Palm Oil: Good or Bad?
All around the world, palm oil consumption is increasing.
However, it is a highly controversial food.
On one hand, it's reported to provide several health benefits.
On the other, it may pose risks to heart health. There are also
environmental concerns related to the steady increase in its production.
This article takes a detailed look at palm oil and its effects
on health, the environment and sustainability.
What Is Palm Oil?
Palm oil comes from the fleshy fruit of oil palms. Unrefined
palm oil is sometimes referred to as red palm oil because of its reddish-orange
color.
The main source of palm oil is the Elaeis guineensis tree, which is native to West and Southwest
Africa. Its use in this region dates back more than 5,000 years.
A similar oil palm known as Elaeis oleifera is found in South America, but it's rarely
grown commercially. However, a hybrid of the two plants is sometimes used in
palm oil production.
In recent years, oil palm growth has expanded to Southeast Asia,
including Malaysia and Indonesia. These two countries currently produce more
than 80% of the world's palm oil supply.
Like coconut
oil, palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature. However, its melting point is
95°F (35°C), which is considerably higher than 76°F (24°C) for coconut oil.
This is due to the different fatty acid compositions of the two oils.
Palm oil is one of the least expensive and most popular oils
worldwide, accounting for one-third of global plant oil production.
It is important to note that palm oil should not be confused
with palm kernel oil.
While both originate from the same plant, palm kernel oil is
extracted from the seed of the fruit. It provides different health benefits.
BOTTOM
LINE: Palm oil comes from palm trees native to Africa, where it has
been consumed for thousands of years. It is semi-solid at room temperature and
differs from palm kernel oil in nutritional composition.
How Is It Used?
Palm oil is used for cooking and is also added to many
ready-to-eat foods in your grocery store.
Its taste is considered savory and earthy.
Some people describe its flavor as being similar to carrot or
pumpkin.
This oil is a staple in West African and tropical cuisines, and
it's especially well suited for curries and other spicy dishes.
It is often used for sautéing or frying because it has a high
smoke point of 450°F (232°C) and remains stable under high heat.
Palm oil is sometimes added to peanut butter and other nut butters as a stabilizer to
prevent the oil from separating and settling at the top of the jar.
In addition to nut butters, palm oil can be found in several
other foods, including:
- Cereals
- Baked goods like
bread, cookies and muffins
- Protein bars and
diet bars
- Chocolate
- Coffee creamers
- Margarine
In the 1980s, palm oil was replaced with trans fats in many
products due to concerns that consuming tropical oils might jeopardize heart
health. However, after studies revealed the health risks of trans fats, food manufacturers resumed
using palm oil.
This oil is also found in many non-food products, such as
toothpaste, soap and cosmetics.
In addition, it can be used to produce biodiesel fuel, which
serves as an alternative energy source.
BOTTOM
LINE: Palm oil is used in cooking, especially in West African cuisines
and curries. It is also found in certain foods, products and fuels.
Nutrient Composition
Here is the nutritional content of one tablespoon (14 grams) of
palm oil :
- Calories: 114
- Fat: 14 grams
- Saturated fat: 7 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 5 grams
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5 grams
- Vitamin E: 11% of the RDI
All of palm oil's calories come from fat. Its fatty acid breakdown is 50%
saturated fatty acids, 40% monounsaturated fatty acids and 10% polyunsaturated
fatty acids.
The main type of saturated
fat found
in palm oil is palmitic acid, which contributes 44% of its calories. It also
contains high amounts of oleic acid and smaller amounts of linoleic acid and
stearic acid.
Red palm oil's reddish-orange pigment stems from antioxidants
known as carotenoids, including beta-carotene, which your body can convert into
vitamin A.
In fractionated palm oil, the liquid portion is removed by a
crystallizing and filtering process. The remaining solid portion is higher in
saturated fat and has a higher melting temperature.
BOTTOM
LINE : Palm oil is 100% fat, half of which is saturated. It also
contains vitamin E and red palm oil contains antioxidants called carotenoids,
which your body can convert into vitamin A.
It May
Have Health Benefits
Palm oil has been linked to several health benefits, including
protecting brain function, reducing heart disease risk factors and improving vitamin
A status.
Brain Health
Palm oil is an excellent source of tocotrienols, a form of
vitamin E with strong antioxidant properties that may support brain health.
Animal and human studies suggest that the tocotrienols in palm
oil may help protect the delicate polyunsaturated fats in the brain, slow
dementia progression, reduce the risk of stroke and prevent the growth of brain
lesions.
In a two-year study of 121 people with brain lesions, the group
who took palm oil-derived tocotrienols twice a day remained stable, whereas the
group who received a placebo experienced lesion growth.
Heart Health
Palm oil has been credited with providing protection against
heart disease.
Although some study results have been mixed, this oil generally
appears to have beneficial effects on heart disease risk factors, including
lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and increasing "good" HDL
cholesterol.
A large analysis of 51 studies found that total and LDL
cholesterol levels were lower in people who followed palm oil-rich diets than those
who consumed diets high in trans fats or myristic and lauric acid.
A recent three-month study looked at the cholesterol-lowering
effects of palm oil made from a hybrid of Elaeis guineensis and Elaeis oleifera trees.
In this study, people consumed either 25 ml (2 tablespoons) of
olive oil or a hybrid palm oil daily. Based on a 15% drop in LDL cholesterol in
both groups, researchers suggested this palm oil could be called "the
tropical equivalent of olive oil".
Nevertheless, it's important to note that an increase or
decrease in LDL cholesterol levels alone cannot predict heart disease risk.
There are many other factors involved.
However, a controlled study in 1995 suggested that palm oil
might help slow disease progression in people with established heart disease.
In this 18-month study, seven of 25 people treated with the oil
showed improvements and 16 remained stable. By contrast, 10 of 25 people in the
placebo group experienced disease progression, and none showed improvement.
Improved Vitamin A Status
Palm oil can help improve vitamin A status in people who are
deficient or at risk of deficiency.
Studies in pregnant women in developing countries have shown
that consuming red palm oil increases vitamin A levels in their blood, as well
as in their breastfed infants.
One study found that people with cystic fibrosis, who have
difficulty absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, experienced an increase in blood
levels of vitamin A after taking two to three tablespoons of red palm oil daily
for eight weeks.
Red palm oil has also been shown to help boost vitamin A levels
in adults and young children.
In fact, a study from India reported that preschool-aged
children who took 5 ml (1 teaspoon) per day had greater increases in vitamin A
levels than children who received vitamin A supplements.
BOTTOM
LINE : Palm oil may help protect brain function, reduce heart disease
risk factors and increase vitamin A levels in certain people.
Potential Health Risks
Although most studies have found that palm oil has a protective
effect on heart health, others have reported conflicting results.
One study was conducted in women with high cholesterol.
It showed that levels of small, dense LDL (sdLDL) — the type of
cholesterol linked to heart disease — increased with palm oil but decreased with
other oils. However, a combination of palm oil and rice bran oil decreased
sdLDL levels.
Another study found that sdLDL didn't change in the group that
consumed palm oil, while large LDL particles increased. Large LDL particles are
considered less likely to cause heart attacks than small, dense LDL particles.
Other studies have reported elevations in LDL cholesterol levels
in response to consuming palm oil. However, in these studies, LDL particle
sizes weren't measured.
It's important to note that these are only potential risk
factors and not evidence that palm oil can actually cause heart disease.
However, one animal study suggests that consuming oil that has
been repeatedly reheated may cause plaque deposits in the arteries due to a
decrease in the oil's antioxidant activity.
When rats ate food containing palm oil that had been reheated 10
times, they developed large arterial plaques and other signs of heart disease
over the course of six months, whereas rats fed fresh palm oil did not.
Fried
Palm Oil Stew
Ingredients:
6 Red Bell Peppers (Tatashe)
Assorted meats ( Boiled and Fried)
4-6 Boiled Eggs (Optional)
1.5 cups Palm oil
2 Big onions
2-4 Scotch bonnet (Ata rodo)
Stock fish
Dried Catfish fillets or Shawa
fillets
1 Cup Dried Prawns
4 Tablespoons Crayfish Powder
4 Knorr Chicken Cubes
Salt to taste
Method:
Using a food processor, chop up
your bell peppers and 1.5 Onions coarsely, set aside.
Boil your Stock fish and Catfish fillets in salted water till soft. Set
aside.
Pour the palm oil into a pan, set on medium heat. When the oil heats up,
add the 1/2 chopped onion, saute for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, add half of the crayfish powder,
saute for just 30 seconds.
Then add the pepper. Also add
the Knorr cubes and salt to taste, leave to fry on medium heat for 20 minutes,
remember to stir every now and then to avoid burning.
The stew should look like
this after 20 minutes. In fact, the stew should be cooked enough to eat at this
time but we’re not done yet
Then add the Stock fish and
Catfish fillet.
Also add a 1/2 a cup of the
fish broth.
Now, turn the heat to low,
then leave to fry for 40 minutes. the longer it fries, the drier it becomes and
the tastier it gets. Trust me, the key to well fried stew is to let it fry for
as long as possible. Try not to burn the stew though.
After 40 minutes, add the fried meats and
boiled eggs, continue to fry for a further 10 minutes.
Your palm oil stew is ready
Try not to leave the crayfish
for too long to avoid it burning or it’ll give your stew a bitter taste…
+2348074926468.
Pharex Global Ventures Foods. 
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