Omega-9 Oils & Your Health
Cutting the Fat
We all know that little changes in our daily diet can make a big difference in our health. By switching to Omega-9 Canola or Sunflower Oils, restaurants can reduce bad fat in their dishes by as much as 80%. Since 2006, restaurants that switched to Omega-9 Oils have removed a total of a half billion pounds of "bad" fats from the North American diet. That's equivalent to the approximate weight of:
- 1,196 blue whales
- 297 Eiffel Towers
- 2.6 Washington Monuments
Omega-9 Oils are considered the "next generation" of healthier oils because they have a unique health profile that offers:
- Zero trans fat
- Lowest amount (< 7%) of saturated (bad) fat among cooking oils
- High amount (> 70%) of heart-healthy monounsaturated (omega-9) fat.
But what does that mean for your health?
Bad Fats
The saturated and trans fat in many oils both raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. According to Dr. Walter Willet, Harvard School of Public Health, trans fat can damage heart health and is responsible for nearly 30,000 premature deaths in the United States each year.
Good Fats
The monounsaturated fat in Omega-9 Oils can actually reduce key risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Because omega-9 fatty acids have been shown to increase HDL ("good") cholesterol and decrease LDL ("bad") cholesterol, they help eliminate plaque build-up in the arteries, which may cause a heart attack or stroke.
Canola Benefits
A little canola can make a big difference! Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a Qualified Health Claim for canola. According to the FDA, "…limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1½ tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day."
Learn more about Omega-9 Oils, their health components, trans fat and where you can find Omega-9 Oils.
