What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fruit of oil palm trees. It has many different properties and is used widely in different food products.
Palm oil is a semi-solid state at room temperature and has been used to replace trans-fat in food products such as margarine and shortenings. It has a high smoking point and is used widely in fried products to give a crispy texture.
Palm oil is also used as daily cooking oil and, in the supermarkets, you can find brands of vegetable oil containing palm oil blended with other vegetable oils such as soya bean oil, peanut oil and sesame oil.
Does Palm oil affect cholesterol?
Palm oil does not contain cholesterol, similar to all other vegetable oils. However, palm oil contains a relatively high amount of saturated fat which is as much as in butter but lower than coconut oil, while most vegetable oils are low in saturated fat. Example, olive oil contains less than half of the saturated fat in palm oil.
Saturated fats that are consumed can be converted into cholesterol and high blood cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke. It has been reported in research studies that palm oil consumption results in higher level of bad cholesterol in the blood than do vegetable oils low in saturated fats. Opt for healthier choice for your cooking oil. Most vegetable oils are low in saturated fat with the exception of palm oil and coconut oil.
The information, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only, and are provided with no guarantee of accuracy, completeness or usefulness and without any warranties of any kind whatsoever, express or implied. No material on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.
Reference:
1. Cooking oils, cholesterol and CAD: facts and myths. Indian Heart J. 1996 Jul-Aug;48(4):423-7. PMID: 8908837
2. Palm Oil Consumption Increases LDL Cholesterol Compared with Vegetable Oils Low in Saturated Fat in a Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. J Nutr. 2015 Jul;145(7):1549-58
3. “8 things to know about Palm Oil” WWF website
4. Palm oil-derived natural vitamin E alpha-tocotrienol in brain health and disease. J Am Coll Nutr. 2010;29(3 Suppl):314S-323S
5. Palm Oil: Are There Health Benefits? WebMD website
6. Wikipedia, Palm oil
