The difference between canola oil and rapeseed oil

Canola oil and rapeseed oil are both oils fried from plants. Both oils are pure natural vegetable oils, so each oil is very beneficial to the human body. They are rich in various nutrients needed by the human body. However, there are certain differences between these two oils. The fatty acid content of rapeseed oil is much higher than that of canola oil, so people with different physiques should choose the corresponding oil to eat. Let’s take a look at the difference between the two.

Canola oil is a type of rapeseed oil, but it is different from rapeseed oil. There are three raw materials for rapeseed oil: rapeseed and mustard. Canola oil is rapeseed oil with low erucic acid, while rapeseed oil is high erucic acid. The vast majority of what is sold on the market is made from rapeseed.

Among edible oils, canola oil has the second highest content of monounsaturated fatty acids (up to 61%). It is selected and improved from traditional rapeseed oil. The proportion of saturated fatty acids is low, only about 7%. The linoleic acid (21%) and linolenic acid (11%) that the human body cannot synthesize on its own are higher than those in olive oil. It has a large output and a low price, making it a very good choice of edible oil.

Canola oil is a low-erucic acid edible oil obtained by improving the traditional rapeseed (high-erucic acid) variety. It contains 60% monounsaturated fatty acids, while the saturated fatty acid content is lower than all vegetable edible oils. Generally speaking, monounsaturated fatty acids are more beneficial to health than saturated fatty acids (such as animal oil, coconut oil and palm oil) because monounsaturated fatty acids can reduce harmful LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and increase beneficial HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

Canola oil is rich in vitamin E, does not contain cholesterol or salt, has high oil stability, and contains essential fatty acids that the human body cannot synthesize on its own - linoleic acid and linolenic acid.

Rapeseed Oil

Rapeseed oil is generally dark yellow or brown in color. Rapeseed oil contains 0.4-1.0% arachidic acid, 14-19% oleic acid, 12-24% linoleic acid, 31-55% erucic acid, and 1-10% linolenic acid. From the perspective of nutritional value, the human body's digestion and absorption rate of rapeseed oil can be as high as 99%, and it has a bile-boosting function. When the liver is in a pathological state, rapeseed can still be metabolized normally by the human body. However, rapeseed oil lacks essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, and its fatty acid composition is unbalanced, so its nutritional value is lower than that of general vegetable oils. In addition, rapeseed oil contains a large amount of substances such as erucic acid and glucosinolates, which are generally believed to be detrimental to human growth and development. Its nutritional value will be improved if it can be consumed with high-quality edible oil rich in linoleic acid.