what is the benefits of palm oil
Palm oil comes from the palm tree fruit and is one of the few vegetable oils high in saturated fat. This type of fat is actually important to your overall health.
Historical accounts suggest that palm oil was a part of the diet of indigenous populations. At present, it has become the second most traded oil crop in the world, after soy, with Malaysia and Indonesia as its main producers.2
Palm oil is not to be confused with palm kernel oil. Both are obtained from the fruit, but the latter is derived from the seeds of the oil palm. Palm kernel oil has a higher amount of saturated fat, which makes it ideal for cooking as well.3
Palm oil — also known as red palm oil — contains high amounts of saturated fat, vitamins, and antioxidants. If you see palm oil that’s colorless (also known as white palm oil), it means that it has been processed. The lack of color means it has been stripped off most of its nutritional properties.
Uses of Palm Oil
Some of the uses of red palm oil include:
- Cooking oil: Similar to coconut oil, palm oil is resistant to heat compared to other vegetable oils. Its stability also makes it easy to store at room temperature for many months.
- Tasty ingredient: Palm oil is used as an ingredient in soups and sauces, or as flavoring in certain dishes.
- Dietary supplement: Palm oil has a superior nutrient profile that makes it useful for supplementation.4
- Personal care and household products: Palm oil is added to soaps and detergents, cosmetics, and other household products.5
- Skin moisturizer: Due to its nutrient-dense profile, palm oil is beneficial for skin health. It is added to a number of skin care products.
- “Sunblock”: With its high levels of carotenes, red palm oil provides protection as a commercial sunblock with SPF15, but without the dangerous components.6
- Biofuel: Palm oil is fast becoming a resource for biodiesel and as a fuel in electrical stations.
