Canola vs Vegetable Oil
It really is a tough choice for a
housewife these days to go and select between a multitudes of choices
when it comes to cooking oils. She has to be aware of both the health
benefits as well as dangers of cooking food for the family in given oil
for long periods of time. Vegetable oil is a generic name that can
contain oils from various plant based sources. On the other hand, canola
oil is oil that comes specifically from canola plant. There are many
similarities in between these two oils; so much so that, many vegetable
oils contain a high percentage of canola oil. However there are some
differences that will be highlighted in this article.
Canola is a short from of Canadian oil
having low acid. It is made from cultivar of rapeseed that has been
selectively bred to reduce levels of erucic acid to make it fit for
human consumption. On the other hand, vegetable oils can be blends of
different kinds of oils, though most of the vegetable oils are soybean
oil. Some of the vegetable oils available in the market contain two or
more types of oils that can be canola oil mixed with some other
vegetable oil.
If one looks closely, soybean is not a
vegetable but a legume, yet all cooking oils having soybean oil are
termed as vegetable oils. When it comes to choosing the healthiest oil
for cooking, it is good to have a look at the smoke point of the oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is healthy oil, but it doesn’t do well in high
heat, which is why it is not preferred as cooking oil. Though, canola
oil manufacturers claim many health benefits, it is still genetically
modified, which is not liked by many. Canola oil is a vegetable oil
after all, coming from canola plant. Vegetable oils are labeled as
soybean oils and contain corn, olive and sunflower oil.
Taking of differences, canola oils
contain less of saturated fats than vegetable oils which is deemed good
as doctors recommend consuming less of saturated fats in our daily
diets. Also, canola oil contains more of omega 3 and Omega 6 acids than
vegetable oils, which are essential fatty acids for our bodies. Even
monounsaturated fats in canola oil are higher than in vegetable oils.
These monounsaturated fats are considered to be important in lowering
cholesterol levels in human beings. So if the doctor recommends, or you
yourself wish to switch to canola oil, it is better to pick a can that
specifically states canola oil rather than buying a vegetable oil having
canola oil as one of the ingredients.
What is the difference between Canola and Vegetable Oil?
• Vegetable oil can be any blend of different plant based oils, even containing canola oil.
• Canola oil is Canadian Oil, Low Acid. It comes from canola plant.
• Both are used as cooking oils and are
good for health, though canola is considered slightly better than other
vegetable oils because of omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fats in it.
• Canola also contains higher amounts of monounsaturated fats, which is considered good for lowering cholesterol levels.
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