Canola Oil Can Age You, Cardiologist Says (Follow-Up)

This is a follow-up to my previous post about the disturbing diet that Freakonomics authors Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt wrote about in today's New York Times Magazine.

My previous post highlighted the dangers of fructose.

A couple of minutes ago, the acclaimed cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, M.D. took time out of his vacation to call me back to let me know his views on canola oil, which also is featured as part of UC Berkeley professor Seth Roberts's foolhardy diet.

“Canola oil is toxic to the body," Dr. Sinatra told me.

"It causes lipid peroxidation, which triggers oxidation of fats in the body. Canola oil also causes excessive free radical stress," continues Dr. Sinatra, author of The Sinatra Solution: New Hope for Preventing and Treating Heart Disease and Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks.

In other words, Dr. Sinatra concludes, "that means [ingesting a lot of canola oil] could accelerate the aging process.

"Canola oil is great for machines but not for humans. Olive oil, almonds oil or fish oil are much healthier choices,” adds Dr. Sinatra, who runs the New England Heart & Lonvevity Center in Manchester, Connecticut.

Please, my blogging audience, do not follow this so-called "Shangri-La Diet." You won't get anywhere near nirvana with this!

If you have further information about canola oil or fructose, here's how to reachSeth Roberts, the intelligent, but misguided professor.

And please post a comment on the Freakonomics blog.