Palm Oil and Health

What do you need to know?

Let’s start with some scientific facts about palm oil.

1

Palm oil is a healthy oil.

Palm oil is Vegan, and GMO free.

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3

Palm oil is 100% free of trans fats.

Palm oil is NOT a seed oil.

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5

Palm oil is lower in saturated fats than coconut and butter.

These are facts about the palm oil consumed every day in Europe, America, and around the world.

Palm oil is used as an ingredient in bread, baked goods, cereals, margarine, chocolate and many other everyday products – and all of it is healthy and free of trans fats. 

In fact, palm oil today is used as a healthy replacement for the old trans-fat oils, such as Crisco. Palm oil is naturally trans-fat free.

Palm oil has no relation to seed oils. Palm oil comes from pressing the flesh of the palm fruit – just like olive oil comes from pressing olives.

Still not sure?

Listen to the experts, and read the detailed scientific footnotes and data…

“As regulators seek alternatives to trans fats, palm oil serves as a leading replacement fruit oil”
Dr Jonathan Ellen
Founder of Labrador Health
“…epidemiological evidence does not support a role of saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid or palm oil in cancer development.”
Dr Elena Fattore
Head of Environmental Risk Unit, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research
“Palm oil is a natural product that does not cause health problems, given its unique chemical structure. Furthermore, palm oil contains Vitamin E and is the most significant source of tocotrienols, which offer protection against cancer and are pro-Vitamin A.”
Dr Jean Graille
Former Head of Lipid Sciences, CIRAD
“These attributes make [palm oil] ideal for the production of foods including cookies, cereals, margarines and chocolate … This means that palm oil can be safely consumed as part of a well-balanced diet”
Cordialis Msora-Kasago, M.A., RD
Founder of Maitano Nutrition
“With a balanced composition (50% saturated and 50% unsaturated), palm oil is perfect for cooking, even frying, as it is very heat-resistant. It is also naturally trans fat- free and cholesterol-free. Palm oil’s excellent heat resistance and balanced composition make it one of the healthier options.”
Dr Guy-André Pelouze
Founder of Institut Recherche Clinique

Virgin Red Palm Oil

Virgin red palm oil is another form of palm cooking oil, similar to extra-virgin olive oil. Unlike refined palm oil which is used widely around the world, including in Southeast Asia, China and India, virgin red palm oil is common in Africa and some parts of Latin America but not so much in the West.

– Facts about Virgin Red Palm Oil –

1

Virgin red palm oil is a rich source of Vitamin A beta carotenes – far more than carrots or tomatoes. This prevents blindness, strengthens the immune system and decreases the risk of pregnancy-related complication

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Virgin red palm oil has some of the highest levels of Vitamin E tocotrienols, which have been proven to help protect against cancer and reverse neuro-degeneration

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Palm oil is more efficient than any other oil: this means the Vitamin A and Vitamin E nutrients are affordable for poorer countries and vulnerable communities

Experts agree:

“Red palm oil given regularly in small amounts appears highly effective in the reduction of Vitamin A deficiency … deficient children benefited the most from red palm oil”
Dr Augustin N Zeba, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montréal
“the virgin red palm oil contains essential forms of vitamins A and E that enrich human health.”
Dr Jonathan Ellen, Founder, Labrador Health
“palm oil is an important source [of vitamin A] and may consequently prevent blindness, strengthen the immune system and decrease the risk of pregnancy-related complication”
Cordialis Msora-Kasago, M.A., RD, Maitano Nutrition
‘palm oil tocotrienols are “very effective” in killing cancer cells’
Professor Pramod Khosla, Wayne State University in Detroit
“Palm oil is a great source of vitamin E … confers protective effects in most of the body, including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, stomach and bones”.
Gregory Lafortune, M.S., RDN, LD, Optimal Plan Nutrition

Palm Oil and Trans Fats

Palm oil is 100% free of trans fats.

This matters because the US, EU and many others restrict or ban the use of trans fats in food because they are uniquely harmful.

Trans fats are created when a liquid oil (such as rapeseed or sunflower) is transformed into a solid fat by adding hydrogen. Palm oil never needs this industrial process because it is naturally semi-solid.

Trans fats are proven to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and have also been linked to the development of cancer.

Palm oil provides the ideal solution: free of trans fats, but with the chemical and technical properties to make the same food products – without trans fats, and at a lower price than sunflower and rapeseed oils as well.

The European Food Safety Authority concludes:

“Elevated levels of trans fatty acids (TFA) increases the risk of coronary heart disease … TFA intakes should be as low as possible”

Palm Oil and Other Oils

Palm oil is NOT a seed oil. As Dr. Jonathan Ellen, former CEO of Johns Hopkins All-Children’s Hospital explains:

“Palm oil is a fruit oil. Like olive oil or avocado oils, palm oil is derived from pressing the flesh, or mesocarp, of the fruit once it has been picked from the trees. These are fruit oils, completely unlike sunflower, rape or other seed oils.”

Sunflower, canola/rapeseed and others are seed oils.

Palm oil, like olive oil, is a fruit oil.

Palm oil is also NOT high in saturated fats. Indeed, it is a balanced vegetable oil with 50% unsaturated fats and 50% saturated fats. Here’s the scientific make-up of palm oil with the alternatives:

50%

Palm oil

60%

cocoa Butter

70%

Butter

85%

Coconut oil