Canola Oil and the Latest Dietary Recommendations – An Update

Guy H. Johnson, Ph.D. © 2006, Johnson Nutrition Solutions LLC

March 16, 2006

Canola in the field

Canola in Cleveland

A new qualified health claim for canola oil

Canola oil (19 grams – about 1½ tablespoons per day) may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content, according to supportive but not conclusive research. Canola oil should replace a similar amount of saturated fat in the diet without increasing calories. One serving of this product contains _ grams canola oil.

Proposed claim language

Canola oil (19 grams – about 1½ tablespoons per day) may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content, according to scientific evidence that suggests but does not prove the benefit. Canola oil should replace a similar amount of saturated fat in the diet without increasing calories. One serving of this product contains _ grams canola oil.

Proposed claim language

The Process for Qualified Claims

Time required (Days)

Activity

45 Determine whether the petition is complete, return to petitioner or file

60 Public comment

165 Scientific review (internal, advisory subcommittee and/or contracted third-party

Consolidate with like petitions Consult with other federal agencies Notify petitioner

270 Total Days

FDA may extend timeline by 30-60 days

Comments due May 2

Canola Oil is Good for your heart !!

Why do a health claim?

Current dietary recommendations in the U.S.

Saturated fatty acids

Current recommendations for saturated fatty acids

Organization Recommended intake for adults (percent of calories)

Healthy people High-risk of CHD

NHLBI <10 <7

DGA <10 -

IOM As low as possible -

AHA <10 <7

New study predicts effects of increasing canola oil use

8,983 U.S. adults 20 years or older

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (1999-2002)

Substitution of canola oil for corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean and “vegetable oils not further specified”

Substitution of canola oil-based margarine for butter and other margarines

Substitution at 25%, 50% and 100% replacement levels

Saturated fat intakes would decrease

9

9.2

9.4

9.6

9.8

10

10.2

10.4

10.6

% o

f ca

lori

es Actual25%50%100%

…and the number of people meeting current dietary recommendations would increase

10 20 30 40 50 60

<7%

<10%

Percent of subjects meeting SFA recommendations

100% 50% 25% Acutal

+47.9%

+25.3%

Saturated fat still matters after the WHI studies

Low fat

Control

Source: Howard et. al. JAMA 295:655 (2006)

Saturated fat still matters

Source: Howard et. al. JAMA 295:655 (2006)

Segment of subjects Relative risk 95% CI

Saturated fat intakes reduced to less than 6.5% of calories

0.81 0.69 – 0.96

Trans fat intakes reduced to less than 1.1% of calories

0.81 0.69 – 0.95

Trans fatty acids

The new nutrition label

Source: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/transfat.html#unhide

Are trans fats worse than saturated fats?

Source: Ascherio et. al. New Eng. J. Med. 340:1994 (1999)

Current recommendations for trans fatty acids

Organization Recommended TFA limit for adults

NHLBI As low as possible

DGA As low as possible

IOM As low as possible

AHA As low as possible (total intake of cholesterol-raising fatty acids should not exceed 10% of calories)

There are no trans fatty acids in canola oil

Unsaturated fatty acids

Current recommendations for unsaturated fatty acids

Organization Recommended intake for adults (percent of calories)

MUFAs PUFAs

NHLBI Up to 20 Up to 10

DGA Most fats should come from MUFAs and PUFAs

IOM - 5 - 10

AHA MUFAs and PUFAs should not exceed 30% of calories

Monounsaturated fat intakes would increase

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

% o

f ca

lori

es Actual25%50%100%

Polyunsaturated fat intakes would decrease

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

% o

f ca

lori

es Actual25%50%100%

…and the number of people meeting current dietary recommendations would increase

60 70 80 90 100

Percent of subjects with <10% PUFA

100% 50% 25% Acutal

+13.6%

+8.6%

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

Omega 3 fatty acids 101

ALA is an essential fatty acid found in some vegetable oils (e.g. canola, soybean, flax) and walnuts

DHA and EPA (long chain n-3 fatty acids) are found naturally in fish

Mean intake of ALA is 1.3 g/d compared to about 0.11g/d of EPA+DHA

α-Linolenic acid (ALA)

ALA may reduce the risk of heart disease

Reference Subjects RR 95% CI

Dolecek (1992) 6,250 0.66 NS

Ascherio (1996) 43,757 0.41 0.21 – 0.80

Hu (1999) 76,286 0.55 0.32 – 0.94

Folsom (2004) 41,836 0.91 0.83 – 1.00

Albert (2005) 76,763 0.6 0.37 – 0.96

There are no clinical trials i

n

healthy people to verify that

ALA is cardioprotective

Current recommendations for ALA

Organization Recommended intake for adults (g per day)

NHLBI -

DGA -

IOM 1.1 – 1.6

AHA 1.5 – 3.0

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

% o

f ca

lori

es Actual25%50%100%

ALA intakes would increase

…and the number of people meeting current dietary recommendations would increase

30 40 50 60 70 80

Percent of subjects meeting the Adequate Intake for ALA

100% 50% 25% Acutal

+73.3%

+41.9%

Canola oil recommendations

Scientific evidence shows that canola oil lowers total and LDL-cholesterol in humans

Strong support Suggestive support Do not support

Baudet (88)Wardlaw (91)Seppanen-Laakso (92)Valsta (92)Noakes & Clifton (98)Karvonen (02)Kratz (02)

McDonald (89)Truswell (92)Nydahl (93)Miettinen (94)Uusitupa (94)Valsta (95)Matheson (96)Jenkins (97)Hodson (02)Gulesserian (02)

Sundram (95)Sarkkinen (98)Seppanen-Laakso (93)

Source: Mensink et. al. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 77:1146 (2003)

Effect of replacing mixed fat in the average American diet with carbohydrate or various fat sources at 10% of total energy

Canola oil is a leading source of phytosterols

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Palm

Olive

Peanut

Soy

Sunflower

Cottonseed

Canola

Corn

Phytosterols (mg/100g)

Source: Phillips J. Food Comp. 15:123 (2002)

Canola oil also

has vitamin E

“The major vegetable sources of monounsaturated fatty acids include nuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil, and high-oleic forms of safflower and sunflower seed oil. The major sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids are vegetable oils, including soybean oil, corn oil, and high-linoleic forms of safflower and sunflower seed oil and a few nuts, such as walnuts. Substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids for saturated fatty acids can help lower health risks.”

Current recommendations for canola oil

To meet the total fat recommendation of 20 to 35 percent of calories, most dietary fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Sources of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are liquid vegetable oils, including soybean oil, corn oil, and safflower oil. Plant sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) include soybean oil, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed… Plant sources that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids include vegetable oils (e.g., canola, olive, high oleic safflower, and sunflower oils) that are liquid at room temperature and nuts.

Current recommendations for canola oil

Vegetable oils and fats high in unsaturated fat do not raise blood cholesterol, but they have a high caloric density. These include canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.

Liquid vegetable oils high in unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., canola, corn, olive, rice bran, safflower, soybean, sunflower) are recommended in moderation.

Current recommendations for canola oil

What do duct tape and canola oil have in common?

Affordability

Versatility

Readily available

Can be real lifesavers!

Conclusions

A qualified health claim can help get the word out about the health benefits of canola oil

Current recommendations stress the quality of fat in the diet rather than the quantity of fat

Increased use of canola oil would help Americans meet current dietary recommendations

Public health organizations recommend canola oil

Canola oil is a versatile product with few barriers to increased use by consumers

Thank you!!