Food Assessment: Canola Oil (WAS: New Raw Food Bars at Trader Joe's ... Ingredients that MAY not be raw)

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

First, Sidecar (whoever you are ?? , let's separate the messengers from

the messages.

 

- Yes, the Weston Price folks do have a particular point of view, and no,

they aren't strong on research. I agree.

 

- At the same time, all the studies you mention (but don't name) were

sponsored by the food industry. They also have a particular point of view,

and no, their research is not strong, just long ... as in well-funded and

therefore voluminous.

 

So perhaps we can set aside who said what to whom, and just look at some

content, eh?

 

Fallon mentions that canola oil has high sulfur content and goes rancid

easily. In its unprocessed (raw) form, this is correct. It's a matter of

chemistry, regardless of who said what to whom. Specifically, raw canola oil

is high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats. These do indeed go rancid more

rapidly than do saturated fats. Not because it's canola oil, but because of

the type of fats present.

 

And for that very reason ...

 

Canola oil is partially hydrogenated by the food processing industry.

Hydrogenation is the addition of hydrogen (H2) atoms to oil, which

transforms unsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones. The resulting oils

are converted from a liquid state (at room temperature) into a solid or

semisolid state at room temperature. That is, their melting point is raised.

The semisolid oils are deemed more useful for baking, because they result in

a texture in the finished product that is considered " more desirable " . Hence

their widespread popularity among delis and food processors across America.

 

Now, the amount of hydrogen added determines the degree of saturation, which

in turn determines the melting point and various physical properties of the

resulting oil. For example, the melting point (temperature at which the

solid returns to a liquid state) tends to increase as saturation increases.

 

 

This partial hydrogenation is done precisely to increase shelf life ... to

make the oil not go rancid so quickly.

 

BUT ... BIG BUT ...

 

Partial (incomplete) hydrogenation results in the formation of trans fats,

now widely implicated as a causal factor WRT heart and other circulatory

diseases. There is no way around this, it's all just basic chemistry / food

chemistry. And it doesn't matter who said it, or for that matter who denied

or distracted from it. It's correct, plain and simple.

 

So:

 

- Yes, most if not all canola sold in the U.S. is heated and hydrogenated

and otherwise processed.

 

- Yes, oils that contain trans fats are harmful for any species to consume

in any quantity whatsoever.

 

In addition to the foregoing, the particular sulfur compounds mentioned by

Fallon are believed by some to act as hydrogenation catalyst poisons. This

is a specific term used primarily in food chemistry and probably not

necessary to elaborate here.

 

My point is simply this: canola oil is not food for humans and other living

things. Makes no difference whether one is a raw fooder, that hardly even

matters.

 

My secondary point is this: For our own sake, let's focus upon content, not

upon character assassination. After all, none of us is perfect. (Footnote

available on request.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

_____

 

Judy Pokras [vegwriter]

Friday, March 06, 2009 10:55 AM

 

Re: New Raw Food Bars at Trader Joe's ...

Ingredients that MAY not be raw

 

This article says canola oil is highly heat processed and processed in other

ways as well.

 

http://www.diabetes

<http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/modules.php?name=News & file=article & sid=257

0> incontrol.com/modules.php?name=News & file=article & sid=2570

 

Judy

_____

 

Sidecar Manager [manager]

Friday, March 06, 2009 10:25 AM

 

RE: New Raw Food Bars at Trader Joe's ...

Ingredients that MAY not be raw

 

Almost all of Sally Fallon's (and her co-hort, Mary Enig's) research has

been shown to be scientifically weak, and they have few followers among

solid researchers. These two have spread more disinformation and flat-out

lies than information. There is a wealth of research on canola oil showing

it to be safe and in fact a good oil, but Sally and Mary have chosen a few

studies of questionable scientific basis and run with them for their own

self-serving interests. (Those interests include consuming animals and

animal products, and slandering healthy vegan diets, including raw.) They

base their work on the suppositions and musings of a quack dentist from 70

years ago.... Doh

_____

 

CHERYL D JONES [cctux]

Thursday, March 05, 2009 9:04 PM

 

Re: New Raw Food Bars at Trader Joe's ...

Ingredients that MAY not be raw

 

Hi Lorri,

 

According to Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions, Canola oil " has a

high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola

oil develop mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3

fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into trans fatty acids,

similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous. ... studies

indicate that canola oil creates a deficiency of Vitamin E and causes heart

lesions. " pages 19 and 20.

 

This book contains great information. I'm enjoying reading it and highly

recommend it!

 

Peace on earth.

 

Cheryl

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

> First, Sidecar (whoever you are ?? ,

 

Not only is my username Sidecar Manager, and my email is

manager, both of which identifies me as the

manager of Sidecar, the vegan store in Seattle, I *also* sign my posts

with my name. So, Elchanan, if that is your real name, what more

information do you need about me? Address? Maiden name?

 

> let's separate the messengers from the messages.

 

No, thanks. WAPF is both the message and the messengers. That is the

point of their organization.

 

> At the same time, all the studies you mention (but don't name)

 

I do not keep studies at hand for the rare occasion that WAPF comes up,

but I expect researchers such as Fallon and Enig to have done the

research that other scientists are able to do.

 

> were sponsored by the food industry.

 

Oh, so you *do* know the studies I was referring to?

 

> So perhaps we can set aside who said what to whom, and just look at

some content, eh?

 

I was specifically leaving out content because I actually did want to

draw attention to the messengers, and their message. You are all free

to do your own research on canola oil; my interest was to make it known

that Fallon and Enig run the Weston A Price Foundation, which I think

has quite a distasteful agenda.

 

> For our own sake, let's focus upon content, not upon character

assassination.

 

Um, thanks for the grade-school lesson. I have no qualms calling Dr.

Price a quack. The man's dead and discredited, by everyone except for

his followers, who believe such crap as soy makes boys go gay.

 

Doh Driver

Manager, Sidecar for Pigs Peace

5270 B University Way NE

Seattle WA 98105

206-523-9060

[Guest guest]

Elchanan & Doh (others too),

 

As our guidelines request, please refrain from condescension, name-

calling, character attacks, or other inflammatory comments, whether

subtle or obvious; whether individuals or companies, etc.

 

This is a family list and is meant to be a safe and welcoming

environment for members to post their questions and comments. Members

should feel safe to hold discussions here.

 

Discussions should be kept to the subject. Questioning others'

character detracts from the discussion and may discourage others from

posting.

 

Thank you,

 

Jeff Rogers

Moderator

[Guest guest]

Yes, Jeff, I agree. Did you read the full text of what I posted (both

posts)? This is precisely the point I made.

 

Regarding my use of " whoever you are " , I have already posted that this was

an honest mistake on my part, I simply did not recognize " Doh " as a person's

name, it's unfamiliar to me. Also, I'm totally blind in one eye, and every

now and then I literally don't " see " something on the screen. We all have

our limitations. Anyway, that's all there was to that, and if it serves a

constructive purpose, then I am happy to apologize for it again now. I

intended no offense, as the rest of my post plainly made clear.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

_____

 

Jeff Rogers

Saturday, March 07, 2009 8:06 AM

 

Re: Food Assessment: Canola Oil (WAS: New Raw Food

Bars at Trader Joe's ... Ingredients that MAY not be raw)

 

 

Elchanan & Doh (others too),

 

As our guidelines request, please refrain from condescension, name-calling,

character attacks, or other inflammatory comments, whether subtle or

obvious; whether individuals or companies, etc.

 

This is a family list and is meant to be a safe and welcoming environment

for members to post their questions and comments. Members should feel safe

to hold discussions here.

 

Discussions should be kept to the subject. Questioning others' character

detracts from the discussion and may discourage others from posting.

 

Thank you,

 

Jeff Rogers

Moderator

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I did read them. Your apology came later in my email. I sometimes get

a plethora (plethoraw?) of email. No additional apologies

necessary. Thank you for those so far.

 

Jeff

 

On Mar 7, 2009, at 8:35 AM, Elchanan wrote:

 

> Yes, Jeff, I agree. Did you read the full text of what I posted (both

> posts)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

 

Being group owner/moderator myself, I COMPLETELY understand!!!

Elchanan

 

PS: Plethora, unless the emails are raw, in which case, plethoraw!!!

_____

 

Jeff Rogers

Saturday, March 07, 2009 9:18 AM

 

Re: Food Assessment: Canola Oil (WAS: New Raw Food

Bars at Trader Joe's ... Ingredients that MAY not be raw)

 

 

I did read them. Your apology came later in my email. I sometimes get a

plethora (plethoraw?) of email. No additional apologies necessary. Thank

you for those so far.

 

Jeff