Food recall data from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to calculate the effect of substituting canola oil for corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean and vegetable oils "not further specified" (excluding olive oil) and of canola oil-based margarine for other margarines and butter in the diet at 25%, 50% and 100% replacement levels. Results showed that saturated fat intake would decrease by 4.7% and 9.4% with 50% and 100% substitution, respectively. Complete substitution would increase monounsaturated fat and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid) intakes by 27.6% and 73.0%, respectively.

"The findings are provocative because they suggest that fairly simple recipe modifications and product reformulations could substantially increase the percentage of the population meeting dietary guidelines for saturated fat intake and achieving adequate intakes of alpha-linolenic acid," adds Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D., assistant professor of cardiovascular disease epidemiology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, in an accompanying JADA editorial. "Substituting canola oil for other common oils has the potential to reduce the substantial burden of coronary heart disease in the United States."

Canola oil has the lowest amount of saturated fat of all commonly used vegetable oils. It predominantly contains monounsaturated fat and is a good source of ALA.

"Not only can canola oil positively influence consumer fat intake, but also healthy oil changes in food service and food manufacturing," notes Steve Kakela, president of the U.S. Canola Association, which supported the study. "It is a solution for decreasing both trans and saturated fats in the food supply."