2024-09-07

Does the Erucic Acid Level Make Canola Oil Unsafe?

I have looked at many articles. The vast majority say that Canola Oil is safe in moderation.

Most of the oils in Canola Oil are healthy, but Canola Oil also contains Erucic Acid.   Erucic Acid is toxic (to heart health) so it seems to me that it would be better not to consume any.  However, the exact amount of Erucic Acid in Canola Oil is unclear.  Almost all sources claim that the Euric Acid level is 2% or less by law, although the article below says that it is barely detectable, only around 0.01% in Canadian-made Canola Oil.
 
Although the government classifies Canola Oil as safe, the recommended safe level of Erucic Acid is about 7 mg per kilogram of body weight.  For me, that would be about 3/4 of a gram.

"For reference, 1 tablespoon of canola oil can contain a maximum of 280 mg of erucic acid. This means a person who weighs 80 kg can have around 2 tbsp of canola oil per day. "

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/is-rapeseed-oil-healthy

The problem is that we don't know if it actually has that much Erucic Acid.  

The same article mentions that Canola Oil has a tiny amount of trans fat.

Two tablespoons isn't that much.  I used to cook popcorn with 2 ounces of Canola Oil.  That is about 4 tablespoons, so I could have exceeded the recommended level of Erucic Acid.

According to this page, the Erucic Acid level in Canola Oil is not 2% but 0.2%.  So that should make Canola Oil safe in moderation.

https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/canola-oil-properties.html

For several months, I have been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead.  It is at least five times more expensive than Canola Oil, but I only use it 2 or 3 times per week.  The cost is not a big issue.

Olive Oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet.  Many sources claim that Olive Oil does not have any trans fat.

According to at least a couple of sources, you can use Olive Oil for frying if you don't get it too hot.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PIEamGRnVQ

The smoke point of Canola Oil is 399 degrees Fahrenheit.  Because of this, it is considered heat resistant and good for frying.  The smoke point of Olive Oil varies from 350 to 430 degrees.

If I am being honest, other things in my diet are riskier than Canola Oil.  I need to work on those as well.

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