 diabetes. This was due to the oil’s low calorie count, monounsaturated fat composition and its ability to lower bad cholesterol in the blood (5).
4. It Helps in Skin Health
A common choice for cooking, vegetable oil is a general term that can refer to a mixture of oils like sunflower, corn, safflower or canola. It can also contain high levels of saturated fat, which isn’t good for heart health. Some studies have found that eating a diet high in canola oil can reduce circulating cholesterol levels. It may also have other positive effects on your lipids, including improved insulin sensitivity and increased tocopherol levels, but more research is needed on the exact benefits of canola oil.
Canola oil is derived from the plant Brassica napus (also known as rapeseed). It has a neutral flavor and higher smoke point than other oils, making it a popular choice for many chefs. It’s also a good alternative to olive oil for heart-healthy cooking because it contains monounsaturated fats that can help lower your cholesterol levels. It’s also low in saturated fat and has a balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease. (1)
5. It Helps in Bone Health
Eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables and canola helps with bone health. This is because the diet can help ward off osteoporosis, which is a debilitating disease that affects almost 30 million Americans. The diet also helps ward off unhealthy inflammation, which can lead to bone loss and other problems.
Vegetable and canola oils both contain heart-healthy fats and provide a variety of other benefits. They are both heat-stable, so they can be used for high-heat cooking. The main difference is that canola oil has a higher percentage of heart-healthy fats than most vegetable oils, which are often a blend of different oils.
Vegetable and canola oil are both excellent choices for frying, sauteing, and baking. Both are low in saturated fat and contain a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are important for health. However, some people may have concerns about the safety of these oils due to their production methods and nutritional content. These concerns may include claims that vegetable and canola oil have an unhealthy effect on the body, which are based on animal studies that do not apply to humans.
6. It Helps in Eye Health
A diet rich in lutein and zeaxanthin (found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens and Swiss chard) as well as other nutrients like vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin C and zinc may help reduce the risk of eye health issues such as cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and dry eyes. Including nuts, seeds and walnut oil, in addition to eating fish, whole grains, vegetables and canola, in your daily diet can help protect your eyesight.
Canola oil is a heart-healthy vegetable oil and contains mostly unsaturated fats. Studies have shown that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats lowers your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can help protect against cardiovascular disease.
Vegetable oil is often a mix or blend of different types of oils, which makes it harder to know exactly what you’re getting. It’s also a more generic type of cooking oil that tends to have a bland flavor. Vegetable oils, like canola oil, can be used for a variety of recipes and have high heat tolerances, making them suitable for frying.
7. It Helps in Brain Health
Although canola oil has a good reputation for heart health, it might actually be harmful to the brain. A study published in Scientific Reports linked a diet of canola oil with memory deterioration and decreased learning ability in mice, which model Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also found that consuming canola oil increased the buildup of clumps of amyloid-beta protein, or plaques, and reduced the number of synapses, which are responsible for neuron communication in the brain.
Vegetable oils such as canola, soybean, sunflower, and corn are all processed using high heat and chemicals like hexane. This creates trans fats, which have been linked to a wide range of health problems.
While the claims that vegetable oil causes a variety of health problems seem convincing, they don’t hold up in human trials. According to Los Angeles-based nutritionist David Kahana, MD, a board certified doctor in medical nutrition and formulator for 1MD Nutrition, most of these claims are based on animal studies. And while these experiments have some validity, they’re not the same as decades of real-world data.
8. It Helps in Immune System
Eating vegetables and canola can help you boost your immune system. These oils contain vitamins and minerals that are important for healthy immune function. They also provide antimicrobial properties, which can help fight bacteria and viruses that can cause infections. Vegetables and canola oil are also a great source of soluble fiber, which can help your body eliminate waste.
Canola oil is derived from the rapeseed plant and undergoes extensive processing to remove toxins. The end product is a versatile cooking oil that can be used at a range of temperatures and has a neutral taste. It is also high in monounsaturated fats, which are heart-healthy.
The downside to vegetable oil is that it often contains omega-6 fatty acids, which can imbalance the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in your diet. In addition, some vegetable oils are highly saturated. In order to minimize the health risks associated with these types of oils, look for non-GMO canola or olive oil for your cooking needs.
