It’s now a popular claim that ‘seed oils are bad for you,’ but this is simply untrue. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims and plenty of evidence to say that virgin rapeseed oil is beneficial to your health.
(We only sell virgin or extra virgin oils. For more info on what labels like ‘virgin’ mean, visit https://www.thecondimentcupboard.co.uk/blogs/food-blog-1/why-buy-extra-virgin-oil-terms-explained)
Health Benefits of Virgin Rapeseed Oil:
Firstly, cold-pressed and virgin mean the same thing. Cold-pressed rapeseed oil (known as cold pressed canola oil in the USA) is ‘well-known for its high content of unsaturated fatty acids… which make it of great nutritional value’ (National Institute of Health).
‘In fact, it has the lowest amount of saturated fat of any oil. It has just half the amount found in olive oil.
Rapeseed oil is also high in healthy unsaturated fats, the type that help lower cholesterol.
It has the second highest level of monounsaturated fats after olive oil. And it has the best balance of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats of all plant oils’ (British Heart Foundation).
‘Apart from unsaturated fatty acids, there are nine functional components in rapeseed oil that contribute to its anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective, among others. These nine functional components are vitamin E, flavonoids, squalene, carotenoids, glucoraphanin, indole-3-Carbinol, sterols, phospholipids, and ferulic acid, which themselves or their derivatives have health-benefiting properties’ (National Institute of Health).
You can find the full academic article detailing the health benefits of Rapeseed Oil at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9962526/ .
For a shorter read, try:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/rapeseed-oil
How to use rapeseed oil:
Choose a virgin (also called Cold Pressed) rapeseed oil and use it the same way you would olive oil. Use it in dressings, or fry, roast and bake with it. The only significant difference between olive oil and rapeseed oil is the flavour.
So why do people say it’s bad?
Mostly, it’s due to fear-mongering and misinformation.
‘There were concerns in the past about rapeseed oil containing erucic acid, but modern rapeseed oils are almost completely free of it and are safe to use.
‘Early research also suggested that high intakes of omega-6 could increase inflammation.
‘However, recent studies show rapeseed’s unique combination of omega-3 and omega-6 is linked to a lower risk of heart and circulatory diseases’ (British Heart Foundation).
The concern might merely be confusion over terms, with ‘Rapeseed oil’ meaning something else in North America.
Additionally, many people wrongly conflate virgin rapeseed oil with heavily refined rapeseed oil, which is not as healthy (see https://www.thecondimentcupboard.co.uk/blogs/food-blog-1/why-buy-extra-virgin-oil-terms-explained ).
Lastly, people may have heard that the seed oils used in fast food restaurants are unhealthy. This is true only because the oils are refined and reheated multiple times. You should not reuse an oil once you have heated it (see https://www.thecondimentcupboard.co.uk/blogs/food-blog-1/can-i-cook-with-olive-oil.)
In conclusion…
Rapeseed oil is 100% safe for consumption. In its unrefined form, it is one of the healthiest oils available.
Make sure to store it in a cool dark place and not to reuse it after heating it.