Are you familiar with all the cooking oils that you use? Have you already tried using canola oil? Do you know where it comes from? How is it being produced? Is it good for gout? Well, there are lots and lots of questions that you can throw on this oil. Good thing, you are reading on the right article. This article will tackle about canola oil for gout, its pros, and cons. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the read.
Canola Oil…
Canola oil is actually an oil that is modified genetically. Furthermore, it is thought to be one of the healthiest cooking oils all over the world. However, this is not at all the case. In fact, one must wonder how does the scientific community has failed us regularly with some half-baked research and studies.
Because of this, we did our own study and research to learn if canola oil is really good for the health. And guess what, we learned that the canola oil is not just bad for the health, but also for gout. It isn’t hard to understand accurately why canola oil is bad for the health.
Before we dig much deeper about canola oil for gout, let us first know where does this canola oil comes from and how it is being produced.
Canola Oil: Origin and Production
The canola oil is actually named after its own place of origin, which is Canada. Can for Canadian and Ola for oil. The canola oil comes from the rapeseeds, which were being modified in order to have a low level of erucic acid, thus making it safe for human intake.
Furthermore, the oil uses a noxious solvent known as hexane in order to extract the oil from the rapeseed plant. After which, it is bleached, neutralized, degummed, deodorized, and winterized. All of these methods are beneficial in ridding the oil of the healthy plant lipid, waxes, and compounds. The result of this atypical processing method is lots of artificial trans-fat that has no benefits and are very harmful.
Due to the fact that the canola oil dissolves easily, those who manufacture it tends to add some synthetic antioxidants just to increase the shelf life of the oil. As a matter of fact, they add TBHQ, BHA, and BHT antioxidants, which are dangerous for the health. Furthermore, the mere fact that the canola oil is highly processed not like some other healthy oils like olive oil and butter must already be enough to turn away from using it.
Canola Oil for Gout: Why is it shady?
Bear in mind that the canola oil is of the same type as the oils used in producing candles, insecticides, biofuels, soap, lubricants, and lipsticks. From the time when the manufacturers knew how to modify the rapeseed oil genetically, they have already begun marketing the canola oil not just an edible food product, but a healthy one. In fact, they claim that the oil is rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and is low in saturated fats. This is completely irrelevant as saturated fat has nothing to do with heart conditions.
One more claim is that the canola oil is beneficial in lowering the cholesterol. Even though it’s true that vegetable oil like canola oil reduces cholesterol, there are studies that suggest it may actually increase the risk of heart conditions on a long term.
Not just that, it’s also impossible that the omega-3s in the canola oil is beneficial for the health. this is since it contains mainly alpha-linolenic acid that’s proficiently converted via the body into DHA or EPA. For short, it is useless.
Canola Oil For Gout: Negative Side Effects & Some other Risks
As a matter of fact, there are no feasible studies on the genetically altered canola oil just yet. However, there are various reports about its own negative effects on the liver, heart, and kidney. If you are experiencing gout, you know very well that the kidneys and the liver function are very important in managing the condition. Without it, you will not be able to process the uric acid correctly. Therefore, as a result, you may experience gout attacks. What’s even worse is that you may develop a condition known as tophi. Here, the deposits of uric acid crystals form lumps, which build up in the cartilage, skin, and joints.
Furthermore, canola oil has also been found to cause some heart conditions because of its high erucic acid level. This particular type of fatty acid is strongly linked with heart conditions. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease as it may cause inflammation and calcification in the arteries.
You must avoid canola oil if your family has a history of stroke and hypertension. This is since it shortens the blood coagulation time and upsurges the fragility of the membrane of the red blood cell.
Alternatives for Canola Oil
Avoiding canola oil is the best recommendation. There are more alternatives to it. One is extra virgin olive oil. This is since it has a strong anti-inflammatory property. This helps very well in treating inflammation.
In addition, olive oil is also beneficial as a dressing for vegetables, salads, and even in cooking. Not like any other cooking oils, the extra virgin olive oil doesn’t oxidize as much and stays stable even under high heat for a long period of time.
Conclusion
If you really want to manage gout effectively, get rid of canola oil totally from the diet and use other alternatives like extra virgin olive oil. Canola oil for gout is a no-no. Experiencing a series of gout attacks is bad enough already. Why are you going to screw up your body when you have some other alternatives?
