by Kellene
With a significant background in marketing, I have become convinced time and time again that just about anything—good or bad—can be promoted successfully with the right kind of marketing. As I’ve watched the political, consumer goods, and news industries over the past year more keenly, I have realized that in some cases strategic marketing is the only reason why some celebrities, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and politicians are familiar to the general populace. The reason I point this out is because the existence of canola oil and it’s wide acceptance is due solely to some well-funded marketing and public relation schemes–yes–schemes. It certainly isn’t because it’s a trustworthy or nutritious food.
So, where does canola oil come from? Imagination, that’s where. This is an easy question to answer when one asks about the origin of coconut oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, etc. But I suspect none of you have ever gone hunting for canola creatures during the fall weather. I’m quite certain that the Canola family doesn’t run around incognito with dark sunglasses hanging out with the Loch Ness Monster either. The fact is, there is no legitimate source for “canola.” That’s right. Legitimate. As in not a bastard. (Gosh I hope I don’t offend anyone using that word in its non-curse sense of definition.)
Since it was originated in Canada, it was called “Canada + oil= Canola oil. The name was a carefully crafted, purposefully innocuous sounding name for a chemically derived oil. The marketing brilliance behind promoting canola oil into acceptance at nearly every restaurant and food manufacturer in the nation rivaled that of any vicious political campaign ever seen. If the same people who promoted canola oil as “healthy” could work for the current administration, we’d have a king now instead of a Commander in Chief. Not only was this oil accepted, vendors REPLACED beautifully healthy palm oils with the chemically contrived canola oil and even got them to place big signs in their place of business to brag about the fact. They got people all over to emotionally and intellectually buy into the spin. They even affected the thinking of some of the otherwise most brilliant scientists and doctors in our nation—believing that canola oil was the savior of the fat industry. The marketing spin was so powerful that countless health and nutrition experts—otherwise intelligent people—accepted canola oil as a part of a “quality” everyday diet, and in doing so, shunned the very foods which were needed to fight the negative health effects of canola oil, such as coconut oil. Saturated fats (particularly the medium chain ones) actually protect the body from some poisons, fungus, bacteria, etc. Canola oil has the LEAST amount of saturated fats out of any other oil you could select. (6%).
Canola oil was one of the pioneers of the genetically modified food team. It was a way for them to test the waters, so to speak. “Could we convert Americans to using this engineered chemical with the right amount of commercial influence? The answer was a resound “YES!” for the interested parties. And it’s created a litany of monsters ready to ride the coattails of the path to success which canola oil has forged.
The mechanical industry has long used this industrial-grade oil which comes from “Rapeseed.” Of course the name had to be changed to “canola.” Who in their right mind would use an oil called “Rape?”–although it’s quite appropriate once you understand the adulterated process in creating it. Rapeseed is a part of the mustard seed family. Rapeseed oil has also long been used in insecticides (great for roses, actually), pesticides, colored dyes, detergents, synthetic rubbers, and even in the creation of biological weapons. To engineer canola oil from Rapeseed oil it must go through a heat and refining process. This process ENSURES that the canola oil contains trans fatty acids. In fact, this process is called by a name you may be familiar with “hydrogenation.” As an interesting side note, some numbskull in England promoted it all throughout the country (and Europe) as an animal feed additive. He was even successful for a number of years (’86-’91) until it was BANNED as a harmful chemical to animals and humans. (It’s amazing how much more health minded those governments are in some aspects, compared to the U.S. when they are actually footing the bill for all of the medical care). Rapeseed was actually blamed for being the cause of “Mad Cow” disease entering the human food chain—through cattle consuming the poisonous feed. This is because it is poisonous to both animals and humans—period.
What is the impact of Canola Oil in our diet?
So yes, we have canola oil oozing from nearly every processed and fried food in existence in our food chain. How did that happen? Well, brilliant marketing minds convinced people that so long as it was genetically engineered properly, this poison would somehow be rendered safe for human consumption. Now remember what I’ve taught you. If something doesn’t make sense…follow the money. Ding Ding Ding! It won’t be a surpise to anyone when they understand that canola oil has governmental backing–oh, and heavy U.S. and Canadian Treasury investments. As such, it is subsidized by both the U.S. government and the Canadian government. They are in hot financial water if the canola industry goes bust, which is exactly why the canola propaganda machine has created websites, prime time commercials, and endless amounts of “reliable literature” to convince you that “all is well.”
In lab testing, even the rats died off quickly. Even when a lab rat was saved from the canola diet, it still had scars to manifest the danger already done to the body. Ironically, though, canola oil is touted as being a better fat option, the testing showed horrible fat deposits which lead to kidney, liver, thyroid and adrenal gland failures. But hey, it’s perfectly safe. There’s a reason folks why canola oil does not come out of fabrics. It’s a freak of nature. On the other hand, almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and other healthy oils are easily removed from clothing, carpets, and upholstery. If it’s that hard to remove from a piece of fabric, imagine how challenging it is to your vital organs and your blood?! The smoke from Rapeseed oil has been claimed to even cause cancer . (Amal Kumar Maj. The Wall Street Journal June 7, 1995 pB6)
Hydrogenation is accomplished by heating the oil to very high temperatures and then blasting them with hydrogen atoms which creates trans fatty acids. When trans fatty acids are in the blood stream, the red blood cells do NOT bind easily with insulin, thus creating a connection between the use of canola oil (and other bad fats) with the onset of diabetes. Trans fatty acids are chemically engineered, thus they are a synthetic invasion on the body. So let’s consider this. When a person has an organ transplant, what’s the first thing that they are given after the surgery? An anti-rejection drug, right? This being the case, because the body is so incredibly intelligent that it knows “this isn’t my heart” or “this is a foreign matter where the kidney used to be” and it will try to reject it. If the body reacts in such a drastic manner to another clean, human organ being placed inside it, what do you suppose it does when we dump foreign chemically engineered invaders? Yup, it creates disease.
Does Canola Oil = Poison?
Now, here’s why it really has an impact on your preparedness efforts. Because it’s a poison, its poisonous components only get worse with a small margin of time, light, heat and/or oxygen. It goes rancid very quickly. Problem though—when canola oil is initially rancid, it does not divulge such with a faulty smell. Remember in previous articles in which I’ve told you “the nose knows”? Well, in this case, it doesn’t until it’s way past bad. Due to the absence of double carbons found in saturated fats which are in oils like coconut, almond, etc., there aren’t weak links that are typically broken up by free radicals. As such they are much more stable under conditions of heat, light, oxygen, etc. –meaning they are not a fertile ground for producing free radicals. Whereas canola in the body is a three ring circus on free admission day. Rapeseed oil contains as much as 55% of erucic acid as well—a VERY toxic fatty acid. I don’t know about you, but blessing my food before eating it takes on a whole new meaning when I understand this kind of stuff is perfectly permissible and advocated in my food supply! Here’s some frustrating news—even health food store items contain this pervasive perversion of nature. And by the time they get to their destination they have already been transported in hot trucks, sat in hot warehouses for who knows how long, and gone rancid. So, when you get it, it’s already sufficiently decomposed to an even more poisonous rancid state. As Bruce Fife, C.N., ND says in his book “The Coconut Oil Miracle”, “All conventionally processed and refined oils are rancid to some extent by the time they reach the store.” You may feel differently, but after really researching this oil, I’m thinking that I could use animal fat and do much better than this Frankenstein mess. So were left with a very successful PR machine that has proven once again that money and politics can override truth. The question is, now that you know, what measures are you going to take to steer clear of canola oil?
As additional information and as a great reference to many of the statistics that I’ve used in this article I highly recommend reading Bruce Fife’s book, “The Coconut Oil Miracle.” I’ve received TONS of e-mails of folks who have switched over to better oils—more particularly coconut oil, and have enjoyed some nice physiological changes. Another GREAT resource is this fabulous video made by Sally Fallon who’s the author of one of my favorite books, “Nourishing Traditions” which is based upon the phenomenal research conducted by Dr. Weston Price in the 1920’s. (Another book work getting and reading is his book “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration”. It will knock your socks off!!
68 Comments
tammy · September 16, 2010 at 1:09 am
wow, I had NO idea…..guess I’m part of the herd. now what to do with the 5 canola oil I just bought???
Kellene · September 16, 2010 at 3:10 am
*cringe* what to do indeed. Do ya have some roses that need a pesticide treatment? 🙂
Fran · September 28, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I’m going to take mine to the foodbank along with the applesauce that I bought without checking the label for high fructose corn syrup.
Sassy · September 16, 2010 at 1:42 am
OMG I had no idea. I don’t think I will ever look at oils in the same way now.
Audrey · September 16, 2010 at 3:09 am
This has been one of my pet peeves for a couple of years now. It is soooo frustrating to go shopping, and things that I would love to buy for their convenience have canola oil in them. I see in amazement how the media is pulling the wool over our eyes and convincing us that this is a good oil. People are surprised when I turn down the opportunity to receive a gift, simply because it has canola oil in it. It has sort of become a crusade for me. I can’t justify the consumption of something like canola oil. My cooking is now almost exclusively from scratch. There are just too many items out there with canola oil. Yes, I have seen health food stores promoting items with canola oil. I have tried to educate them… but they won’t listen. It is crazy! Thank you for your article.
Sherry Johnson · September 16, 2010 at 4:17 am
Great post! Dr. Mercola writes, “Canola oil is a poisonous substance, an industrial oil that does not belong in the body.” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/08/14/con-ola1.aspx
(And just for the record, it’s Loch Ness: loch is Scottish for “lake.”) 🙂
Kellene · September 16, 2010 at 4:19 am
Thanks. The article didn’t yet have the benefit of my right arm, Vicky, to edit it. I appreciate the sharp eyes.
Emily · September 16, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Thanks for sharing. I’m interested in learning more about the science behind all of this so I’m definitely going to read up on it. I used up the last of my canola oil two months ago and I’ve only been using olive oil. I’m going to have to try coconut oil.
Amelia · September 16, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Which oil is the best substitute for baking (cake mixes etc,)?
Kellene · September 16, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Personally, I like to use fruit in cake mixes. I use lecithin oil in my bread. and I use coconut oil in many of my other baked goods.
Gaye · September 16, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I have heard coconut oil isn’t a healthy oil to use. I know using some oils it gives a funny taste in baking. Any other suggestions?
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:02 am
Gaye, good coconut oil should never taste like coconuts. The virtues of coconut oil were just one of the victims of the canola oil scheme. I really recommend reading the book I reference in the article. It will logically answer any questions you may have about coconut oil. Also, if you do a search for coconut oil on this blog, you’ll find an extensive article I wrote about it already.
Crystal · September 16, 2010 at 6:18 pm
What exactly is lecithin oil? “Lecithin” sounds like one of those “bad” words on food labels. It doesn’t sound like something I could just find outside, you know? So, I am wondering what, exactly, it is. Is there a source for coconut oil larger than those tiny little glass jars that cost a small fortune? I want to improve our diet, but it is hard to find suitable and affordable at the same time. What do you do?
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:04 am
Lecithin oil is in the same family as grape seed oil. It’s very thick. Has a 20 year shelf life–easy, and is high in amino acids. I purchase mine at my local grocery store. Instead of using 3/4 cup of vegetable in my bread recipe, I use only 4 T. of lecithin oil which not only works great, but fills in the gap of the one missing nutrient in whole wheat bread. If you were to make bread all the time, 4 bottles of the lecithin oil would last you a whole year for the bread recipes, at a cost of about $32.
Anita · September 24, 2010 at 12:53 am
How does one know the conversion rate to use for in a recipe? If you only use 4T lecithin instead of 3/4 cup veg oil, do you fill in the remaining “liquid” with something else?
Kellene · September 24, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Actually, I have not had to do a conversion with my bread recipe. Lecithin is such a great emulsifier, I haven’t had any problem. Every once in a while I’ll add another tablespoon or so of water, but I would end up doing that when I used the 3/4 cup of oil too sometimes.
Rose · October 16, 2012 at 1:48 am
I thought lecithin oil came from soybeans and that most soybeans in this country were gmo? I find all this information so hard to process because of the lies being told to us and then the conflicting information being given. Am I wrong about the soybeans?
STACIA · September 16, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Kellene can you tell me what oils to use for long term storage or the one’s that will last the longest without going rancid? I have heard you can substitute beans for oil so should I store beans for long term use for bread making or if I use coconut oil will it make the bread taste like coconut?
By the way your website it amazing, I know where to get the truth about preparedness, instead of getting ripped off, thanks!
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:06 am
olive oil if it’s cold pressed and stored in a sealed jar or can, coconut oil has a nearly infinite shelf-life as well. Lecithin oil has a 20 year shelf-life. You can also use applesauce as a substitute for oil. I have a lot of dehydrated apple sauce that has a 30 year shelf life.
A good coconut oil will not taste like coconut at all when you use it in baking.
Sheldon · September 20, 2010 at 3:34 am
Why is there an expiration date on coconut oil if it will last forever?
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Do a search on “expiration dates” on this blog and you will see why there’s an expiration date and what it really means.
Sheldon · September 20, 2010 at 3:33 am
I’d like to see your source information.
Sheldon · September 20, 2010 at 3:37 am
Besides the book you mention. It sounds to me like a plug for coconut oil.
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:55 pm
If that was the case, that would be a problem why??
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 2:53 pm
See the book, Sheldon. See the book. There’s only so much that I can cover in the acceptable amount of space in this article. As I’ve said earlier it has tons of great resources in it. There’s also the book by Dr. Mary Enig called “Eat Fat Lose Fat” that goes into great detail about the harm of canola oil.
Louise · September 20, 2010 at 4:48 pm
I always read your posts, but this one was a big eye opener. I had no idea. My mom switched to olive oil when I was in high school touting that “It’s better for you” as she fried healthy foods. I’ve always stayed with it. However, I have wondered her wisdom when I pay so much more for the olive oil. Kuddos to her.
Kellene · September 20, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Ah…don’t we love those moments when we discover that a parent was right? hee hee
Kolleen DeGraff · September 22, 2010 at 4:11 am
Love your blog and appreciate the wonderful information and motivation. I have heard this canola oil information for several years as it circles through the internet. But snopes says it is incorrect information, see http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp which matches what I have also heard from several other trusted sources. So once again I am confused as to who to believe. How did you decide which side was correct?
Kellene · September 22, 2010 at 6:43 am
For one, I have personally debunked Snopes stuff on more than one occasion. They aren’t the “altruistic” folks that some would like to believe. They indeed have a financial agenda for their information. It’s interesting to me that Snopes never has to validate their information like some demand of science and doctors to back up their research. All Snopes has to do is say “this is how it is” and reference some other like-minded newspaper articles. Then folks just buy into the Snopes link in an effort to debunk a particular cause. The interesting thing is, if you actually read the substance of their “additional information” you will see that it’s sorely lacking in bonafide facts. For example, in the link you sent me it references how palm oils have 70% saturated fats. What the article fails to recognize is that all saturated fats are not created equal. Whether a saturated fat is good or bad for you is determined by what the length of the chain of fatty acids is. In the case of palm oils, medium chain fatty acids not only are good for you, but they actually protect us from a lot of the bad fats that creep into our diets.
Ultimately, I’d say that the plethora of scientific studies I’ve read which have no connection to monetary gain in the better fats industry, are more trustworthy than those coming from the lamestream media, left-wing crazies, and folks who have something to gain by the continued canola oil scheme.
Secondly, I got my information from NUMEROUS medical and science books, articles, etc. Not the least of which was the book I encourage folks to read in the article as well as one that I’m reading right now called “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon. In all of the books that I’ve mentioned, there are a litany of scientific research footnotes referencing various studies. The library was particularly helpful to me as well. There is ample scientific and medical evidence to show that canola oil is worse for us than ephedra, and yet no one refuses to pull it from the shelves because our government is too heavily invested in it. Can you imagine the egg on their face if they were to admit that this was never safe for consumption in the first place? It’s going to take a well-funded class action law suit in order to spread the truth completely on this one. But it’s not likely to take place.
Kolleen DeGraff · September 26, 2010 at 4:47 am
Thanks for answering and going into all of that. I will do more homework and find Nourishing Traditions to read. I am realizing there are just certain “sources” we have been trained to give authority to without question and it is hard to break that habit. Appreciate your constant reminders.
Jamie · September 24, 2010 at 4:46 am
Will you bet your life on it? I think the whole canola oil has been a marketing scam fully endorse by the government. Does canola/rapeseed oil have a place of course it does as an industrial lubricant. The oil is not evil just cause it was well used poorly. Tobacco is a great insecticide, and some folks smoke it as well. That does not negate it’s ability as an insecticide. Coffee is great in a compost pile, great for worms. Should I condemn all Mormons for not adding coffee grounds to a compost heap?
I hate throwing stuff away if it has a use I can find. Not saying it’s correct I just tend to be practical. So am I evil?
Eliza · September 26, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I read your article and thought that it did not “sound right” I did some of my own research on Canola oil and found a Wikipedia article to be very informative (and they do list all of there sources). I learned there that the name “canola” was derived from “Canadian oil, low acid” in 1978. SO you had it half right, but not entirely.
Also the oil is not made from refining rapeseed oil but rather from crushing rapeseeds.
Canola oil is low in saturated fat, is high in monounsaturated fat, and has a beneficial omega-3 fatty acid profile. The Canola Council of Canada states that it is completely safe and is the “healthiest” of all commonly used cooking oils. It has well established heart health benefits and is recognized by many health professional organizations including the American Dietetic Association, and American Heart Association, among others. Canola oil has been authorized a qualified health claim from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on its ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content.
With so many well known, and respected, research studies I can’t come to the conclusion that they are ALL lying or trying to trick us.
I agree that olive oil is better for you. My motto is to stay as close to nature as possible. So because I know that Canola oil is a man-made engineered product I limit use of it. But I don’t think it is the monster you are making it out to be.
My opinion only.
Kellene · September 27, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Eliza, I certainly don’t want to come across as “skewering” someone for their opinion, and so I just want to be perfectly clear here, that’s not my intent. But for the benefit of everyone else, lest they be deceived, allow me to go through your comment one section at a time.
First of all, Wikipedia is nowhere near being authoritative on any topic. Unfortunately, since they use the word “encyclopedia” it automatically makes us want to trust them like we did those encyclopedias of our youth, but the fact of the matter is ANYONE can create a Wiki page and the information they post there will stand unless disputed otherwise. For example, I could go on there right now and post anything I wanted about an old schoolmate of mine and it would stand AND get high results in the search engine, until someone disputed it. Wiki is a very valuable tool to those who want to spread their marketing message because so many folks do not question it.
Next, …the difference between some lone author saying “crushed rapeseed” vs. “refining?” The crushing is the first step that is taken in order for the rapeseed oil to be processed and refined. Knowing how oils are created, I can tell you that it all starts with some type of crushing or clumping and then the distillation process begins. In the case of rapeseed oil, it is “refined” by taking out many of it’s industrial components via heat and immense amounts of pressure. Just so you know, and I’m sure you can back this up easily with your own research, heat is what causes rancidity and HYDROGENATION to take place and pressure is what strips any nourishing oil of it’s helpful constituents.
Next, our bodies do not tolerate synthetics–period. We reject them. I believe I made this point clearly in the article and why. So keep in mind that any nutrients found in this “man made” oil, as you call it, cannot be natural and is indeed a synthetic. Our bodies are pretty amazing that way. When we consume something foolish and harmful, our bodies do their darndest to compensate for those mistakes. Synthetics leave a heavy chore for our livers and our kidneys as they attempt to scrub away the synthetic.
Next, the ADA and the AMA all receive funding by those groups to which they align themselves. Contrary to popular belief they are NOT the experts on their elected topics, they have simply positioned themselves to be viewed that way–which is exactly what I would advise any of my marketing clients to do if I wanted them to make any impact. Associations, such as you have mentioned, study what they get paid to study, and for some strange reason, tend to always come up with the desired results from those who pay them to conduct the study. Remember, I’ve always said “follow the money” and you will see the root. To believe that the AMA and other organizations do not financially benefit from endorsing canola oil is naive. The AMA endorsed smoking one pack of cigarettes a day. The ADA focuses on treating the diabetes rather than eliminating it with proper diet because it would defy and demean the value of our Western Medicine practices–when in fact, it has been proven by countless experts that a diet full of effective nutrition can complete reverse diabetes–even type II! Here’s another example, there are thousands of people LEAVING the U.S. every year for cancer treatment which the FDA and the American Cancer Society refuses to endorse this method, in spite of it’s successful track record, because it would cost them a lot of money–we’re talking BILLIONS of dollars! And yet their “tried and true” method of chemotherapy has less than 10% positive results, while the methods that desperate persons are fleeing to other shores to obtain in order to help them in their battle, have a PROVEN 50%+ success rate! (See, a “World Without Cancer” by G. Edward Griffin)
Now, let’s put the shoe on the other foot…what monetary gain do I have in writing this article against canola oil? Are you a paid subscriber to my blog? Nope. Because that doesn’t exist. Do I own stock in an alternative oil company? Nope. Am I trying to sell a class on Canola oil or alternative oils? Nope. I could go on, but you get my point.
If there is an oil that is endorsed by the AMA as being healthy in spite of countless numbers of expert research to contradict it, that has PROVEN to cause great physical harm to the balance in the body, then I firmly believe that YES, it is a MONSTER, and too many of us are inviting it in to our homes to have afternoon tea! If Olive oil is better for you, as you say, then why doesn’t the AMA and ADA and FDA etc. all promote that heavily? Because there is absolutely NO financial gain in it for them and they would be contradicting themselves and lose a whole lot of financial support from the highly subsidized, and grossly profitable canola oil industry. Sorry, but this is racketeering in its truest form and yes, it is a MONSTER.
While I think it’s wise for folks to double check what I share on here, I think it’s pointless unless you use unbiased, unsoiled, sources of expertise. The health of this nation and the faulty methods of health care practices exist for us today because we just follow their lead like sheep. To me, that’s anything but being self-reliant and prepared.
Sean · February 27, 2011 at 5:47 am
Your entire article smacks of chainletter crud. You present tons and tons supposed scientific knowledge without a SINGLE reference to ANYTHING (except a book who’s purpose it is to put down all other oils). I can’t believe how much sensationalist garbage you manage to back into this article.
Everything we eat is processed in some way or another, and everything can be labeled a “toxic poison” in the same way you do here. You shoot down every retort people point out to you: snopes is wrong, wikipedia’s wrong, etc.
This article is exactly like all the [censored for vulgar content] chainletters my parents forward around, which Snopes debunks time and time again. You say you’re not making a profit off it, well those chainletter writers don’t either. You’re all just in it for the lulz.
Kellene · February 28, 2011 at 5:20 pm
Hey Folks, here’s yet another person who’s so emotionally entrenched in the USDA Marketing that he sees fit to insult anyone else who does not share his beliefs. Too bad he missed the Show last Wednesday night when Dr. Whiting was on and offered up the exact same information as contained in this article. For those of you who may have missed the show too, you can listen to it here: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/2011/02/22/self-reliance-revolution-02-23-2011/
But hey, keep in mind this guy is ONLY a doctor who specializes in matters of the heart and what really causes heart disease. :-/
Sean · March 1, 2011 at 1:30 am
Emotionally entrenched? USDA marketing?? What the heck are you talking about??? I’ve never seen or heard of marketing for Canola oil in my life! Do they actually have ads for it?
I first discovered Canola oil on my own, while reading a book assigned by my Health and Fitness class in college. It had a table with a list of oils and their respective compositions of fatty acids. Canola oil was second only to olive oil in Monounsaturated fatty acids, which I learned were the good type. It’s also the oil with the lowest saturated fatty acids, which I understood to be the bad stuff. I then went and looked for Canola oil on my next grocery trip. Again, I have never in my life heard any advertisements or any mention of Canola oil in the media.
I took a strong exception to this post of yours purely because of the extreme sensationalist wording and your complete lack of references. Just look at your language:
“So, where does canola oil come from? Imagination, that’s where.”
“beautifully healthy palm oil”
“this industrial-grade oil” – (are no other oils used in industrial applications? Does its usage in industrial applications automatically negate its usefulness for consumption?)
“Rapeseed was actually blamed for being the cause of Mad Cow disease” – (this is a myth that’s been debunked)
“It’s a freak of nature”
“it’s a poison”
“this pervasive perversion of nature”
“this Frankenstein mess”
Really, if you had actual facts to present instead of a big-ol’ sensationalist rant, would you need to use these extreme words and phrases? I would believe no. Anyone with half a leg to stand on in their arguement wouldn’t feel the need to use this sort of language.
I ran into this article after a friend posted it on her facebook wall. I’d gotten a chainletter similar to this before and wanted to clarify the issue. Unfortunately for me, your article was just more of the same.
Kellene · March 1, 2011 at 1:52 am
Yeah, isn’t wonderful when you’re being manipulated but don’t even know it? How about you do a little look see at the USDA home page and discover for yourself that their job is clearly described as MARKETING. And then how about you do a little more research on the matter of canola oil and connect the dots on how canola oil actually came to be the champion of the oil world? Follow the money. But keep your insults to yourself until you are actually EDUCATED as opposed to indocrtinated on the matter? Hmmm?
charles allan · May 10, 2014 at 11:26 pm
He’s a paid canola shill
He’s a paid canola shill
patti · September 26, 2010 at 11:39 pm
I bought into this big time. I usually am better informed, but I missed this one completely!! Thanks again for a great lesson.
Christie · October 5, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Kellene, can I please ask you to clarify your comment “…good coconut oil should never tast like coconuts”? I have two different ones in my pantry; 1)expeller-pressed coconut oil by Tropical Traditions and 2)Green Pasture’s Blue Breeze organic virgin coconut oil. The first does not taste like coconut but the latter does. And, the latter is actually a step up from the first. I love it, use for everything from frying, baking, skin and hair care to baby care. It has a lovely fragrant coconut scent. Are you familiar with either of these brands? Thank you for your time.
Kellene · October 5, 2010 at 3:34 pm
When pure coconut oil is manufactured, it does not contain the part of the plant which tastes like coconut. Some manufacturers use this portion of the plant though in order to get a greater yield. Grant it, I like coconut flavor and such, but in terms of selecting a truly pure/quality coconut oil, it should not smell like coconut.
Amber · December 9, 2010 at 6:04 am
Hi! I love your site and am a newbie! I have never bought Canola oil, but have always gotten vegetable oil. Is it the same thing? Am I a sucker for buying it? I am happy to hear about the Lecithin oil – love the shelf life!
Kellene · December 9, 2010 at 8:16 am
Vegetable oil is not nearly as bad as canola oil…at least not yet.
Kellene · February 28, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Vegetable oil goes rancid at room temperature. It’s full of free radicals which is the foundational CAUSE of heart disease.
JJ · February 28, 2011 at 6:39 pm
This is complete and utter B.S., every last word. Rapeseed is not harmful in any form, even the oil and it had nothing to do with mad cow disease. This article is just a bunch of overblown propaganda. Don’t believe it.
Kellene · February 28, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Hey Folks, guess the USDA is hiring temps to put counterposts on various blogs today. 🙂 I’m literally laughing out loud at the irony that this person has the gall at calling the truth propaganda, which by definition it cannot be, since there is no financial gain, whereas the true perpetrators of propaganda are those who get behind this toxic chemical called canola oil. Oh, and by the way, farmers won’t feed canola oil to their animals because their senses won’t permit them to consume it…that’s pretty astounding when you think of the fact that even dogs will eat feces!
charles allan · May 10, 2014 at 11:29 pm
Drink up then – you are
Drink up then – you are another canola shill
JJ · March 1, 2011 at 5:06 am
Folks, the only thing you should realize is any fool can start a blog like this one and disseminate propaganda when they have no experience at all except sitting in front of a computer. This Kellene wouldn’t last a day on her own so she better stay in the city. I farm for nearly 20 years, I grow canola in canada and there is nothing poisonous about the oil at all, its the healthiest oil out there, period.
And farmers don’t feed canola oil to their cows because cows don’t eat oil because its not part of their natural diet, but grains are and they do feed DDG (dried distillers grain) which is basically the husk of the canola seed after the oil is squeezed. It makes a great supplement when mixed with other grains and replaces the wheat that would otherwise be fed to cows but now makes bread.
Kellene · March 1, 2011 at 6:16 am
So let me make sure I get this straight, because I disagree with you on the merits of canola oil, it means that I “won’t last a day”? What in the world does that even mean? And because I disagree with the merits of canola oil, which you manufacture and earn money off of, I’m a fool?
Cows? Cows? I don’t know much about cows, but they never struck me as having a keen sense of smell like cats and dogs do. Anyway, to be clear I wasn’t referring to cattle when I said animals. There’s some interesting research available on canola oil when you search it in conjunction with the veterinary world. It’s unfit for animals, but we humans eat it?
I guess Dr. Whiting and many of his other esteemed colleagues who disagree with the use of canola oil, vegetable oil, etc. and who have actually CURED heart disease simply be eliminating them from a persons diet are “fools” too.
Hmmm… Well, I guess that’s one way of looking at things.
DonF · March 1, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Thank you very much, Dear Kellene ! I really enjoy the polite way you have of standing up for truth. It really is a crying shame that we continuously receive programming and propaganda almost faster than we can debunk it! Unfortunately, just a few really bad people have made life a living hell for billions of good peaceful people by arrogantly choosing greed and power and war over humbly acting normal. Hopefully the bad people will be brought to justice.
My experience of coconut oil is that refined coconut oil does not taste like coconut while my Nutiva organic, unrefined, cold-pressed, extra-virgin coconut oil has a delightful coconut flavor. When Nature makes things, the components may synergize together better than any one component on its own. With coconut oil this may or may not be the case. I prefer the coconut flavor.
Again, thank you very much for this awakening blog. You have proven that any intelligent, well informed person can start a blog.
Glenda · May 8, 2011 at 9:14 pm
My goodness! I’ve been such a sheeple and didn’t even realize it. I had been operating under the assumption that Canola oil was “the healthiest” of grain oils I could buy. I feel very very foolish and very very lied to after all of the above information was shared. I’ve about 20 bottles of this stuff stored and now must begin my replacement program with safe oils. Olive oil I’m familiar with, coconut oil, not so much, though I have read your articles and made a purchase of one small bottle of coconut oil many months ago,before I discovered Prep Pro, that still sits on my pantry shelf. It’s foreign to me and I feel untimidated by it insofar as daily use. (I know, dumb, huh?) Hence, I keep reaching for what I know. So sad. However, knowledge IS power, so henceforth I begin my quest for comfortable usage of coconut oil. I found that my local grocery carries a brand called “Aunt Patty’s” coconut oil. Anyone out there familiar with this one? It’s less costly than Nutiva but I don’t want to go down Dumbbell Avenue again!
P.S.Has anyone ever used Canola oil as lamp oil? I hate throwing things away if there is a good use for it somewhere else. I know, I know, it’ll probably kill us from the vapors it would give off. I guess I’ll just have to dump the stuff.
Kellene · May 9, 2011 at 6:36 am
I don’t see a problem with trying it out to see if it will serve as lamp oil? Do it outdoors in an Aladdin lamp for starters though.
I use coconut oil in almost everything now. Coconut oil, cold pressed olive oil, and butter are my best friends!
Professor Kamran · August 3, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Same as Canola, Corn and Sunflower are discoveries of modern world, which r for sure useful in this era. Avocado is also not a job of un-educated farmer. So we must study and learn and discover more from nature for our Health and Beauty! We must avoid animal fats, saturated fats, trans-fats, plastic contents r there in hydrogen-ized and double and tripple refined oils, so must use cold press cooking oils, thanx
Lori Emmons · May 9, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I just posted a link to your eloquent & informative article on canola oil. I have to commend you for such excellent work with which I completely agree! You can see the link at http://emmonslori.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1122&action=edit&message=6#
Thank you,
Lori
erica · September 7, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Thank you for this post. There is video on Netflix I watched called Food of the Future on how a lot of what we eat is created in science lab rather then organic. A lot of farmers lost their jobs over this. So thank you again for posting this. Awesome article!
Kelly · October 15, 2012 at 8:38 pm
I have been aware of the problem with the oil a long time. It looks like the “marketinig” has done its job with many of your readers! First much of it is GMO so that should be reason enough to avoid it and second why use it when more natural oils are easy to have in hand. Coconut, olive and grapeseed are all we ever use. Your readers need to look intothe short v medium chain issue. It will open thier eyes .( I hope) Good job on the post
Kellene Bishop · October 16, 2012 at 5:09 am
Lecithin does come from soy, however, not ALL soy is GMO–yet. Also, how soybeans are processed is a big determining factor on how it’s received in the body. Not all soy is nasty as indicated by the fast growing nutrition company, Reliv. Their products are soy based and yet they have a HUGE following because of how their nutrition has helped to support so many health issues. Obviously such would not be the case if they were using problematic soy to begin with. However, let’s say that it was all GMO, I’d rather 2 tablespoons than 3/4 cups for a bread recipe. Lecithin CAN’T be as bad as the other oils because it has a longer shelf-life. Oils inherently will go rancid without perfumes over time because of how they are processed. Lecithin, like olive oil, has a nice and long shelf-life.
I agree with you that there is much to deceive us. Ultimately we’ve got to listen to our guts (still small voice) and make the most informed decisions we can. Good luck!!
krys · January 17, 2013 at 9:56 am
May I text your link? I keep telling people to stop feeding on this stuff.Also do you have citations for your info? I’d like to research in depth.
Thank you
Kellene Bishop · January 17, 2013 at 8:27 pm
you can text the link, yes, you just can’t duplicate my article. Otherwise, that’s fine. Thanks! As to the research, I don’t put anything on here that I haven’t done my homework on. It seems like the more research I publish though, the more the article gets duplicated and then I have to chase dishonest people around to take my original works down. So I don’t hand feed people that info anymore on all of the free information.
Alicia · March 4, 2013 at 6:20 pm
On the subject of Coconut. I purchased Nature’s way efagold Coconut oil. I use for cooking, skin , hair, etc. I do not like the smell of it or the taste, so I use it sparingly for cooking. Please tell me which is the coconut oil that is cold pressed , you know all of the good qualities that does not taste like coconuts?
Katherine · March 4, 2013 at 7:28 pm
For those of you who are looking for the scientific basis for this claim, please watch http://youtu.be/fvKdYUCUca8 The Oiling of America, presented by Sally Fallon-Morell. It is very well done and explains exactly why each oil is either good for us or bad for us.
As for Palm oil, I believe it is considered one of the good ones but I will no longer support using it because of the massive devastation it is causing to some critical habitats. If it is ever harvested in a sustainable manner that is friendly to wildlife (especially the Orangutan populations) I might reconsider. But for now I stick to animal fats, olive oil, and coconut oil for everything I make!
Diane · March 5, 2013 at 7:09 am
I only bought Canola oil once and I didn’t like it. I thought maybe it was just a little expired but I didn’t see an expiration date on it. I didn’t even finish the bottle, I threw it out, (which was a waste of money). I was brought up on vegetable oil and still use it. Now that I’ve read this artiicle, I will “never” buy it again. I would prefer a oil made from vegetables.
Kellene Bishop · March 5, 2013 at 7:12 am
At least vegetables are REAL food. (at least for a while longer… but that’s a whole other story.)
M · March 5, 2013 at 9:39 am
This stinks! I purchased salad dressing with this oil in it. So, which oil is okay for salad dressing?
Kellene Bishop · March 6, 2013 at 12:16 am
You can use the coconut oil in salad dressings too. I also use olive oil, and several of the nut oils as well. Lots and lots of possibilities. I assure you that God didn’t limit our bounty of foods to those that were bad for us. 🙂
M · March 6, 2013 at 4:55 am
Do you purchase dressing? If so, what do you recommend? If you make it can you give us the recipe (or is it the kind where you have to kill us after telling us what it is)? Thank you.
KATE SMITH · January 21, 2014 at 5:00 am
I learned many many years ago
I learned many many years ago when canola oil first came out from a dear friend who did research on the oil. i was so appalled the the human govt would allow such use of a poison, like folks arnt dying fast enough, i tell everyone that i find thats its a bad product, and i avoid it like the plague! i use coconut and olive oils.
Judy Logsdon · March 19, 2014 at 7:28 pm
this is a bad oil, causing
this is a bad oil, causing diarrhea and other stomach problems
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