Which cooking oils are best?

I had read an article quite awhile ago, probably when it was new and seemed healthful about canola oil. I had been buying this from an organic source and spending a pretty penny. Using it for baking and sauteeing, stir-frying and even cooking eggs, thinking I was eating healthy. I saved Olive oil for salads, pizza (after baking) and dressing the tomatoes and such. Then I found out the truth.

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Here are just a few facts everyone should know before buying anythingcontaining canola. Canola is not the name of a natural plant but a made-up word, from the words "Canada" and "oil". Canola is a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants. According to AgriAlternatives, The Online Innovation, and Technology Magazine for Farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes, are toxic to humans and other animals." (This, by the way, is one of the websites singing the praises of the new canola industry.) Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an excellent insect repellent. Rape is
an oil that isused as a lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic rubber base and as an illuminate for color pages in magazines. It is an industrial oil. It is not a food. Rape oil, it seems, causes emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals and humans. Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in England and Europe between 1986 and 1991, when it was thrown out. Remember the "Mad Cow disease" scare, when millions of cattle in the UK were slaughtered in case of infecting humans? Cattle were being fed on a mixture containing material from dead sheep, and sheep suffer from a disease called "scrapie". It was thought this was how "Mad Cow" began and started to infiltrate the human chain. What is interesting is that when rape oil was removed from animal feed, 'scrapie' disappeared. We also haven't seen any further reports of "Mad Cow" since rape oil was removed from the feed. Perhaps not scientifically proven, but interesting all the same. US and Canadian farmers grow genetically engineered rapeseed and manufacturers use its oil (canola) in thousands of processed foods, with the blessings of Canadian and US government watchdog agencies Apparently peanut oil is being replaced with rape oil. You'll find it in an alarming number of processed foods. There's more, but
to conclude: rape oil was the source of the chemical warfare agent mustard gas, which was banned after blistering the lungs and skins of hundred of thousands of soldiers and civilians during W.W.I. Recent French reports indicate that it was again in use during the Gulf War. Canola oil from the rape seed, referred to as the Canadian oil because Canada is mainly responsible for it being marketed in the USA. The Canadian government and
industry paid our Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) $50 million dollars to have canola oil placed on the (GRAS) List, "Generally Recognized As Safe". Thus a new industry was created. Laws were enacted affecting international trade, commerce, and traditional diets. Studies with lab. animals were disastrous. Rats developed fatty degeneration of heart, kidney, adrenals, and thyroid gland. When canola oil was withdrawn from their diets, the deposits dissolved but scar tissue remained on all
vital organs. No studies on humans were made before money was spent to promote Canola oil in the USA. Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare fatal degenerative disease caused by a build up long-chain fatty acids (c22 to c28) which destroys the myelin (protective sheath) of the nerves. Canola oil is a very long chain fatty acid oil (c22). Those who will defend canola oil say that the Chinese and Indians have used it for centuries with no effect, however it was in an unrefined form (taken from FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS THAT KILL by Udo Erasmus).

That was taken from the Truth about Canola Oil.

So now you see why I have taken this bottle out of it's respected place in my kitchen and shall never use it or anything made with it again.

Now for alternatives

Found this on snoops

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

But they really didn't address all concerns, which does concern me.

Saturated Fats
Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).


Trans Fats
Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).



Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).


Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.


Based on the above classification, the "ideal" cooking oil should contain higher amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and with minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.

As long as you're using fats and oils sparingly in your cooking and preparation, it would be fine to use any one of the following "good" oils. All of the following oils are low in saturated fats and trans fats. Some have high concentration of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Choose corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soy oil or canola oil if you wish to fry foods as these oils have higher smoke point. It is best not to fry with olive oil as its smoke point is only about 190C/375F.

• Good Cooking Oils:
  
  
  
  • canola oil?????
    
  • flax seed oil
    
  • peanut oil
    
  • olive oil
    
  • non-hydrogenated soft margarine
    
  • safflower oil
    
  • sunflower oil
    
  • corn oil
    
  </li>
  

The following "bad" oils contain high percentage of trans fat or
saturated fats. Some, such as coconut oil, even contain more saturated
fats than animal products!

• Bad Cooking Oils:
  
  
  
  • Vegetable shortening
    
  • Hard margarine
    
  • Butter
    
  • Palm oil
    
  • Palm kernel oil
    
  • Coconut oil
    
  </li>
  

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Olive oil is a great oil for cooking. Strong
flavored olive oils can be used for frying fish or other strong flavored
ingredients. A mellow late harvest Mission variety oil could be used in baking a
cake. Olive oil has a high smoke point, 410 degrees F, and doesn't degrade as quickly as
many other oils do with repeated high heating. Use a variety of healthy
vegetable oils when preparing food and incorporate a good extra virgin olive
oil when you want its health benefits and wonderful Mediterranean flavor.

There are some myths which have recently circulated
about olive oil which we are constantly answering via email and our newsletter.
Olive oil has been used for thousands of years and is one of the cornerstones
of the healthy Mediterranean diet.

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/cooking_olive_oil.htm


When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoking point (210º C) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (180º C). The digestibility of olive oil is
not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for
frying.


TEMPERATURE -----------------------TYPE OF FOOD

Medium (130–145º C)------High water content: vegetables, potatoes, fruit…

Hot (155– 170º C)---------Coated in batter,flour or breadcrumbs, forming a crust

Very hot (175–190º C) ---Small, quickly fried: small fish, croquettes


Excessively heating olive oil will evaporate the alcohols and esters which make up its delicate taste and fragrance. Heating olive oil will not change its
health aspects, only the flavor. Use a cheaper olive oil which doesn't have
much flavor to begin with if you want to fry with it, add a more flavorful
olive oil after cooking or at the table.


Excessively heating olive oil will evaporate the alcohols and esters which make
up its delicate taste and fragrance. Heating olive oil will not change its
health aspects, only the flavor. Use a cheaper olive oil which doesn't have
much flavor to begin with if you want to fry with it, add a more flavorful
olive oil after cooking or at the table.

Hemp Oil - for optimal heart and joint health


An Oil that's Healthier than Flaxseed Oil, Soybean Oil and Olive Oil!


Get three times the heart healthy, joint loving nutrients your body craves - use Hemp Oil for cooking and for dressing








If I told you there was a cooking and dressing oil that:

• Increases the amount of good fats your heart needs
  to thrive while drastically cutting the bad fats that can cause heart
  disease and high cholesterol
  
• Replenishes your skin, hair and lips with a full, luxurious glow and sheen that looks and feels healthier
  
• Lubricates achy joints and soothes inflammation and swelling caused by arthritis
  
• Decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke
  
• Contains vital nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, all minerals that our bodies need to thrive!
  

Would you try it?


Hemp oil, a natural product of the hemp plant, is a
safe and flavorful way to give your body the nutrients it needs to
perform at its best! Rich in vitamin E and Omega fatty acids, hemp oil
is a perfectly balanced combination of vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants needed to maintain optimal heart and joint health.
It is especially recommended for those suffering from heart disease and
arthritis since it decreases the incidence of blood clots and reduces
inflammation in the joints.


http://www.nahanniriverherbs.com/267