Con-ola oil

From the guy that recently brought to your attention an article about the world famous Alfred E.Neuman... Comes the story of Canola Oil. Or as the author of the article likes to call it.. Con -ola .


I decided to look up Canola Oil because I was reading the label of Smart Balance Mayonaise while making a sandwich and saw it touted that it used 100% non gmo Canola oil.

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I realized I could not recall what the Canola plant looked like... understandable since I soon found out there isnt one technically. It comes from rape seed. I saw notes on my research that its highly processed and uses all kind of nasty chemicals to make...

Worth doing some research on your own but this article is a good starting point..


https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com...out-canola-oil

From what I can tell it does raise valid questions...enough to make make me phase out Con-ola. I mostly use virgin olive oil and butter anyhow but still. This stuff seems like its not such a heart healthy oil afterall.

al

I find 100% olive oil makes quite "heavy" mayo, I usually start making it with olive oil but then add mostly sunflower oil. Got about 40 olive plants but still find it a bit too butch for some purposes

If non-GMO canola is high in Erucic acid and that is truly toxic wouldn't you want to have Canola oil that is GMO'ed out the wazoo?

While not my field that article contains all the hallmarks of pseudo-scientific scare tactics with italics and bolding. Many vitamins, pharmaceuticals are processed using hexane however it is also used for soybean, corn and peanut oil manufacture. So if you want a neutral oil for baking you might be out of luck. Flaxseed is taken as a health supplement and has a much higher polyunsaturated oil level than Canola. Adverse affects from hexanes requires chronic high-level exposure like that observed in a Foxcon facility where Hexane was use without fume hood or gloves to degrease iPhone components before manufacture.

I use butter,avocado oil or rendered bacon for cooking and olive oil for salads/dressing or other non-heat related uses.

Heres another interesting read... Im sure its not biased .:)
https://www.canolacouncil.org/oil-an...yths-debunked/

I love this quote...
"So here's the truth. We promise."

I thought this one was an interesting link...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1207141624.htm

Its kind of ironic that one of the urban myths on Canola oil is some kind of alarmist link thats its related to mad cow disease in some way. .. But research is actually showing an adverse affect on memory and alzheimers.

You do need to be careful of the sources of your information and "science" can often be twisted when researchers or publications are biased.

Always really check out the sources and research on your own.

Still you never know what you will find out if you start digging and asking questions.

Al

The first article was a good read, but I appreciated the way the second article presented its information more.

On another note, it was interesting both articles addressed GMO's. I have my opinions, but the term is really getting thrown around a lot lately.

Non-biased articles are few and far between unfortunately.

I think the fear-mongering about the health effects of GMO's is totally overblown. The cross-pollination generating herbicide resistant weed and morality of selling seed that can't reproduce are totally separate and significant issues that get lost in the noise of the potential for human harm.

Has anyone ruined olive or avocado oil yet?

Quote:

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. The cross-pollination generating herbicide resistant weed and morality of selling seed that can't reproduce are totally separate and significant issues that get lost in the noise of the potential for human harm.

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I agree with you there James. Those two issues really need more coverage .

On Gmo.. I have mixed feelings ..while I am not inherently against them. I feel theres need for far more oversight and research... If I can get a similar product though thats not been modified.. I generally buy it. Not that all the things I buy are organic as I can't afford them.. I try to source organic and local when I can.

What are your thoughts on labeling? I think if its Gmo sourced it should say it... not necessarily because I think its bad but because As a consumer I feel I have a right to know whats in the food I am consuming.. At this point we have to assume all foods that dont say they are Gmo are infact gmo...And we pay more for non-gmo when it is labeled.

Its a personal choice in alot of ways much like why I use no pesticides in my yard and garden. Not sure how much good it does though since my neighbors do and the farm across from me does.
al

There's an argument that GM crops can improve yield and therefore decrease land and water use and as such is the ethical decision. I think the concern about risks to humans is not at all reflected in the data. Potentially the reason we pay more for non-GMO is due to the reduced per acre yield.

Maybe GMO-containing foods should be labeled and after the initial uproar the general public would recognize how pervasive GMO's are and maybe they aren't such a big deal afterall. That or farmer's markets become a lot more popular. I'd consider both positive outcomes.

Id love to hear from our European members on GMO's given the last few years regulatory changes there. I wonder on the effects the laws had/have on pricing and availability of grown crops.

This site .. though slanted, had some interesting stats...
https://gmo.geneticliteracyproject.o...wn-and-banned/

I find it interesting that most countries that ban the growing of GMOs still allow their import as livestock feed. :huh:

al