Olive oil comes from olive, grapeseed oil comes from grape seeds, peanut oil comes from peanuts and canola oil comes from... rapeseed. And so does rapeseed oil, obviously. The plant known as “rape" ("turnip" in lat.) is a domesticated crop in the Brassicaceae family.
Rapeseed oil initially (especially during WWI) was used only for industrial purposes - as a lubricant that sticks well to metal surfaces (also in candles, soaps and even as insecticide). It was not intended as a food because it was naturally very high in toxic erucic acid, but the Food Industry tried introducing it anyways. Britain used a steady supply of rapeseed from Asia until that got affected by war and they set an alternative farming area - Canada.
In 1956 the FDA banned the use of rapeseed oil for human consumption due to the toxic levels of erucic acid. By the early 70s, however, rapeseed growers had found a way to genetically modify the seeds to produce an oil with reduced erucic acid. The oil was reintroduced under the name "Rape Oil" or "LEAR Oil" (Low Erucic Acid Rape), which was changed to canola oil for marketing purposes. .
So, what's the deal with rapeseed/canola oil today?
Though canola oil is marketed as a healthy oil, it is, in fact, a highly unstable, inflammatory oil given a huge push by trusted advisory groups and government agencies. It has a lower erucic acid content, but hybridization and genetic modification also increased the amount of oleic acid. Oleic acid has been linked to stunted growth, abnormalities in blood platelets, free radical damage, and an increased risk of several types of cancer.
90 percent of canola oil is genetically modified
Canola oil is a hydrogenated, highly refined, processed oil. It undergoes degumming, bleaching, and deodorizing steps that usually involve high temperatures and toxic chemicals. Also, during the process harmful trans fatty acids are created which lead to cardiovascular issues.
Canola oil is the main ingredient of "non-chemical" pesticides
Still think you can trust everything you see on your supermarket's shelf?