I've been curious about this, too. I even bought a bottle recently. I've only cooked with it once and could not tell a difference between it and regular oil, which of course was good. The day after I bought it, I read this article in Consumer Reports magazine:
Quote:
An oil that keeps you slim?
Bottle of Enova cooking oil.
Enova, a popular cooking oil in Japan, is being test-marketed in the U.S. It claims to be specially processed so that it “can actually help you maintain, not gain weight.”
Is that claim true? Published research supported by the food industry appears to back up the no-weight-gain claims; one small, six-month clinical trial, funded by Enova’s manufacturer, noted modest weight loss. But so far, the evidence is scanty.
Enova, a blend of soy and canola oils, contains essentially the same amount of calories and fat as other vegetable oils. In processing, an enzyme is introduced that arranges the fatty acids so that 80 percent of Enova’s fat molecules contain just two fatty acids; those fat molecules are called diacylglycerols.
Some evidence suggests that the liver may burn diacylglycerols, which may result in suppressed appetite.
“We really don’t understand how this would work,” says Robert H. Eckel, M.D., a professor at the University of Colorado and chairman of the nutrition, physical activity, and metabolism council of the American Heart Association. Like other nutrition experts with whom we spoke, Eckel says it’s too soon to know whether Enova is a worthwhile alternative to regular cooking oils.
The Archer Daniels Midland Co. has partnered with Japan’s Kao Corp. to sell the oil in Chicago and Atlanta, and on the Internet at www.enovaoil.com. Our shoppers paid about $3.70 to $5.50 for a 20-ounce bottle in Chicago and Atlanta, and about $14 online, where shipping and handling charges kicked in. We compared Enova and a leading vegetable oil, Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil. Both are mild, we found, and they tasted basically the same when used to bake muffins or sauté vegetables. Crisco is less expensive.
The Food and Drug Administration considers Enova “generally recognized as safe.” But there may be better ways to maintain weight than by using this expensive cooking oil.
I'll use this bottle, but I won't buy another.
Suzanne 3FC , 01-12-2005 09:10 PM
lady_adnerb , 01-13-2005 08:10 AM
