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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday December 10 2017, @09:19AM   Printer-friendly
from the what-were-we-talking-about? dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Canola oil is one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils in the world, yet surprisingly little is known about its effects on health. Now, a new study published online December 7 in the journal Scientific Reports by researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) associates the consumption of canola oil in the diet with worsened memory, worsened learning ability and weight gain in mice which model Alzheimer's disease. The study is the first to suggest that canola oil is more harmful than healthful for the brain.

"Canola oil is appealing because it is less expensive than other vegetable oils, and it is advertised as being healthy," explained Domenico Praticò, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and Director of the Alzheimer's Center at LKSOM, as well as senior investigator on the study. "Very few studies, however, have examined that claim, especially in terms of the brain."

Curious about how canola oil affects brain function, Dr. Praticò and Elisabetta Lauretti, a graduate student in Dr. Pratico's laboratory at LKSOM and co-author on the new study, focused their work on memory impairment and the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau, which is responsible for the formation of tau neurofibrillary tangles, contribute to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. The animal model was designed to recapitulate Alzheimer's in humans, progressing from an asymptomatic phase in early life to full-blown disease in aged animals.

Dr. Praticò and Lauretti had previously used the same mouse model in an investigation of olive oil, the results of which were published earlier in 2017. In that study, they found that Alzheimer mice fed a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil had reduced levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau and experienced memory improvement. For their latest work, they wanted to determine whether canola oil is similarly beneficial for the brain.


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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:19AM (1 child)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:19AM (#607956) Homepage Journal

    "... eight gain"

    You say that like it's a bad thing.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:14PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:14PM (#607993)

      Good time to invest in olive oil futures? Plenty of desert around the Mediterranean is waiting to be reclaimed for olive groves.

  • (Score: 2) by Aiwendil on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:44AM (6 children)

    by Aiwendil (531) on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:44AM (#607960) Journal

    "Canola oil" happens to be a pet peeve of mine, together with "PIN number" and "ATM machine", for pretty much the same reasons.

    (In case anyone wonders - "canola" is "canada oil" (it actually is rapeseed oil within specific parameters), and don't get me started on the annoyance at people's inability to recognize turnips)

    • (Score: 2) by beckett on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:54AM (1 child)

      by beckett (1115) on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:54AM (#607961)

      dns server

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday December 10 2017, @01:19PM (1 child)

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Sunday December 10 2017, @01:19PM (#607985) Journal

      Let's stop beating around the bush. It's processed RAPESEED oil.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:58PM

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:58PM (#608091) Journal

        It's processed RAPESEED oil.

        In seed, processed and lubricated as it may be, it's still not consentual, that's what you're saying, right?

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:25PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:25PM (#607995)

      People telling me their personal pet peeves is... guess what? A personal fucking pet fucking peeve.

      Save it for your autobiography, it'll be sure to be a fantastic read.

      • (Score: 2) by Aiwendil on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:29PM

        by Aiwendil (531) on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:29PM (#607998) Journal

        It would actually - considering the kind of people I enjoy partying with, would probably end a few careers and land a few people jail as well :)

        But hey, at least you managed to piss yourself off beyond reason, there is skill in that - and will prevent you from getting bored ;)

  • (Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:57AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:57AM (#607962)

    ...isn't it?..

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:12AM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:12AM (#607964)

      About what? Canola oil? I mean, all you have to do is read the bloody summary. Now we have a good data points added for olive oil and canola oil.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:56AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:56AM (#607971)

        Now we have a good data points added

        "Now" as in "after 50 years of commercial exploitation and relentless advertising"?
        Forgive me the disinclination to applaud this great, great achievement.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:27PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @02:27PM (#607996)

          The solution to this is obviously to remove funding and pass legislation preventing research into the topic. Just like with gun deaths and climate. Shut that shit down!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @04:52PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @04:52PM (#608011)

        From the wiki article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola [wikipedia.org] it appears that the amount of erucic acid (possibly not so good for people) varies depending on the variety of rapeseed. Any idea if this was controlled for in the memory experiment? I didn't get any good feeling about how much erucic acid allowed in Canola, it could vary over some range?

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:12PM

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday December 10 2017, @11:12PM (#608098) Journal

          Any idea if this was controlled for in the memory experiment?

          I can't remember.

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @04:56PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @04:56PM (#608013)

    Seriously, how many common vegetable oils are there... 10, at max? Can't they just do a single experiment with all the types of vegetable oils they can buy in the store. Than they might even get a clue on what actually contributes to the change in the Altzheimer's.

    But I know... why publish one paper if you can also publish 10 (and get more money in the process)?

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:35PM (4 children)

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:35PM (#608046)

      might be because it would cost more to study more oils. Each type of oil being studied would need a set of test/control mice, specialized foods and lab space to raise the mice as well as staff to tend them.

      That said I agree with your position. We need to take a better look at the ingredients being used in the foods we eat. Remember how margarine was supposed to be better for you than butter?

      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:58PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:58PM (#608053)

      lol... money. lol

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:06PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @10:06PM (#608075)

      Yep, that big, never-ending research money pool. That's why so many of my IT coworkers have a research degree like me. We got tied of all those research grants being thrown at us and wanted a challenge to making our living.

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by lars on Sunday December 10 2017, @07:06PM (3 children)

    by lars (4376) on Sunday December 10 2017, @07:06PM (#608034)

    Am I the only one thinking this guy is sponsored by an olive oil company?

    • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:38PM

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Sunday December 10 2017, @08:38PM (#608047)

      Am I the only one thinking this guy is sponsored by an olive oil company?

      maybe, it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it. And it is a good question.

      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @09:00PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 10 2017, @09:00PM (#608054)

      more likely Big Trans Fat trying to show they're all bad as eachother... so might as well vote Republican eat margarine

    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Reziac on Monday December 11 2017, @02:34AM

      by Reziac (2489) on Monday December 11 2017, @02:34AM (#608162) Homepage

      My first thought was... probably due to thyroid-inhibitory effects of phytoestrogen (tho offhand I couldn't find good numbers for rapeseed). Which wold explain why "weight gain" is one of the effects.

      --
      And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by jimtheowl on Monday December 11 2017, @09:22AM

    by jimtheowl (5929) on Monday December 11 2017, @09:22AM (#608228)
    Canola is the number two Frankenstein crop, perhaps only surpassed by wheat. The pretext is that nothing is done that nature doesn't do anyway. The reality is that nature does it very slowly and the surrounding ecosystem can adapt in turn. We are eating stuff that we may yet need to adapt to, and we have no idea how many generation it would take - that is if we are willing for any unsuitable offspring's to die of those crop to be properly 'selected' in order to be compatible.

    First re-purposed from lubricant for steam engines, to a diesel replacement and than heavily modified genetically to be edible, it is also a field experiment on humans by Monsanto to explore effects of GMO's on humans and to test their capacity to dominate and take away food production by independent farmers, sometimes under the pretext of rising food prices (a problem which they are part of).
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