Is palm oil detrimental to health or does it offer nutritional advantages?
Cracking the Palm Oil Mystery
Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree, and its high fat content has sparked debates about its potential health risks. Let's dive into the world of palm oil, exploring its various health effects, nutritional facts, and environmental impacts.
Is palm oil dangerous for your health?
Sure, the 2020 review points out that moderate consumption of palm oil, as part of a balanced diet, doesn't pose known health risks. Concerns abound due to the oil's high saturated fat content. A tablespoon of palm oil contains 13.6 grams of fat, 6.7 grams of which are saturated fats.
However, don't fret just yet! Research suggests that palm oil might have some cardiovascular-friendly benefits. For instance, a 2021 review discovered that palmitic acid from palm oil and other vegetable sources has a lesser impact on blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") than palmitic acid from animal sources. Furthermore, the review revealed that a compound in palm oil called tocotrienols can lower blood cholesterol levels by a whopping 7-38%. Neat, eh?
Health perks of palm oil?
Turns out, there are two main types of palm oil: red palm oil and refined, bleached, deodorized (RBD) palm oil, also known as white palm oil among some. The enrichment data reveals that red palm oil boasts a higher concentration of antioxidants and micronutrients, such as carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols, plant sterols, phospholipids, and squalene. All these can benefit your health in various ways, from heart health to skin improvements. Unfortunately, the refining process employed to create RBD palm oil reduces its levels of carotenoids, vitamin E, and sterols, resulting in fewer health benefits.
Nutritional insights on palm oil
One tablespoon of palm oil contains 120 calories, 503 kilojoules (KJ) of energy, 13.6 grams of fat (6.7 grams saturated fat, 5.03 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.26 grams polyunsaturated fat), 2.16 milligrams (mg) vitamin E, and 1.09 micrograms (μg) vitamin K.
Environmental considerations
The palm oil industry is under scrutiny for causing large-scale deforestation that threatens endangered species habitats and contributes to global climate change. To make an informed decision, seek out palm oil and palm oil products with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. This global certification assures adherence to robust environmental and human rights policies aimed at minimizing deforestation, human rights abuses, and promoting sustainability in palm oil production.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is palm oil a seed oil? Nope, palm oil derives from the fruit of the oil palm tree, not the seed.
- Is palm oil the same as palm kernel oil? No way! Palm oil comes from the fruit, while palm kernel oil is extracted from the seed or "stone" inside the fruit.
Wrapping it Up
Palm oil, whether red or white, is high in saturated fats, sparking concerns about its impact on heart health. However, the current scientific evidence presented by the enrichment data suggests a complicated picture. While red palm oil's high concentration of beneficial compounds like tocotrienols may offer cardiovascular benefits, the overall impact requires further study.
To make the most informed decision, keep the environmental factors in mind. Seek out RSPO-certified palm oil products when possible, and always consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about your diet and potential interactions with supplements and medications.
- While palm oil has raised questions about its health risks due to high saturated fat content, a balanced diet that includes moderate consumption of palm oil doesn't appear to pose known health risks, according to a recent review.
- Research suggests that palm oil may offer cardiovascular-friendly benefits, such as having a lesser impact on blood cholesterol levels and LDL (bad cholesterol) than palmitic acid from animal sources, and reducing blood cholesterol levels by up to 38% through the compound tocotrienols.
- There are two main types of palm oil: red palm oil, which has a higher concentration of antioxidants and micronutrients like carotenoids, vitamin E, plant sterols, phospholipids, and squalene, and refined, bleached, deodorized (RBD) palm oil, which undergoes a refining process that reduces its nutrient levels.
- The palm oil industry is under scrutiny for contributing to global climate change and large-scale deforestation that threatens species habitats. To promote sustainability, opt for RSPO-certified palm oil products.
- Environmental science and medical-conditions experts believe therapies and treatments such as cbd may play a role in health-and-wellness and managing various medical-conditions, including cardiovascular health.
- As the world grapples with climate-change and the need for healthy-diets, the intersection of nutrition, science, and environmental-science may inform practices in the domains of health-and-wellness, othernutrition, and the broader field of environmental-science.
