‹ Ingredient libraryANCESTOR

ERUCIC-ACID OIL

Mustard oil

What it is

Pungent pressed mustard-seed oil, a traditional cooking fat across North India and Bengal — and sold in the US labeled "for external use only."

Why your biology objects

Here the flag isn't linoleic acid (a modest ~15%) — it's erucic acid at 20–40%, a very-long-chain fat the heart oxidises poorly and that caused myocardial lipidosis in animal studies. Food limits cap erucic acid at 2%; traditional mustard oil runs 10–20× that. Genuinely ancestral in origin, but the specific molecule is the problem.

Would your ancestors eat this?

Point your camera at any label and get the verdict in seconds. Coming to the App Store.

Request early access