Several experts say a Temple University study that makes connections between canola oil and Alzheimer’s disease is unsubstantiated, according to a U.S. Canola Association press release.
An article appearing in the open-access online journal Scientific Reports by Temple University’s Elisabetta Lauretti and Dominico Pratico asserted that canola oil affects human memory, according to the Canola Council of Canada. The U.S. Canola Association said links between canola oil and weight gain, deteriorating memory and dementia in humans were baseless.
Additionally, Temple researchers used mice in the study, which are not relevant to people, the release said.
“This mouse model is a huge stretch from what you may see in humans,” University of Manitoba’s Peter Jones said. He denounced the methodology lacking a control group for consumption of olive oil as an alternative, for example, as “completely inappropriate.”
“This is an absurd over-reach of what the data provide without testing both oils side by side,” Jones said in the release.
The study also was criticized for its failure to balance the diets of two groups of mice for fat content and inadequate testing numbers, as the study used only 22 mice, the release said.
“Animal models of Alzheimer’s lack predictive validity,” University of Toronto’s Richard Bazinet said in the release. “We have a series of major phase III clinical trials with drugs in Alzheimer’s disease. The drugs ‘worked’ in the animal models, but failed in humans.”
