Palm Oil: Health Effects to Know
Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDN
Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree. Oil extracted from the flesh of the fruit is called palm oil, while oil made from the seed (or kernel) is called palm kernel oil. Palm oil is one of the most widely used edible fats in the world and is consumed in many countries.
Palm oil has properties that may offer health benefits, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene, which might have antioxidant effects. It also contains saturated and unsaturated fats.
Some studies have found evidence to promote the consumption of palm oil because of its nutritional and therapeutic properties. Others have found evidence to limit its use, largely because of its high saturated fat content and potential for related negative health impacts.
For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that eating a diet rich in palm oil on a daily basis may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This article will primarily focus on the negative health impacts of palm oil, specifically the saturated fat content of palm oil, potential health effects (such as inflammation, cancer, and type 2 diabetes), food items with palm oil, who should avoid or limit palm oil intake, and palm oil compared to other oils.
SuriyaDesatit / Getty Images
Palm Oil, Saturated Fat Content, and Cardiovascular Disease
Palm oil is composed of about 50% saturates, 40% monounsaturates, and 10% polyunsaturates.
Tropical oils, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil, are all high in saturated fats. Saturated fats can increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol and triglycerides and have been linked to heart disease.
In addition to tropical oils, saturated fats occur naturally in many foods, primarily animal sources such as meat and dairy.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats, aiming for a dietary pattern of no more than 5%–6% of calories from saturated fat. This means if you have a diet of 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of those calories should come from saturated fat (about 13 grams of saturated fat per day, depending on your daily caloric needs).
What the Research Says
A systemic review showed an increase in blood levels of atherogenic (the process of forming plaques in the arteries) LDL cholesterol associated with palm oil consumption.
Although the link between saturated fat and increased LDL cholesterol with related cardiovascular risk has been established, some studies have found palm oil may not create the same risk.
Results of various animal and human studies suggest that palmitic acid (the main saturated fat in palm oil) from a plant source, such as palm oil, may have an insignificant effect on raising LDL and total cholesterol compared to palmitic acid from animal sources.
Palm oil also contains tocotrienols, which may reduce LDL levels.
Unsaturated fat oleic acid, which is found in palm oil, is the main fatty acid found in olive oil. Some studies have found the beneficial effects of palm oil are similar to those of olive oil despite its high saturated fat content.
How the oil is used may also play a role. Heated palm oil has been indicated repeatedly as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries).
In short, though palm oil is high in saturated fat, and saturated fat has been reliably linked to increased LDL and cardiovascular disease, studies of the effect of palm oil on LDL and cardiovascular disease remain conflicting and inconclusive. Some also contain methodology problems. More research in this area is necessary.
Palm Oil and Inflammation
The palmitic acid in palm oil is considered pro-inflammatory (meaning it promotes inflammation).
Despite palm oil's high palmitic acid content, some studies suggest consuming it may not have a negative effect on inflammation and may even have a beneficial effect. This is likely because palm oil also contains anti-inflammatory properties such as tocotrienols (chemicals in the vitamin E family).
Palm Oil and Cancer
Some evidence suggests that a diet consisting of greater than 25% fat could be a risk factor for certain cancers, such as breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, compared to a diet consisting of less than 20% fat.
The effect of palm oil on cancer occurrence has not been studied well. Some research suggests palm oil may contribute to cancer risk because of the acrylamide (a substance possibly linked to cancer risk) created through glycerol (an alcohol) breakdown when palm oil is heated to higher than its smoke point, especially when used as a cooking oil.
Palm Oil and Type 2 Diabetes
In some rodent studies, palm oil was found to impair glucose tolerance and reduce insulin sensitivity.
Studies of both animals and humans in looking at palm oil consumption's role in type 2 diabetes have been inconclusive. Some research suggests that excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids can promote liver and visceral fat accumulation, which can have a detrimental effect on the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.
More research is necessary to determine whether palm oil plays a role in type 2 diabetes.
Impacts of Palm Oil Cultivation
Palm oil production involves large-scale deforestation, including slash-and-burn practices. This impacts the environment by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, endangering at-risk species, polluting water and soil, and creating other effects.
These slash-and-burn practices result in recurring episodes of a harmful haze in Southeast Asia, which have led to health problems such as an increase in:
Eye diseases
Skin diseases
Premature deaths
Fetal, infant, and child mortality
Food Items With Palm Oil
Palm oil can be processed into a liquid fraction of palm olein and a solid fraction of palm stearin. The liquid palm olein is typically bottled and sold as cooking oil. The more solid palm stearin is often used in producing margarine, shortening, and vegetable ghee.
Versions of palm oil may be found in foods such as:
Baked goods
Frozen foods
Processed meals
Snack foods
Cheese analogs
Candies
Chips
Confectionary fats
Crackers
Ice cream
Cooking oil
Industrial frying fats
Margarine
Microwave popcorn
Instant noodles and oatmeals
Salad dressings
Non-dairy creamers
Vegetable ghee
Soups
Supplements/vitamins
Who Should Avoid or Limit Palm Oil Intake?
People who have high cholesterol may want to discuss with their healthcare provider if they should limit their palm oil intake because of its potential to raise LDL cholesterol.
Care should be taken with palm oil, particularly palm oil supplements and certain medications, such as:
Anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs: Palm oil may slow blood clotting. Combining palm oil with medications that slow blood clotting could increase the risk of bleeding and bruising.
Beta-carotene or vitamin A: Palm oil contains beta-carotene. Combining palm oil with beta-carotene or vitamin A supplements could result in too much vitamin A.
Talk to your healthcare provider before taking palm oil supplements, especially if:
You are pregnant.
You are breastfeeding.
They are for a child.
Palm Oil Compared to Other Oils
Palm oil is widely used, accounting for more than half of all vegetable fats and oils combined.
Palm oil has less saturated fat than butter, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil and has no trans fat. Harvard nutrition experts have stated that though palm oil is definitely healthier than trans fats and potentially a healthier choice than butter, vegetable oils that stay liquid at room temperature (like olive oil or canola oil) should likely be your first choice.
Oleic acid has been shown to have beneficial effects on serum lipids and cardiovascular disease. Olive oil's fatty acid composition as oleic acid is 65%–80%, compared to peanut oil's, which is 52%–60%, and palm oil's, which is 40%.
Summary
Palm oil is high in saturated fat, which may raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some studies suggest palm oil could be linked to inflammation, certain cancer risks, and type 2 diabetes, but research is inconclusive and often contradictory.
Palm oil also contains properties that can have positive effects on LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Palm oil is used in foods such as shortening, margarine, cooking oil, baked goods, and many others.
Talk to your healthcare provider before taking palm oil supplements, particularly if you are taking medications that affect blood clotting, beta-carotene supplements, or vitamin A supplements, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or intend to give them to a child.
Vegetable oils, such as olive and canola oils, may be a more health-conscious choice than oils high in saturated fat, such as palm oil.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
