Nutritional Properties of Canola Oil

The current interest in dietary fat, however, stems primarily from its implication in the origin of several chronic diseases. Interest has centered on both the amount and type of dietary fat in the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and obesity. As a result, dietary recommendations in many countries call for a reduction in total fat intake, to 30% of energy, and in saturated fat intake, to less than 10% of energy. In addition, some nutrition recommendations specify recommended levels of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in the diets. Hence, the source of fat in the diet has assumed considerable importance over the past few years. Interest in the nutritional properties of canola oil developed because of its fatty acid composition (Table 2). Canola oil is characterized by a low level of saturated fatty acids, a relatively high level of monounsaturated fatty acids, and an appreciable amount of the n-3 fatty acid ot-linolenic acid (18 3 n-3). 

Monounsaturated fatty acids. The report that monounsaturated fatty acids (viz., oleic acid) were just as effective as polyunsaturated fatty acids (viz., linoleic acid) in lowering plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (100) aroused interest in the nutritional properties of canola oil. Canola oil contains 60% oleic acid and is second only to olive oil, among the common vegetable oils, in oleic acid content. Although avocado oil and high-oleic sunflower oil also contain high levels of oleic acid (>70%), they are minor constituents in the average diet. 

McDonald, B.E., Brace, V.M., Murthy, V.G. and Latta, M. 1995. Assessment of the nutritional properties of low-hnolenic acid (LL) canola oil with human subjects. Proceedings of the Ninth International Rapeseed Congress, Cambridge, UK, pp. 849-851. 

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