Skip to main content

“Canola” in Canola Oil Has Been an Acronym This Whole Time

VICUSCHKA/shutterstock
How well do you know your pantry? Without looking, you already have some idea of what’s in there, even if you can’t produce an exact count. It’s stocked with cans of soup, boxes of cereal and uncooked pasta, and basic cooking ingredients should you be called on to contribute to a last-minute bake sale.

Among those culinary staples should be cooking oil, which is found in practically every recipe that involves baking, frying, or sautéing. Now there isn’t one oil that can claim to be “the healthiest” because each is used in a different way (although extra virgin olive oil, a key part of the Mediterranean diet, has been linked to weight loss and longevity). For example, canola oil is often associated with deep fried foods, but it’s actually low in saturated fats like other healthy oils.

You know and love canola as the oil you use to make your favorite baked goods, and yet you don’t even know its real name. That’s because “canola” is actually an acronym.

What does it mean? First, the back story, verified by Snopes. Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil made from rapeseed, which belongs to the mustard seed family. Its unfortunate name comes from the Latin word “rapum” which means turnip. Rapeseed oil was a common cooking oil in Europe and parts of Asia centuries before canola oil came around. However, scientists eventually discovered cooking unrefined rapeseed oil at high temperatures was a risk for lung cancer because of the chemicals it could give off. It also contains a pretty high percentage of erucic acid, which is linked to heart lesions in lab animals.

To make it safer, Canadian scientists created a variation of rapeseed oil that replaced almost all of the erucic acid with a type of monounsaturated acid. By 1978, they created oil with less than 2 percent erucic acid and renamed it canola, which stood for Canada oil (“can” + “ola”). Other websites claim the word has a longer meaning: Canada (“can”) oil (“o”) low (“l”) acid (“a”). Convenient, it also distanced the product from its involuntary association with rape.

So every container that says Canola Oil is actually saying Canada Oil Oil. It’s just one of many everyday items you never knew was an acronym. Think about that the next time you go grocery shopping.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How well do cats understand human language?

How well do cats understand human language? Can they recognize when they’re being called by name? Can they detect angry or loving tones? Are there certain sounds they recognize better than words?   Just think about what this means for cat owners everywhere… Have you ever sat on the sofa with your cat on your lap, just wishing you could actually tell her the level of affection you felt at that moment… using your own words? Have you ever wished to have true, detailed conversations like a parent would have with his or her own child? Have you ever desired to instruct or even discipline your cat without using a harsh voice , so that you could change behaviors without projecting negative emotions?   Not only can cats reportedly understand 25 to 35 human words , but they can also perceive and respond to human emotions . For example: Recent research into cat communication has shown that: Cats (79% of them in one study) do “social r...
Post a Comment
Read more

11 Healthy Makeovers of Your Favorite Family Recipes

No-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies Courtesy Kelli Shallal You know that oatmeal is just plain good for your heart . If you love the delectable combo of peanut butter and chocolate, you're in for a treat with these lightened up no-bake cookies from Kelli Shallal, Phoenix dietitian nutritionist behind Hungry Hobby . Shallal cut the original Southern recipe's sugar in half, added natural peanut butter and almond milk, and ended up with a winner! Sweet potato casserole Courtesy Liz Weiss You know the difference between sweet potatoes and yams , right? Dietitian Liz Weiss, of LizsHealthyTable.com shares this tip for making this popular side dish a healthier option: "Who needs mini marshmallows when you can add crunchy, nutrient-rich pecans to the top of this lightened-up Turkey Day casserole? At Thanksgiving, I like to fill my plate with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. So even though I say this casserole serves eight, at the holidays, it will likely yiel...
Post a Comment
Read more

9 Food Parts You Should Never Throw in the Garbage

Citrus peel PosiNote/Shutterstock Don't just squeeze lemon over fish and toss out the rind. According to Lauren Popeck RD, LD/N of Orlando Health Physician Group, there's some great use for lemon rind when it comes to garnishing dishes and kicking up the flavor. What's more, there are some great nutritional benefits hiding in the zest, as well. "You can expect three grams of fiber in two tablespoons of zest, five times more vitamin C in the peel than flesh, and other essential vitamins and minerals, including riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B5, vitamin A, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and magnesium," says Popeck. Her favorite uses for zest: blend into vinaigrette or marinade, toss a piece of peel into smoothies, grate and sprinkle on green beans, blend into yogurt or cottage cheese, stir into oatmeal, cereal, or muffin batter, or add to coffee or tea. Don't stop with lemons: Use oranges, limes, and even grapefruit for some acidity ...
Post a Comment
Read more