Everything You Need to Know About Canola Oil

 Canola plants are a part of the Brassica family - the same family to which vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli belong. They grow up to six feet in length and produce bright yellow flowers. It is extracted by crushing the seeds of the canola plant after which the oil is refined and bottled for consumption purposes.

Healthy

Being an omega-3 oil with lower amounts of saturated fats, it is one of the healthy oils available today, and is an ideal cooking oil for kids.

Heart healthy Oil

Canola oil leverages high levels of two plant sterols - campesterol and beta sterol. Various studies have shown a direct link between high-concentration of sterols with reduced risk of heart diseases.

Lowers Bad Cholesterol (LDL)

The presence of plant sterol in canola oil reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) level by around 10-15%. Further, it stimulates a healthy lipid profile by increasing the good cholesterol (HDL) level.

Reduces Inflammation

Consumption of pure canola oil is known to reduce joint tenderness, stiffness, and the inflammation arising due to bowel disorders and asthma.

Skin Problems

Being rich in Vitamin E and K, it is used in various skin lotions and creams to get rid of skin problems such as acne, blemishes, fine lines and wrinkles. Also, the presence of fatty acids in the oil makes it a good choice for treating conditions like alligator skin, eczema, etc.

Body Oil

Canola oil is rich in fatty acids, and mixing it with any essential oil can be highly effective in moisturizing dry and flaky skin.

Canola Oil Characteristics

• Light texture 
• Non-viscous 
• Pale golden color 
• High tolerance to heat 
• Neutral taste

Due to its high heat tolerance property, canola oil serves as a perfect oil for baking, stir-frying and deep-frying purposes. It can be used for both salad dressing as well as sauteing as a replacement for groundnut, sunflower or olive oil. The high ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to fatty acids make it a healthy oil. Besides, it also serves as a great source of energy supplying around 884 Kcal of energy for every 100 grams.