Palm oil is a vegetable oil commonly used around the world. It is used in food items, cosmetics, and now even biofuels. There are two types of this oil: crude – that comes after squeezing the fruit, and palm kernel oil that we get after crushing the kernel. Though palm oil is native to Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia supply around 85 %. Let’s know the answer behind the question ‘is palm oil good for health or not?’. Also in this article, you will get to know whether it has any side effects associated with health related.
What Is Palm Oil? Everything You Need to Know
This oil is also called by its scientific name- Elaeis guineensis. Although it is an edible oil that derives from the fruit of oil palm trees, it is most commonly cultivated in tropical regions. This is versatile and widely used in cooking, packaged foods, and personal care products. Crude palm from the fruit pulp and palm kernel oil from the seed are both types of palm oil. Palm kernel oil is used in non-edible applications because it does not solidify or melt at room temperature.
Likewise, crude oil (palm) is used for cooking because of its liquid nature. Manufacturers worldwide favour this oil because it is cheap and easy to produce. But is palm oil good for health? Let us find out the advantages and disadvantages.
Palm Oil Benefits: Why is It a Popular Choice?
This edible oil has some uses, particularly in cooking and food production. Some of the notable palm oil benefits include:
Rich in Nutrients:
With vitamins A and E, this oil provides the needed nutrients to keep skin healthy and eyesight sharp, as well as antioxidant properties to fight free radicals.
High Stability for Cooking:
This edible oil is highly heat resistant and doesn’t burn quickly. This makes it less likely to oxidise and, therefore, extends the shelf life of processed food.
Energy Boost:
It is rich in a combination of saturated and unsaturated fats, making it an excellent, quick, lasting energy source for people who require a lot of energy.
Improves Skin Health:
This is among one of the best benefits of this palm oil. Skincare products commonly use palm oil due to their moisturising properties, helping to moisturise dry skin and replenish natural oils.
Strengthens Hair:
Also, it helps nourish and moisturise the hair, keeping it from drying, becoming brittle, and frizzy. It is also suitable for the scalp.
Preventing Vitamin A Deficiency:
Moreover, it helps children and pregnant women prevent Vitamin A deficiency.
Antioxidant Protection:
It holds antioxidant properties, protecting cells from oxidative stress and fewer chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Here’s What to Know About the Side Effects of Palm Oil
Palm oil, while widely used in cooking and processed foods, has a mixed reputation regarding health. On the positive side, it is rich in antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, which can support eye and skin health. However, its high saturated fat content can raise cholesterol levels. Now, let’s talk about palm oil side effects in detail.
High Saturated Fat:
On average, this oil has about 50% saturated fat, which raises LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol, worsening the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Linked to Inflammation:
New studies show that consuming this oil can cause inflammatory responses that might increase the risk of heart disease and arthritis.
Potential Weight Gain:
This is one of the other palm oil disadvantages that it is calorie-dense, so overeating this oil can cause weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Approximately 50% of all packaged products have palm oil.
Refined Oil Concerns:
The processed version of this oil, that is, refined palm oil, may also contain harmful compounds, like 3-MCPD and glycidol, which are known to damage the kidneys and cause cancer. That is the reason why is palm oil bad!
Imbalance of Omega Fats:
Omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in this oil is poor and may negatively influence overall cardiovascular health. In addition to the above listed risks, there are also other palm oil disadvantages, like it impacts the environment too. Want to know how:
Environmental impacts
The conversion of large areas of tropical forests for oil palm plantations entails a devastating effect on so many plant and animal species. Furthermore, oil palm production has been associated with increased human-wildlife conflict resulting from populations of large animals being squeezed into increasingly fragmented areas of natural habitat.
Conclusion
That’s it for this blog on what is palm oil. This edible oil is highly commonly used and has both advantages and disadvantages. It is a good source of vitamins and energy, and here is why we can’t ignore palm oil health risks, primarily because of its high saturated fat content. Palm oil is further complicated by its environmental and social impacts on production. Knowing its advantages and disadvantages can let you decide whether you should add it to your diet or not.
