Canola Oil Helps Lower Glucose Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Canola oil is often times used to cook and flavor certain foods. It is also used as an oil substitute that's deemed more heart healthy than others. A recent study conducted by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital confirms the benefits of the product. For patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, findings published in the journal Diabetes Care, show that it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease when it is part of a low glycemic diet.

For the study, researchers recruited 141 participants from the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center of the hospital. They examined the effects that eating bread made with canola oil or whole wheat bread had on the participants. They discovered that oil consumption was linked to reduced cholesterol levels and a 7 percent less risk of cardiovascular issues.

Researchers also found that the canola bread diet was particularly beneficial for those with the highest blood glucose levels. However, when the researchers measured blood flow using the EndoPat test, they found that participants on the whole wheat bread diet had better blood flow following 12 weeks when compared to the blood flow of those who were on the canola bread diet.

"A canola oil-enriched low-GL diet improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, particularly in participants with raised SBP [systolic blood pressure], whereas whole grains improved vascular reactivity," the authors wrote, in a press release.

The findings reiterate the importance of eating healthy.