One should definitely know why palm oil is bad, but it has some benefits too you should bear in mind. Every oil has some positive and negative effects and yes today this whole content is for palm oil users.
You may have heard of people using different oil for cooking, eating, or in various beauty products. Among these oils, palm oil has started getting popularity not because of its use only, but also the controversy it is creating around the world related to the environment and human health.
What Is Palm Fruit?
Palm fruits are mainly grown on a unique type of oil palm tree. Generally, equatorial areas grow this special fruit. A large number of fruits is grown in each bunch a year. The bunches of palm trees normally contain 1000 to 3000 fruitlets consisting of the hard kernel, fleshy pulp in a shell. Let’s see Olive Oil vs Vegetable Oil which one is better?
Palm fruits are of different categories, shapes, and sizes. One of the very famous palm genre fruits is coconut which is quite big and round shaped. But when you look at African Palm fruits, the scenario is totally different. These fruits range from 1 inch to 2 inches, even sometimes less than this in length.
Usually, this fruit is black in color but red when ripe. The fruit is fibrous and has a distinct taste that is difficult to describe in words. But all of you will agree that this fruit is rich in aroma and flavor as well.
What Is Palm Fruit Oil
Palm oil, derived from palm fruit, is semi-solid at room temperature. But mostly in temperate weather, you can find it liquid. If you are planning to consume palm fruit oil then you need to have proper knowledge of this oil. Generally, there are three types of palm oil:
- Palm oil
- Palm kernel oil and
- Coconut oil
Palm oil is extracted from the palm fruit palm, where the palm kernel oil is derived from the palm tree kernel. Coconut is also a palm category fruit that can also produce oil.
The three kinds of palm oil contain highly saturated vegetable fat. These oils contain saturated fatty acid palmitic acid.
Where Does Palm Oil Come From
One of the famous edible vegetable oils is palm oil. You can get it from the palm fruit of oil palm trees, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis. When you are invading supermarkets, you will find two different types of palm oil. One is made out of the palm fruit flesh and another one is made of the kernel or the stone in the middle of the palm fruit. You can see 21 Side Effects of Flaxseed Oil.
From the beginning, palm fruit was a common one in Africa. But around a hundred years ago, South-East Asia brought this tree as ornamentation. From then to the present, it is Malaysia and Indonesia that supply 85% of palm oil globally. Besides these two, 42 other countries around the world also produce this oil.
What Is Palm Oil Used For
Palm oil is commonly used in cooking, especially for frying food. But this is not the only purpose of palm oil. Instead, it has a vast area covered in different markets. Palm oil has taken place in the snacks market in producing biscuits, chips, crackers, and batters. The ready-to-cook products in the supermarkets, from pizza to doughnuts, nearly all contain this oil. Let’s see canola oil or vegetable oil which one is better?
Not only the food products, but the cosmetics products are also under the spell of this oil. Deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and lipstick have a record of containing palm oil. Some of the countries have started using this oil in animal feeding sectors. One of the most important uses of this oil is its use as biodiesel. This use has opened a huge gate for South Asian and African countries to step into a new business.
Palm Oil Good Or Bad
Whenever buying palm oil, you may face the dilemma: is palm oil good or bad? One study has shown that if you consume this oil as part of your diet and you consume it in a balanced way, it will not be that harmful to your health. Generally, palm oil has a bad image of causing cardiovascular disorder.
Palm oil has saturated fat which is bad for the human heart. Furthermore, this bad fat can dysfunctional the liver and cause type 2 diabetes. Moreover, if you burn palm oil it will emit greenhouse gas and fill the air with dense smoke. This type of air is harmful to the respiratory system.
What products is it in?
Palm oil has a diverse area of use. From cooking to cosmetics and bakery. For making different foods you need to use cooking oil. As this oil is comparatively cheaper, people are choosing this over other oils. Most of the ready-to-cook and baking products contain palm oil.
Other than these, the common snack items, for instance, crips, ice cream, biscuits, cookies, crisps, and bread have palm oil. The non-dairy substitutes also include this vegetable oil as an ingredient. Different brands of cosmetics, shampoo, soap, cleaning detergent, and dishwasher detergents have palm oil because it is cost-effective for the companies.
Palm Oil Nutrition
Palm oil is sometimes counted as the magical alternative to trans fatty acids due to its nutrition properties. This oil contains equal proportions of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids at the same time.
This vegetable oil is rich in antioxidants. Moreover, it provides vitamin A carotenoids and vitamin E. Mostly, the unrefined palm oil contains the most pro-vitamin A which is good for skin and health at the same time.
1. Calories In Palm Oil
If you are seeking an alternative to your regular oil and looking for a good option with a healthy amount of calorie provider then palm oil can be a good choice. Palm oil is pure vegetable oil with good nutritional value. This oil can provide 120 calories when intaken a one-tablespoon.
2. Palm Oil Saturated Fat
Palm oil has a better image than other similar saturated fat-containing oils. Generally, the proportion of saturated fat in palm oil is lower than the coconut oil, butter, and cocoa butter oil. Researchers have found 93%, 70%, and 64% saturated fat in coconut oil, butter, and cocoa butter oil respectively when palm oil has only 35% of the similar content. So, if you want to convert, which oil are you going to choose?
3. Does Palm Oil Contain Cholesterol
If you compare palm oil with other vegetable oils, palm oil has a bad impression on lowering cholesterol. Where different vegetable oils such as olive oil have an impact on bad cholesterol and help to lessen it, palm oil, especially the red one, may improve some bad LDL cholesterol levels.
However, one study shows that the consumption of palm oil in a controlled amount as a diet cannot cause cardiovascular disease.
The 9 Palm Oil Health Dangers
As a vegetable oil, palm oil is getting more popular day by day. But, the question arises, is palm oil unhealthy? While some studies show that this oil can be a good option, others show palm oil has some side effects too.
This oil reduces weight. So, if you want to plan a diet chart, include palm oil without any worries. But remember, palm oil has issues with heart health.
1. Increased Cholesterol Levels
Red palm oil has the reputation of having a hand in raising cholesterol levels. Generally, palm oil contains saturated and unsaturated fat in the same amount. But the amount of saturated fat in palm oil is comparatively higher if you have any problem with raising cholesterol.
Different studies also show that palm oil as a part of the diet is not a danger to health.
2. Linked to Atherosclerosis
If you compare fresh palm oil and reheated palm oil, the first oil can provide better health benefits.
Fresh palm oil can benefit you with a heart where reheated one will eradicate all the heart benefits and increase chances of various heart diseases, for instance, atherosclerosis.
So, a heart patient must avoid reheated palm oil as well as the products containing this type of oil.
3. High in Saturated Fats
Compared to other liquid oils, palm oil is relatively high in saturated fats. Palm oil is about 34% saturated fat, while olive oil is less than half of that. Saturated fats are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and chronic health conditions.
4. Increased Cholesterol Levels
Palm oil especially as part of an overall low-fat diet has been shown to effectively maintain total cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol values.
Compared with other liquid vegetable oils, red palm oil is worse at lowering cholesterol, and may even raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. One study found that palm oil increased cholesterol in healthy individuals compared with olive oil, for example.
When taken by mouth: Palm oil is commonly consumed in foods. But palm oil contains a type of fat that can increase cholesterol levels. So people should avoid eating palm oil in excess. Palm oil is possibly safe when used as a medicine, short-term. Let’s see the 25 low-calorie lists of foods.
5. Palm Oil Heart Disease
Palm oil is a vegetable oil that contains 50% triglycerides that are known to increase the risk for stroke, heart attack, heart disease by hardening and thickening the arteries. Palm oil also contains 40% oleic acid, a heart-healthy fatty acid.
In fact, reheated palm oil may not just lose the heart benefits of fresh palm oil, it may actually increase your risk of heart disease such as atherosclerosis. If you are at risk for heart disease, avoid eating reheated palm oil or foods containing reheated palm oil.
6. Linked to Atherosclerosis
Palm oil has saturated fat which makes the consumer vulnerable. The presence of this type of fat, palmitic acid is the reason behind atherosclerosis. Different health organizations around the world, such as The World Health Organization, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, prohibit Consumption of palm oil.
7. Palm Oil Stomach Problems
Palm oil is one kind of vegetable oil. The crude or red palm oil has high beta-carotene. This type of carotene is not good for the human stomach. In addition to that, when you are in an era when people are concentrating on producing more and more palm oil for business purposes, the chance of getting properly refined oil is less. Palm oil, refined in a poor environment can cause your stomach to face some problems with digestion.
8. Is Palm Oil Cancerous
The European Food Safety Authority claims that if palm oil is processed in high heat, it can cause cancer. When palm oil is processed at a higher temperature, certain contaminants are formed and get mixed up with the oil. One of the cancer risk-increasing elements is glycidyl fatty acid. When you intake palm oil with food, the glycidyl breaks down and releases glycidol, a substance with carcinogenic effects which is harmful to the human body.
9. High in Saturated Palm Fats
This tropical oil is getting popular because of its low price and people are buying it for different purposes. Palm oil contains both saturated and unsaturated fat at the same time. Studies have shown that this oil contains higher saturated fat than olive oil, which is 35%. Researchers found that reheated palm oil’s saturated fat can increase the chances of cancer. This oil also has an impact on heart diseases as well as kidneys and the brain.
05 Palm Oil Health Benefits
From worldwide survey reports, you will find that palm oil is the most used vegetable oil. This oil is obtained from the fruit of palm trees and processed to make it ready to use.
Before using it you should know about the health benefits and risks. Generally, palm oil is reported to have the following health benefits.
- It can prevent vitamin A deficiency.
- Palm oil can help to ward off cancer and brain diseases
- High blood pressure and malaria can be treated by palm oil
- Cyanide poisoning can be prevented by this oil
- To increase metabolism in human body, palm oil is very advanced
Is Palm Oil Bad For You
Obviously, you need to know about the effects and impacts of the products you are consuming. When you turn to a new food habit to get better health, oil is the most important one.
According to nutritionists, palm oil is about 35% of saturated fat which is linked to heart disease and chronic health conditions.
The level of small, dense LDL is higher in palm oil, than olive oil which can raise cardiac problems. But, a mixture of rice bran oil and palm oil decreases sdLDL.
Is Palm Oil Bad For The Environment
If you want to live a healthy life then only a healthy diet or healthy lifestyle is not enough. The environment you live in has an undeniable impact. Large numbers of people tend to use palm oil in their food and as fuel. This decision has a great impact on our environment.
First of all, people who want to invest in palm oil tree farming have started to cut down the tropical forest and plant more palm trees. As a result, the animals living in tropical forests are becoming homeless and are on the verge of extinction. Not only the animals, but indigenous people are also being displaced and are forced to leave their culture and aborigine.
Secondly, the amount of carbon dioxide has increased in the air. The palm trees have a low leaf area. Consequently, the carbon dioxide consumption by the tree has reduced. And finally, to get better and more oil the people are setting up more industries and causing more damage to the environment.
Why Is Palm Oil So Popular
Palm oil is getting popular among people nowadays. There are various reasons behind familiarity.
- It is becoming an easy to get product day by day
- You can use palm oil for cooking and baking
- Besides, you can use it as fuel
- Palm oil contains less saturated fat than coconut oil or soya oil
- It is a pure vegetable oil.
Other than these causes, the production of palm oil and the effects it such as cutting down tropical forests, forced production, environmental pollution, are the negative reasons for palm oil’s popularity.
Health-aware people and different organizations have also started writing about the side effects of palm oil to make people more conscious which can be another reason people are getting to hear more about this oil.
Is Palm Oil Good For You
Palm oil may be an incredible source of cancer prevention agents, but in some cases cause complications for individuals with certain therapeutic conditions. The vitamin E found in palm oil is found highly effective for a healthy brain and maintaining the level. At some point, palm oil can lower cholesterol.
This oil contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are known to be advantageous to well-being. On the other hand, it contains saturated fat, which has been connected to cardiovascular issues. But, you should know the proper amount and use of palm oil before you start to avoid it.
If you intake it as a part of your diet or with rice bran oil, then it is not dangerous anymore. Palm oil has an influence only on your health, which is not true. The bitter truth is, the increasing tendency of using palm oil for cooking, baking, and for other purposes is causing environmental pollution as well as exploiting the farmers’ lives.
Why boycotting palm oil is not a solution
Recently, the palm oil consumption level is getting higher. Though the increasing demand for palm oil has some adverse effects, boycotting palm oil is not a solution.
To begin with, avoiding palm oil for cooking can be an option for people of a certain level. But, people with low expenditure cannot look for other options.
Recently, palm oil has opened a new door in the fuel market. You may not buy this oil for cooking or baking purposes but this step is not going to stop the producer. In addition to this, oil producers have already cut down rainforests and tropical forests to cultivate palm oil. Mass afforestation is not possible.
Or even if the governments of different tropical countries start forest development, it will take a huge time. So, you need to find an alternative to palm oil, which will be cheaper and more sustainable. Without avoiding this vegetable oil, try to make the production process of the oil more cost-effective and beneficial for the base level workers.
Q/A Part:
Why Is Palm Oil Bad For Animals?
The increasing demand for palm oil made it one of the life-threatening issues for endangered animals. To face the rising demand for this oil, some producers are taking some unsustainable measures that have some undeniable drawbacks.
Tropical forests are being cut down every day to plant more palm oil. This way animals living in such specific forests are getting extinct day by day. Asia, Africa already has lost orangutans, Asian elephants, Sumatran rhinos, tigers, and so on.
Is Palm Oil Bad For Your Heart?
People are tending to palm oil as a cheaper option for vegetable oil. But, if anything comes to you easily, there must be some disadvantages. The WHO, the NHLBI, and other health-oriented world-famous organizations are trying to make people aware of the effects of palm oil on your heart.
When you are using palm oil for cooking or baking purposes you are inviting danger to your home. Palm oil is not harmful till you reheat it. The reheating process activates the saturated fatty acid in palm oil and becomes the reason behind different heart diseases.
Palm Oil Vs Palm Kernel Oil
The liquid version of palm oil is known as palm olein. This oil can also be used in cooking and baking. Where palm oil sometimes may crystallize, this oil is liquid at room temperature.
If you look from the nutritionist’s view, palm olein and palm oil both have more saturated fat than olive oil but less than other tropical oils. But, if you intake this oil in a controlled way as a part of your diet, it will not affect your cholesterol level.
Hydrogenated Palm Oil Dangers
Hydrogenated palm oil means solid palm oil. It is a chemical process that turns liquid vegetable oil into a solid form. According to the Food and Drug Administration, partially hydrogenated palm oil has a hand in raising cholesterol levels. Even if you remove this oil from your food, it still can cause heart disorders.
Hydrogenated palm oil has hydrogen in it to increase its shelf life, which can cause a chemical change in the natural vegetable oil if stored for a long time in changing temperature and affect your health.
Non Hydrogenated Palm Oil
When a fatty oil receives some chemical through it, especially hydrogen to keep its fat in solid form, it is called hydrogenated. Where hydrogenated palm oil is solid at room temperature, non-hydrogenated palm oil fat is in normal liquid form at the same temperature.
The 09 Best Palm Oil
Palm oil is highly famous because of being an organic oil. This specific reason is making people keep this oil on their shopping list. The top 9 palm oils are:
- Okonatur Palm Oil
- Nativa Organic Red Palm Oil
- Dr. Adorable Palm Oil
- Praise Red Palm Oil
- Essential Depot Palm Oil
- H&B Oils Center Co. Palm Oil
- Grain Brain Palm Oil
- Aunt Patty’s Red Palm Oil
- Juka’s Organic Red Palm Oil
Palm Fruit Oil Vs Palm Oil
Sometimes you may get confused between palm fruit oil and palm oil.
Palm fruit oil is mainly made out of the squeezed juicy part of the palm fruit. This has a different taste. On the other hand, palm oil is mainly made out of white stone. This is also known as palm kernel oil.
Is there a way to avoid using harmful palm oil?
If you want to start using healthy oil and also trying to find an option for palm oil, there are various options. You can go for sunflower oil as a healthy option. Coconut oil and mustard oil happen to have more saturated fat than palm oil when olive oil has less. So, olive oil is also a very helpful choice for health-conscious people.
The Best Alternatives to palm oil
Researchers have reported palm oil as good oil and unharmful when used as part of a proper diet.
Rapeseed oil or canola oil is a very good replacement option for palm oil. Sunflower oil is also getting popular nowadays. You can use olive oil as the best alternative to palm oil. This is the most healthy and safe one so far.