Canola oil has gained popularity because it’s among the healthier fats used for cooking. However, a new study suggests it could cause memory problems.
Using mouse models, researchers found a diet rich in canola oil led to memory problems over six months — as well as weight gain. The findings by Temple University scientists were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Canola oil is derived from rapeseed, a plant that is related to the cabbage family. It is lower in saturated fat and higher in healthier unsaturated fat and beneficial omega-3 fatty acid than most other cooking oils.
The researchers wanted to know about how canola oil affects Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia marked by memory and learning problems. The disease is believed to stem from clumps of protein known as plaques.
The researchers used two groups of mouse models. One was given a canola-heavy diet equal to about two teaspoons a day in adult humans. The other group ate a normal diet.
After six months, the researchers noted that the canola-fed mouse models had gained weight and suffered significant reductions in working memory.
The canola-fed mice had less of one form of protein that is associated with Alzheimer’s-related plaques in the brain. But researchers found reducing that protein allows a related protein to go unchecked, leading to memory impairment, neuron damage and fewer neural contacts.
The findings suggest that claims about the health benefits of canola oil should be reconsidered until more research can be done. Next, researchers hope to determine how long it takes for canola oil to affect the clumping proteins suspected to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease.