While coconut oil has been riding a wave of popularity, there’s another versatile cooking oil that’s been flying under the radar – palm oil! The red or orange fruits of palm trees are squashed and pulped to extract this beneficial oil. And though you might not have paid much attention to it, you’ve definitely come across the humble palm oil. It’s used in cereals, pizzas, chocolates, bread, chewing gum, shampoo, and even cleaning products! In fact, some estimates suggest that around 33% of products in your supermarket contain palm oil.1
The oil that’s initially extracted is called red palm oil since it has a high content of tocopherols, carotenes, and tocotrienols which give it a red color. And these beneficial compounds come with a range of health properties. Palm oil:
1. Counters Damage By Free Radicals
Research shows that palm oil tocotrienols, a kind of vitamin E, have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can block the effects of free radicals which are present in everyday pollutants and are formed when your body turns food into energy. Free radicals can damage your DNA and cells and play a part in aging, as well as diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.2 But palm oil may counter these effects – one animal study found that palm oil tocotrienols prevented the oxidative degradation of proteins and fats to a large extent and inhibited liver damage.3
2. Fights Cancer
Tocopherols from palm oil may also be able to fight cancer. According to a study, a tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil inhibited the spread of cancer cells and sped up the death of prostate cancer cells.4
Tocotrienol from palm oil may also work against the spread of breast cancer cells. In fact, some researchers have even suggested that they could be used in combination with medication to prevent and treat breast cancer.5
3. Protects Against Neurodegeneration
Palm oil may help keep your nervous system in good shape. In one study, researchers supplemented volunteers with cardiovascular risk factors with 200 mg of tocotrienols or a placebo for a period of 2 years. The group that took the placebo experienced an increase in white matter lesions in their brain while those that took tocotrienols stayed essentially unchanged.
Animal studies also show that tocotrienols in palm oil were able to fight damage to the brain’s white matter after an induced stroke. They increased blood circulation to the damaged part after the stroke as well. Over 50% of your brain is made of white matter and it is the area most affected by stroke. While human trials will be needed to establish this, the early research in the area is quite a promising result for stroke survivors.6
4. Reduces High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure increases the risk of serious problems such as heart failure and kidney failure. But palm oil may be able to help people with hypertension. One animal study found that when rats with high blood pressure were given palm oil, their arterial pressure dropped significantly. High blood pressure is linked to oxidative stress and dysfunction in the cells that line your blood vessels. Palm oil is thought to work by modulating these. The presence of the monounsaturated fatty acid known as oleic acid in palm oil may account for this favorable effect.7
5. Combats Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency is a serious problem in many parts of the world – approximately 40% of the global population suffers from it. Being deficient in this vitamin increases the risk of diarrhea and death from infections and is also the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. But not only is red palm oil the richest plant source of provitamin A carotenoids, the vitamin present in it is also easily absorbed by the body. In fact, research indicates that when children were regularly given red palm oil in small amounts, it reduced vitamin A deficiency effectively. Just 4 ml of palm oil daily was able to improve vitamin A levels.8 9
6. Prevents Stomach Ulcers
Stomach ulcers cause that characteristic burning pain in your abdomen and hamper your quality of life. But vitamin E present in palm may be able to ward these off. One animal study found a significant reduction in gastric acid in subjects supplemented with palm vitamin E. It was even effective at preventing gastric lesions induced by aspirin in them.10
7. Moisturizes And Softens Skin
If dry skin is bothering you, look no further than palm oil. Red palm oil can moisturize your skin and make it smoother and softer. Rub in a little of this amazing oil to nourish your skin with a rich dose of vitamin E and antioxidants. Do keep in mind, though, that red palm oil can stain your skin and clothes.11
8. Conditions Hair And Fights Hair Loss
A nice head massage with palm oil will work as a conditioning treatment for your hair. But that’s not all. Consuming tocotrienol-rich palm oil may help hair growth. According to research, there’s a relationship between oxidative stress and hair loss. And one study found that supplementation with tocotrienol improved hair growth by 34.5% at the end of an 8-month period. The antioxidant activity of tocotrienols is thought to counter the damage to cells by free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in the scalp.12
Have Palm Oil In Moderation To Balance Saturated Fat Intake
Palm oil usually gets a bad rap because it’s high in saturated fat, which is linked to high LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease. But some research indicates that palm oil can actually raise levels of HDL cholesterol or “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol can help remove LDL cholesterol that clogs up your arteries and cause heart disease.13
Research also shows that refined palm oil is about 47% more likely to promote fatty deposits in your arteries than red palm oil, probably because red palm oil has a high content of antioxidants with anti-atherosclerotic properties.14 Moreover, only 50% of the fat present in palm oil is saturated while palm kernel oil (extracted from the palm seeds) and coconut oil have more than 85% saturated fat. Palm oil may thus have a more favorable composition than these oils.15
If you weigh all these up, it means you should continue to enjoy palm oil for its benefits – but remember to use in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to about 5–6% of your total calories. This translates to about 120 calories from saturated fat in an average daily intake of 2000 calories.16
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