Abstract: In the 80`s and early 90`s, nutrition recommendations for the prevention of developing coronary heart disease called for a reduction of total fat in the diet through the substitution of carbohydrate for fat. However, the current scientific evidence does not support a position that a reduction in total fat has a beneficial effect on coronary heart disease, or risk factors for coronary heart disease. The cumulative evidence from recent scientific literature suggests that unless there is a concomitant reduction in saturated fat and trans fatty acids, a reduction in total fat will not lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease. It was also established during the last decade that increased intakes of dietary monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, in particular those fats containing moderate amounts of n-3 fatty acids, might play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The fatty acid composition of canola oil is consistent with current nutrition recommendations aimed at reducing the dietary amount of saturated fat and increasing the amounts of monounsaturated and n-3 fats. Canola is characterized by a low level of saturated fatty acids. It is also characterized by high level of monounsaturated fatty acids (viz. oleic acid) and moderate level of n-3 fatty acids, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid. Clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that canola oil is one of the most desirable source of dietary fat in terms of human health.