Why I avoid canola oil

The newest oil on the market today is canola oil.  Proclaimed to have numerous good health benefits by doctors, nurses and nutrionists nationwide, the oil has quickly become a popular household kitchen staple.    So like everything else in the health field today you are left wondering - is this oil something to consume or avoid?  

I personally go out of my way to avoid canola oil.  And here's why:

• Do you know what canola oil is?  Let's think this through for a minute - olive oil comes from olives, peant oil from peanuts, so one would reason that canola oil comes from canolas, right?  Exactly, and that's the problem.  Canola is not the name of a natural plant, but actually a made-up word.  The word comes from the words Canadian oil, low acid".  Canola is a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the rapeseed plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants.
• Rapeseed is unsuited for human consumption because it contains a very long chain fatty acid called eruic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with the development of heart lesions.  In fact, according to Agri-Alternatives, "(b)y nature, these rapesee oils, which have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes are...toxic to humans and other animals."
• Politics - that's right.  In the 1980's, the US Food Industry was looking for a new, cheap oil to assist with processed food production.  Canada came through with their manipulated canola plant and the rest is history.  Today, both governments have profited largely at the expense of the consumer.

There are some additional indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own:

• Canola oil has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily.
• During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into trans fatty acids, similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous.
• A recent study indicates that 'heart heatlhy' canola oil actualy creates a deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular system

It's quite easy to see why I avoid canola oil, right?  Between the chemical plant manipulation, not having enough long-term observations, and the fact that it's being produced due to being inexpensive frightens me!  The next time you're grocery shopping, try being a food detective and share with us what you find.