Nutritional Benefits of Canola Oil
Health professionals recommend:
- Keeping total fat intake between 20-35% of daily calories.
- Limiting sources of saturated fats and replace with sources of unsaturated fat.
- Avoiding trans fat.
In keeping with dietary recommendations, canola oil is:
- Low in saturated fat: 7% of total fatty acids, lower than any other common cooking or salad oil.
- A source of omega-6 polyunsaturated fat: 19% of total fatty acids.
- High in plant-based omega-3 polyunsaturated fat: 9% of total fatty acids, the most of any common culinary oil.
- Rich in monounsaturated fat: 62% of total fatty acids.
- Free of trans fat.
Canola oil composition.
Fats are made of smaller units called fatty acids. Canola oil is lower in saturated fat than any common cooking or salad oil.
Nutritional Analysis
One tablespoon (14g) of refined canola oil provides:
- Calories: 124
- Total Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fatty Acids: 1.03 g
- Oleic Acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid: 8.64 g
- Linoleic Acid (an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid): 2.6 g
- Alpha-Linolenic Acid (an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid): 1.28 g
Source: USDA Food Data Central
Canola oil research.
FAQs.
Have there been any studies on canola oil in humans?
Canola oil has undergone rigorous testing in humans. Clinical trials to examine canola oil and its effects on the body have been conducted by many different investigators, involving thousands of human volunteers over the decades and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Canola oil is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for human consumption, including use in infant formula.
What are the health benefits of canola oil?
Canola oil is considered a heart-healthy oil and is eligible to carry a qualified health claim from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease when used in place of saturated fat in the diet.*
Health authorities including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 and the American Heart Association2 recommend replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at https://dietaryguidelines.gov
2. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JHY, et al. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease. A Presidential Advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017.136;e1-e23. Available at https://ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510
*Limited and not-conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1½ tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.
What is the effect of canola oil on inflammation?
There is a lot of mis and disinformation about seed oils causing inflammation because of their omega-6 (linoleic acid) content. Canola oil has a unique fatty acid composition and has been shown to have a neutral effect on inflammatory markers.3
3. Petersen KS, Maki KC, Calder PC, et al. Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat. British Journal of Nutrition. 2024;132(8):1039-1050.
Are there any vitamins in canola oil?
Canola oil contains vitamin E, an antioxidant, and vitamin K, which is needed for normal blood clotting. One tablespoon (14 grams) of canola oil contains 2.45 mg vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and 9.98 micrograms of vitamin K (phylloquinone). Fats and oils like canola oil also aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
What is the difference between linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids?
Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids are both polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are considered essential for humans and must be consumed in the diet because our bodies cannot make them. A polyunsaturated fatty acid contains two or more carbon to carbon double bonds. Canola oil contains both linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid.
Find canola oil recipes.
Canola oil is used in kitchens around the world, well liked for being healthy, affordable and versatile.
