New Delhi, June 4 (IANS): When you decide to stay fit and adopt a healthy diet, check out the cooking oil you're using as it might hold the key to a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few advantages of canola oil which can help you lose weight and cut the risk of lifestyle diseases.

Canola oil is extracted from the seeds of the canola plant. It has good nutritional value, a light texture and a neutral taste. Canola oil's mild flavour does not overwhelm the taste of other ingredients and can be used for both sauting and baking, read a statement.

Its high heat tolerance and light texture makes it great for frying as well. In fact, canola oil can be used with almost any culinary application and cuisine, including Indian.

Read on to learn more about the health benefits of canola oil:

* Canola oil can help those on a cholesterol-reducing diet. It includes less than 10 percent saturated fat from total daily calories, minimal trans fat and no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.

* Canola oil is rich in two polyunsaturated fats, Omega-3 and Omega-6. These fats are considered essential because the body cannot make them on its own. In fact, of all common cooking oils, canola oil has the most plant-based Omega-3 fat (11 percent).

* According to scientific studies, 1.5 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil a day may be enough to help keep the cardiologist away when used in place of saturated fat.

* Canola oil is rich in fat-soluble vitamins E and K. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and vitamin K promotes healthy blood-clotting.

* Canola oil can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends in a heart-healthy diet for weight maintenance. Research showed that those who consumed canola oil on a daily basis for four weeks lowered their belly fat by 1.6 percent.