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What Is Erucic Acid? Should I Give It To My Child?

Erucic acid, 22:1, also known as docosenoic acid. It’s a monounsaturated uncommon fatty acid. Erucic acid was found in the original rapeseed oil in very high amounts.

If you are interested in a list of foods where you can find this nutrient. Go to our nutrition tool and check out erucic acid .

Table of Contents

Erucic Acid Is Found In Plants

Erucic Acid is a monounsaturated very long-chain fatty acid. (source πŸ——)

Erucic acid is mainly found in plants such as canola, rapeseed, wallflower seed, mustard seed, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. (source πŸ——)

If you are interested in a list of foods where you can find this nutrient. Go to our nutrition tool and check out erucic acid .

Erucic Acid, Not For Children

Erucic acid was considered responsible for producing fatty acids in the heart and the skeletal muscles and also impairing growth. So a breeding program with new rapeseed varieties started, with lower levels of erucic acid.

Still, infants have low amounts of the enzyme that breaks down erucic acid. Because of this, babies and children should not be given foods with erucic acid. (source πŸ——)

Erucic acid still poses a health risk for exposed children up to 10 years of age.

You can find this and other side-effects of erucic acid in Erucic Acid (22:1): 5 Research-Backed Side-Effects .

Classified As A Contaminant

Erucic acid is classified as a contaminant that's found in vegetable oil. For most people, this is not a safety concern, if not overconsuming. But it poses a long-term health risk, especially for children, who consume high amounts of foods containing this substance. (source πŸ——)

Hard To Find The Better Option

Canola oil is one of the most used oils made from rapeseed. It has been genetically modified to produce healthier oil with higher oleic acid and lower erucic acid. Unfortunately, these better oils are not available in any large commercial quantities. (source πŸ——)

Foods with a high content of erucic acid are considered undesirable for consumption. Because of the health implications, it might give. (source πŸ——)

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Sara NiemelΓ€

co-founder Care Omnia, Head Content Creator

I’m a wife and a mother of three. I enjoy the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with my family. Nutrition is my passion. I have spent thousands upon thousands of hours reading, analyzing, categorizing and comparing research studies. Nutrition is the foundation you build a healthy and fulfilling life upon!