Canola oil or corn oil: different fats, no head-to-head verdict

We did not find a trial that compared canola oil with corn oil directly, so this page sets two separate bodies of evidence side by side. For canola oil, a meta-analysis of controlled trials, not all of them randomized, found LDL cholesterol 8.9 mg/dL (0.23 mmol/l) lower than with other edible oils across 35 comparisons, and 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/l) lower against sunflower oil. Corn oil was not reported as a separate comparator. The oldest corn oil evidence is the Minnesota Coronary Experiment of 1968 to 1973. In 9423 residents of a nursing home and six mental hospitals, the intervention diet cut serum cholesterol by 13.8% against 1.0% and showed no mortality benefit. On the label the two oils differ plainly. Per 100 g in USDA data, canola oil has 6.6 g saturated fat against 13.4 g in corn oil, 62.6 g monounsaturated fat against 27.7 g, and 7.45 g of the omega-3 ALA against 1.04 g.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g, canola oil has about half the saturated fat of corn oil (6.6 vs 13.4 g), more than twice the monounsaturated fat (62.6 vs 27.7 g) and about 7 times the omega-3 ALA (7.45 vs 1.04 g). — — Evidence E source
  Canola vs corn per 3.5 oz (100 g): SFA 6.61 vs 13.4 g; MUFA 62.6 vs 27.7 g; PUFA 25.3 vs 52.9 g; 18:3 7.45 vs 1.04 g; 18:2 17.8 vs 51.9 g; vitamin E 17.3 vs 22.6 mg; vitamin K 71.3 vs 1.9 ug
• UK composition data give corn oil 14.4 g saturated and 51.3 g polyunsaturated fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), close to the USDA figures of 13.4 g and 52.9 g. — — Evidence E source
  CoFID corn oil per 3.5 oz (100 g): SFA 14.40 g, MUFA 29.90 g, PUFA 51.30 g, n-3 0.90 g, n-6 50.40 g

What a real portion looks like

• A tablespoon of oil is 14 g in USDA survey data, which gives about 1.0 g ALA and 2.5 g linoleic acid from canola oil versus 0.1 g ALA and 7.3 g linoleic acid from corn oil. — — Evidence E source
  Per 1 tablespoon (14 g): canola ALA 1.0 g, LA 2.5 g, SFA 0.9 g; corn ALA 0.1 g, LA 7.3 g, SFA 1.9 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 29 adults, 20 g of oil with a salad raised carotenoid absorption more than 3 or 8 g, and the amount of oil mattered more than whether it was canola, soybean oil or butter. — Healthy adults eating identical vegetable salads with 3, 8 or 20 g of canola oil, soybean oil or butter (n = 29) Evidence B source
  20 g lipid gave higher absorption than 3 and 8 g for all carotenoids (p < 0.05) except alpha-carotene; canola vs butter trend for lutein p = 0.06

What cooking and storage change

• In crossover trials in healthy volunteers, heated corn oil slowed gastric emptying and cut energy intake at the next meal by about 600 to 650 kJ versus unheated corn oil, an effect linked to the heating product 2,4-decadienal. — Healthy volunteers eating pumpkin soup with 9.2 g or 3.1 g of heated or non-heated corn oil (n = 10 and 17) Evidence B source
  Energy intake about 600-650 kJ lower with heated oil or 2,4-DD vs non-heated corn oil (p < 0.05)

What it does to your health

• In a meta-analysis of 42 controlled trials, canola oil lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.9 mg/dL (0.23 mmol/l) compared with other edible oils, and by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/l) compared with sunflower oil. — Adults in controlled clinical trials comparing canola oil with other edible oils (n = 42 articles) Evidence B source
  LDL-C -8.9 mg/dL (-0.23 mmol/l) vs other oils (35 comparisons); -5.4 mg/dL (-0.14 mmol/l) vs sunflower oil (11); -19 mg/dL (-0.49 mmol/l) vs saturated fats (10)
• A meta-analysis of 27 randomized trials in 1359 people found canola oil lowered total cholesterol by 7.24 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol by 6.4 mg/dl, with no effect on HDL or triglycerides. — Participants of 27 randomized controlled trials (n = 1359) Evidence A source
  TC -7.24 mg/dl (95% CI -12.1 to -2.7); LDL -6.4 mg/dl (95% CI -10.8 to -2); no effect on HDL, TG
• A meta-analysis of randomized trials found canola oil reduced body weight by 0.66 lb (0.30 kg) on average. — Adults in randomized controlled trials, 25 studies in the review (n = 23 effect sizes) Evidence A source
  Body weight WMD -0.66 lb (95% CI -1.1 to -0.18; metric: -0.30 kg, -0.52 to -0.08), 23 effect sizes
• A meta-analysis of prospective cohorts linked 9 to 16 g a day of linoleic acid, about 2 to 3 tablespoons of corn oil, with an 11% lower risk of hip fracture. — Nine prospective cohorts, 382094 participants, 12392 hip fractures, follow-up 7-24 years (n = 382094) Evidence C source
  Linoleic acid HR 0.89 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.96)

Safety, limits and interactions

• NIH names canola and soybean oil among the most common US sources of vitamin K and advises people on warfarin to keep their vitamin K intake consistent. Corn oil is not named. — people taking warfarin and similar vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants Evidence E source
  Sudden changes in vitamin K intake can raise or lower the anticoagulant effect

What people believe that the data does not support

• In the recovered Minnesota Coronary Experiment, replacing saturated fat with corn oil cut serum cholesterol by 13.8% but showed no mortality benefit. — Randomized cohort of 9423 women and men aged 20-97 in a nursing home and six mental hospitals, 1968-73 (n = 9423) Evidence B source
  Serum cholesterol -13.8% vs -1.0% in controls; no mortality benefit; HR 1.22 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.32) per 30 mg/dL cholesterol reduction
• The EU did not authorize claims that corn oil helps maintain normal blood cholesterol, and the EU register holds no authorized claim for canola oil by name. — — Evidence E source
  Claim status: non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a 12-week randomized trial in 92 adults with type 2 diabetes cooking only with the study oil, waist circumference fell by 1 and 0.87 in (2.6 and 2.2 cm) in the two canola oil groups, plain and fortified, and did not change significantly on sunflower oil. — Adults aged 20-65 with type 2 diabetes, Iran, about 30 g oil per person per day for all cooking except frying, 12 weeks (n = 92) Evidence B source
  Waist circumference -1 and -0.87 in (-2.6 and -2.2 cm) in Groups 1 and 2 (the two canola arms), p < 0.001; no significant change with sunflower oil

What is still unknown

• Corn oil is often the placebo in fish oil trials, and a meta-analysis of 16 such trials found fish oil lowered triglycerides by 25.5 mg/dl more than corn oil, with no difference in LDL. — 491 participants of 16 RCTs with corn oil as control (n = 16 RCTs) Evidence A source
  TG WMD -25.50 mg/dl (95% CI -42.44 to -8.57) for fish oil vs corn oil; HDL +2.54 mg/dl; TC and LDL no change
• Canadian harvest monitoring found the alpha-linolenic acid content of canola fell from 9.93% to 8.16% of fatty acids between 2010 and 2022, linked to hotter growing seasons. — Canola harvest samples from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, 2010-2022 Evidence C source
  ALA 9.93 to 8.16 mass %, with a rise in oleic acid; LA 19.21% (2012) to 18.06% (2022)

The bottom line

In a 14 g tablespoon, canola oil gives 1.0 g ALA, 2.5 g linoleic acid and 0.9 g saturated fat. Corn oil gives 0.1 g ALA, 7.3 g linoleic acid and 1.9 g saturated fat. UK figures for corn oil sit close to the US ones. Canola itself is drifting. Canadian harvest monitoring found ALA falling from 9.93% to 8.16% of the fatty acids between 2010 and 2022, so food tables may lag behind the bottle on the shelf. The canola evidence is modest in size. Across 27 randomized trials in 1359 people it lowered LDL by 6.4 mg/dl (95% CI 2 to 10.8) with no effect on HDL or triglycerides, against a mix of comparator fats. Pooled trials put its effect on body weight at 0.66 lb (95% CI 0.18 to 1.1; metric: 0.30 kg, 0.08 to 0.52). In 92 Iranian adults with type 2 diabetes cooking with about 1.1 oz (30 g) of the study oil a day for 12 weeks, waist size fell by 0.87 to 1 in (2.2 to 2.6 cm) in the two canola oil groups, plain and fortified, and sunflower oil did not change it significantly. For corn oil, pooled cohorts of 382094 people linked 9 to 16 g of linoleic acid a day, which the authors equate with 2 to 3 tablespoons of corn oil, with an 11% lower risk of hip fracture (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96). That is observational. Corn oil also serves as the dummy in fish oil trials, where fish oil lowered triglycerides by 25.5 mg/dl more across 16 trials, at capsule doses. Heating changes corn oil in one measurable way. In two small crossover trials in healthy volunteers, soup made with heated corn oil cut the energy eaten at the next meal by about 600 to 650 kJ against unheated corn oil, a short effect tied to 2,4-decadienal, a compound formed when the oil is heated. For absorbing carotenoids from salad, 29 adults absorbed more with 20 g of oil than with 3 or 8 g, and the amount mattered more than whether it was canola, soybean oil or butter. Corn oil was not in that test. The EU has not authorized claims that corn oil helps maintain normal cholesterol, and its register holds no claim for canola oil by name. Canola oil carries far more vitamin K than corn oil, 71.3 against 1.9 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the USDA data above, so anyone on warfarin should not switch from one oil to the other without talking to whoever manages their INR. We have no card on this page about that interaction, and none on allergy or pregnancy for either oil.

Sources

1. cnco-daily-r1-11 · dataset
   Canola oil (fdc_id 2710188) per 100 g: Fatty acids, total saturated 6.61 G; total monounsaturated 62.6 G; total polyunsaturated 25.3 G; PUFA 18:3 7.45 G; PUFA 18:2 17.8 G; Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 17.3 MG; Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 71.3 UG. Corn oil (fdc_id 2710183) per 100 g: 13.4 G; 27.7 G; 52.9 G; 1.04 G; 51.9 G; 22.6 MG; 1.9 UG
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2710188 (Canola oil) and 2710183 (Corn oil) · checked 2026-09-29
2. cnco-daily-r1-13 · dataset
   Oil, corn (CoFID 17-033): Satd FA /100g fd (g) 14.40; Mono FA /100g food (g) 29.90; Poly FA /100g food (g) 51.30; n-3 poly /100g food (g) 0.90; n-6 poly /100g food (g) 50.40
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0, code 17-033 (Oil, corn) · checked 2026-09-29
3. cnco-daily-r1-12 · dataset
   1 tablespoon 14 g: Canola oil PUFA 18:3 1.0 G, PUFA 18:2 2.5 G, Fatty acids, total saturated 0.9 G; Corn oil PUFA 18:3 0.1 G, PUFA 18:2 7.3 G, Fatty acids, total saturated 1.9 G
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2710188 and 2710183, household measure 1 tablespoon · checked 2026-09-29
4. cnco-daily-r1-06 · RCT (crossover)
   Considering all lipid sources, 20 g of lipid promoted higher absorption compared to 3 and 8 g for all carotenoid species (p < 0.05), except for α-carotene (p = 0.07). The source of lipid had less impact on the absorption of carotenoids than amount of lipid.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
5. cnco-daily-r1-07 · RCT (crossover)
   Energy intake was approximately 600-650 kJ lower in HO and 2,4-DD trials compared with CO trial (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that 2,4-DD, either formed by oil heating or added to food, contributes to suppressing GE rate and energy intake.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
6. cnco-daily-r1-01 · meta-analysis of controlled trials
   CO significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC, -0.27 mmol/l, n = 37), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, -0.23 mmol/l, n = 35), LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LDL/HDL, -0.21, n = 10), TC/HDL (-0.13, n = 15), apolipoprotein B (Apo B, -0.03 g/l, n = 14), and Apo B/Apo A-1 (-0.02, n = 6) compared to other edible oils (P < 0.05).
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
7. cnco-daily-r1-02 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Twenty-seven trials, comprising 1359 participants, met the eligibility criteria. Results of this study showed that CO consumption significantly reduced TC (-7.24 mg/dl, 95% CI, -12.1 to -2.7), and LDL (-6.4 mg/dl, 95% CI, -10.8 to -2), although it had no effects on HDL, TG, Apo B, and Apo A1.
   J Am Coll Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
8. cnco-daily-r1-03 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   The meta-analysis revealed that CO consumption reduces BW [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -0.30 kg; 95% CI: -0.52, -0.08 kg, P = 0.007; n = 23 effect sizes]
   Adv Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
9. cnco-daily-r1-09 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   These findings suggest that consuming 9-16 g of linoleic acid (LA) daily (equivalent to 2-3 tablespoons of corn oil or 30-60 g of walnuts) and maintaining elevated blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), may help reduce the risk of hip fractures.
   Osteoporos Int, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
10. sf-vkw-4 · agency advice
    The most common sources of vitamin K in the U.S. diet are spinach; broccoli; iceberg lettuce; and fats and oils, particularly soybean and canola oil [5,7]. ...These drugs antagonize the activity of vitamin K, leading to the depletion of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. People taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants need to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K from food and supplements because sudden changes in vitamin K intakes can increase or decrease the anticoagulant effect [45].
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-08
11. cnco-daily-r1-05 · RCT (re-analysis)
    The intervention group had significant reduction in serum cholesterol compared with controls (mean change from baseline -13.8%v-1.0%; P<0.001). Kaplan Meier graphs showed no mortality benefit for the intervention group in the full randomized cohort or for any prespecified subgroup.
    BMJ, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
12. cnco-daily-r1-14 · regulatory register
    POL-HC-6985 Corn Oil with a guaranteed polyunsatured fatty acids content (56% of total fatty acids), supplemented with vitamin E. 1- When used within a healthy, balanced diet, in combination with a healty lifestyle, corn oil with an elevated vitamin E content and a guaranteed polyunsaturates fatty acids content contributes to the control of blood cholesterol. 2-When used within a healthy, balanced diet, in combination with a healty lifestyle, corn oil contributes to the control of blood cholesterol. 3-As a part of a healthy lifesyle, corn oil helps to maintain normal blood cholesterol level.4-As a part of a healthy lifesyle, corn oil helps to keep blood cholesterol levels under control. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6985, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. cnco-daily-r1-08 · RCT
    Though body mass index (BMI) significantly decreased in all three groups, only in Groups 1 and 2 waist circumference (WC) showed a significant decrement (-2.6 ± 0.1 and -2.2 ± 0.1 cm in Groups 1 and 2 respectively, p < 0.001 for both)
    Eur J Med Res, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
14. cnco-daily-r1-04 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    The results revealed that the fish oil supplements significantly reduced TG (WMD: - 25.50 mg/dl, 95% CI: - 42.44, - 8.57, P = 0.000) levels compared to corn oil.
    Syst Rev, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
15. cnco-daily-r1-10 · longitudinal composition study
    Data for this cohort showed the average mean ALA content decreased from 9.93 ± 0.78 mass % (average mean± standard deviation) to 8.16 ± 0.46 mass %, with a concomitant increase in oleic acid.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29