Rapeseed oil: benefit or harm?

Widespread acceptance of rapeseed oil was received in the 80s of the twentieth century, when it became possible to reduce the level of erucic acid in rape - a sufficiently harmful product. At the moment, this oil is considered one of the most popular in Europe, as it has a balanced composition (it is in third place in demand).

Rape in the wild is not found in nature. It is cultivated in countries where there are favorable climatic conditions for its growth - such as China, India, Canada, the states of Western and Central Europe. Its main producers are the Czech Republic, Poland and China, which collect up to half of the world's rape crop.

Unlike other oils, rapeseed has an unusual aftertaste, very similar to walnut, favorable for creating delicious dishes. In most countries it is used to make various sauces and dressings for salads, although it is also possible to fry on it.

Rapeseed oil is balanced enough: it contains unsaturated fatty acids (66%), polyunsaturated fatty acids (27%), saturated fatty acids (6%). Saturated fatty acids in it is less than in other vegetable oils. In rapeseed oil, there is vitamin E and carotenoids.

As can be seen, the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) in this product is quite high, as in olive oil. These substances help reduce blood cholesterol levels and strengthen the walls of blood vessels, and also reduce the risk of blood clots. Rapeseed oil is considered to be a product useful when observing an anti-sclerotic diet. Many European doctors advise using it instead of olive for filling salads. The main difference between these oils is that the production of olive oil is a costly process, and therefore the price of such a product is significantly higher. Meanwhile, the taste of rapeseed oil is not inferior to olive oil.

Rape, like all other types of oils, it is desirable to store in a dark cool place so that its useful properties are not lost. In such conditions it will last long enough without deteriorating and not changing the color and smell.

Currently, rapeseed oil, the harm of which due to modern technologies is practically reduced to zero, is considered a full-fledged food product. But several decades ago, when the erucic acid content in rape was high enough, this oil was used only for industrial purposes (in particular, for the production of soap and drying oil) and was unsuitable for consumption. Today, the percentage of this acid has been reduced to almost zero, less than 0.2%, which does not affect the human body. And soon in new rapeseeds they promise to completely eliminate erucic acid and reduce the percentage of fatty acids. Therefore, rapeseed oil, whose benefits are proven above, is gaining popularity all over the world.

In this regard, rapeseed oil wins with its fellow workers, leaving behind the most common product in Russia - sunflower oil. After all, only the domestic market is saturated with this product of sunflower seeds, palm oil and linseed with rapeseed have long been used all over the world - they are more useful for health.