Tuesday, September 11, 2012

What is Canola Oil? Really?


What is Canola Oil really?  Is it a healthy choice for you and your family?  Let's put it under the microscope and take a look at what it really is and then you decide.

Canola Oil is primarily processed from the rapeseed plant.     

The oil from rapeseed was originally  used as fuel for lamps and as a lubricant for machines but not for human consumption because it contains a substance, eurcic acid, which is toxic to humans.  


The rapeseed was genetically modified by the chemical giant Monsanto so it contains less eurcic acid and is now called Canola.  It is primarily cultivated in Canada, thus the name,  "Canadian oil, low acid."  Monsanto was able to patent the genetically modified seed and has changed the nature of our food supply ever since.

Please watch the documentary, " The Future of Food"  at this website.  http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html for information about the development of Canola and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  The video describes it much better than I can state it here.  

The FDA believes GMOs are safe and that manufactures do not have to put GMO on the labels of food containing them.  Consumers do not even know they are eating them!  How the FDA knows for a certainty GMOs are safe is very unclear to me!   This has never been done before and the long tern effects are unknown.  Japan  will not allow GMOs in their food supply and plans to wait and see how well Americans fair with them!  


Canola, corn, soybeans, and sugar beets are genetically modified  foods which show up in most processed foods.  

There is a class action law suit against ConAgra,  the makers of Wesson Oils, because they claim their products are natural when in fact they are genetically modified.  If you feel inclined, go to http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/genetically-engineered-food/crops/  and join with others who wants food containing GMOs to be labeled. 
                                
 What oil will you use?  It can be a challenging decision.  I choose small  amounts of unrefined olive oil, organic virgin coconut oil,  and butter.                               

"Let food be your medicine and your medicine be food".  Hippocrates


For additional  reading check out these websites:
http://truefoodnow.org/

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