Healthy cooking oil: Olive oil Vs Canola Oil

 

What is Canola Oil?

Canola seeds from the lovely yellow canola flowers are harvested and pressed, to obtain canola oil. This oil is low in saturated fat and is high in monounsaturated fat. In fact, canola oil has the lowest level of saturated fatty acids, as compared to any vegetable oil. Moreover, since it is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, it can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Canola oil also contains moderate levels of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. It also contains adequate amounts of vitamin E. 

Qualities of Canola oil:                                     

• Canola, the world’s healthiest cooking oil comes from the seeds of the Canola Plant.
• Among all the cooking oil canola oil has least saturated fat.
• With the multiple health benefits like ‘Free from Trans fat and cholesterol‘, ‘high in Omega3’, Canola oil is the perfect Heart-Healthy choice.
• High smoking point, neutral taste and odour, light texture makes it ideal cooking oil for any type of cooking like salads, stir-fry, sautéing, baking, grilling and for any type of cuisine. Indian cooking is best done with Canola Oil.
• Canola oil is now the 3^rd most consumed vegetable oil in the world.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim on its potential to reduce heart disease risk when used in place of saturated fat.
• Overall Acceptability of Canola oil based on Sensory Evaluation found to be best even if it was used in half amount in comparison to other oils. It has been lab analysed that consumption of oil deceases by as much as 50% in Indian cooking with Canola Oil despite maintaining the same sensory and taste parameters.
• Olive Oil Vs. Canola Oil
  
  Olive oil has a low smoking point, which means it smokes at a lower temperature, thus, cannot be used for deep frying, etc. Canola oil on the other hand, has a higher smoking point and can be used for deep frying and high heat stir frying.
  
  Superiority
  We come across a lot of promotional measures being carried out to promote canola oil. The promotional slogans say that canola oil is superior to olive oil due to its high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. However, how much of this is true? Is canola oil really better than olive oil? The answer is No! Olive oil has been around for myriads of years and has been tested and tried. It has proven its superiority. Indepth research about canola oil and its health benefits have yet to be proven scientifically. So, even though the food oil industry keeps promoting canola oil as olive oil's twin, olive oil is the big brother for now!
  
  Fat Content
  We also hear that both canola oil and olive oil contain 'good fats', however, which one has higher content of 'good fats'. Olive oil has a higher proportion of good fats or monounsaturated fatty acids, as compared to canola oil. In fact, the good fats present in olive oil are thrice higher than that in same amount of canola oil. Moreover, olive oil also has higher levels of polyunsaturated fats than canola oil. Though both canola and olive oil have low levels of saturated fats (bad fat), as compared to other cooking oils, the amount of saturated fats are higher in olive oil than in canola oil. Thus, with two plus points and one minus point, olive oil still contains higher levels of good fats than canola oil.
  
  Health Benefits
  Canola oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6-fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart diseases, arthritis and cancers. Moreover, since these essential fatty acids are not manufactured in the body, canola oil becomes an important source. Although olive oil contains omega-3-fatty acids, the amount is lower as compared to canola oil.
  
  Cost
  One major difference between canola and olive oil is the cost. Canola plants are relatively cheaper to cultivate and maintain, as compared to olive trees. This reflects in the overall price of the oil as well. Olive oil has been known for its health benefits since time immemorial. However, the problem is that there is not enough olive oil produced for everybody. Moreover, since olive oil is expensive, the affordability of canola oil is better than olive oil.
  
  Taste
  Though lots of people love olive oil, there are also those who find its flavor too strong to add it into food. Canola oil is relatively insipid, thereby proving to be suitable oil for baking food items. Moreover, its versatile and smooth texture makes it a great cooking oil, especially for stir frying, sautéing and grilling. Canola oil can also be used in marinades, sauces and salad dressings.
  
  Culinary Uses
  Olive oil has a lower smoking point, which means it smokes at a lower temperature when heated. This is why olive oil cannot be used for deep frying and high heat stir fries. However, Canola oil with its high smoking point can be used for frying, provided the temperatures are less than 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
  In terms of health benefits, as of today, olive oil is still superior! Nevertheless, canola oil is not far behind. For people who cannot afford consuming olive oil on a day-to-day basis, canola oil is a good option.   Reference http://www.buzzle.com , http://www.jivo.in