It really is a tough choice for a housewife these days to go and select between a multitudes of choices when it comes to cooking oils. She has to be aware of both the health benefits as well as dangers of cooking food for the family in given oil for long periods of time. Vegetable oil is a generic name that can contain oils from various plant based sources. On the other hand, canola oil is oil that comes specifically from canola plant. There are many similarities in between these two oils; so much so that, many vegetable oils contain a high percentage of canola oil. However there are some differences that will be highlighted in this article.
Canola is a short from of Canadian oil having low acid. It is made from cultivar of rapeseed that has been selectively bred to reduce levels of erucic acid to make it fit for human consumption. On the other hand, vegetable oils can be blends of different kinds of oils, though most of the vegetable oils are soybean oil. Some of the vegetable oils available in the market contain two or more types of oils that can be canola oil mixed with some other vegetable oil.
If one looks closely, soybean is not a vegetable but a legume, yet all cooking oils having soybean oil are termed as vegetable oils. When it comes to choosing the healthiest oil for cooking, it is good to have a look at the smoke point of the oil. Extra virgin olive oil is healthy oil, but it doesn’t do well in high heat, which is why it is not preferred as cooking oil. Though, canola oil manufacturers claim many health benefits, it is still genetically modified, which is not liked by many. Canola oil is a vegetable oil after all, coming from canola plant. Vegetable oils are labeled as soybean oils and contain corn, olive and sunflower oil.
Taking of differences, canola oils contain less of saturated fats than vegetable oils which is deemed good as doctors recommend consuming less of saturated fats in our daily diets. Also, canola oil contains more of omega 3 and Omega 6 acids than vegetable oils, which are essential fatty acids for our bodies. Even monounsaturated fats in canola oil are higher than in vegetable oils. These monounsaturated fats are considered to be important in lowering cholesterol levels in human beings. So if the doctor recommends, or you yourself wish to switch to canola oil, it is better to pick a can that specifically states canola oil rather than buying a vegetable oil having canola oil as one of the ingredients.
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What is the difference between Canola and Vegetable Oil? • Vegetable oil can be any blend of different plant based oils, even containing canola oil. • Canola oil is Canadian Oil, Low Acid. It comes from canola plant. • Both are used as cooking oils and are good for health, though canola is considered slightly better than other vegetable oils because of omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fats in it. • Canola also contains higher amounts of monounsaturated fats, which is considered good for lowering cholesterol levels.
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