According to Cronometer, 100 g of canola oil contains 9.1 g of omega-3, and 18.6 g of omega-6. 100 g of olive oil contains 0.8 g of omega-3, and 9.8 g of omega-6.
So canola oil contains more omega-3 than olive oil, AND it has a better omega-3/omega-6 ratio. So why does canola oil have such a bad reputation compared to olive oil?
Because of its history. Canola oil is a version of rapeseed oil. But rapeseed oil was found in the 70’s to contain high levels of eruric acid which is considered a toxin and bad for the heart. Because of this a different version was genetically modified to have a lower level of this toxic chemical. Then it was remarketed as Canada oil “canola”. However it still has to be highly processed under heat etc to be palatable and there were concerns that this industrial process and extra chemicals to deodorise and further treat the oil were also detrimental thus we now have other “healthier” versions such as cold pressed canola oil. Then we have to consider how it’s grown and its GMO design to be pesticide and fertilizer compatible to be a mono crop. So, it turns out that it’s a very highly processed and tinkered with product and goes against a lot of the “whole food” thinking. Also it’s a seed oil and that alone has people thinking it’s a no-no these days. Easily oxidised seed oil has become a meme of its own, there is some merit to this idea but I’m not sure the science is conclusive at this time. It’s kind of clear though that it has a lot of things going against it at the moment. The reason it’s popular in industry is because a lot of the “freshness” has been taken out of it and it has a high smoke point and low flavour. Making it ideal for various highly processed and “shelf stable” products. There is an old saying along the lines of “don’t eat anything that won’t spoil or rot but eat it before it does”. So on the nutrient dense scale I suspect that there are little real nutrients left in it, it might be just empty calories.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8960439/
This study is really interesting, because it found that transgenic canola oil resulted in improved blood omega-3 profiles consistently within 3 days. It apparently demonstrated the bioavailability of EPA and DHA.
That being said, like the vast majority of people on this subreddit including almost certainly nearly everyone who leaves a comment in this thread, I am not a scientist with the requisite education, training, or credentialing to provide scientifically rigorous and reliable feedback on this subject. I’m a layperson, and you should also read every other comment here as being from a layperson. Linking to a scientific study they googled and skimmed for less than 2 minutes doesn’t make them experts. I mention this because most of the time a food has a reputation—good or bad—because of laypeople and pop science articles written for clicks, not because of the nuanced and often inconclusive research.
All of today’s oils are low in naturally occurring trans fat…..but on that list, Canola is higher than most of them……in some cases much higher…..and then there is the use of the solvent hexane and the probable residual presence in the oil…..for me, I don’t object to Canola as I feel it is perfectly safe and healthy, but I don’t use it either…..for high temp cooking I use Sunflower oil and for normal cooking either Olive or Avocado oil…..
Because people don’t know what they’re talking about. The wellness industry, “fit”fluencers, have a way of convincing you that canola oil is toxic, and inflammatory, and other scary buzzwords. They are selling fear, and the perception of being “in the know”
In reality, it’s just an oil. It’s not as “high brow” as using an expensive, high quality olive oil. That’s all. And even if you are using the expensive high quality EVOO, you’re still not supposed to consume a lot of that either.
There is nothing wrong with using canola oil in your cooking. It’s fine.
Also, canola oil just so happens to be an inexpensive, yet useful, shelf stable item. People have access to it. You’ll notice that there is a theme, in wellness culture: this idea that cheap, shelf stable items are all bad. Canola oil happens to be one of those things, so it’s easy to demonize.
Canola oil made with simple equipment (similar method to olive oil production) is great for you!
However, most canola oil today is mass produced using sophisticated industrial equipment and chemical solvents to extract it. This includes using high heat that makes it rancid before it even hits the shelves. It’s then deodorized to mask the smell. It’s rancid because polyunsaturated fats are unstable and should not be subjected to light or heat. Again, it’s produced using high heat.
Consuming rancid oil (most mass produced canola oil) can cause long term harm through free radicals. Free radicals cause long term cell damage and potentially lead to the development of chronic diseases.
I remember being told once that it could cause vision problems with long-term consumption, but I have no idea where that comes from or if there’s any evidence to back it up. Either way, if that kind of belief about it could be part of the reputation issue.