Why Palm Oil is Healthy?

There are three types of oil that can be made out of the fruits of palm trees: palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil. Originated in Africa where there are also savage palm plantations, palm oil has been used for over 5,000 years for food. It is on the third place as the most used oil in the world, after fat grease and soya oil.

Palm oil is made of the juicy part around the kernel of the fruit, and it is obtained through crushing and pressing. Kernels are being separated and after being cracked and their skin removed, they can also be processed.

Thus results the palm kernel oil which actually represents about 10 percent of the palm oil production. Palm kernel oil is processed separately because it has different uses and ingredients.

Palm oil and its liquid fraction (the olein) is used all around the world for cooking and for making margarine. Also, palm fats are included in various mixtures that are used for making different food products, but also for household products. Palm oil is easily absorbed by our organism, easily digested and used in normal metabolic processes.

It therefore supports the healthy development of our body. Vegetable fats and oils cover 95% of the lipids.

Palm oil contains a mixture of fatty acids in the following quantities: 10% linoleic acid, 40% palmitic oil, 5% stearic oil, 44% oleic oil, and this is similar to the composition of the adipose tissue of people having a regular, normal diet. It is a great source of vitamins A and E.

Palm oil contains a lot of beta-carotene which has the crucial role in adapting our eyes to the dark, also it plays a great part for the health of membranes and skin, for the bones' growth. Vitamin E's main role is that of antioxidant. It prevents unsaturated fat acids', fosfolipids' and vitamin A's oxidation.

It also helps to maintain the stability of the cellular membrane and it is essential for maintaining the neurological functions within normal limits.

Red palm oil is rich in vitamin A. It is used as nutritional supplement for feeding children. Combined with fish oil it has the power to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. All tissues have vitamin E in them.

Because of its antioxidant role, researchers have studied the possible relations with preventing cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer. This red oil contains thus a high concentration of beta and alpha carotene, which represents about 90% of the body's total content of carotenoids.

Well, the essential detail here is that it has been discovered that red palm oil is one of the very few foods that are rich in alpha carotene, which has been demonstrated to have a stronger anti-cancer effect than beta carotene.

The superior nutritive qualities of palm oil have turned it into a favorite ingredient for numerous types of meals. Also, as it has been previously mentioned, it is highly rich in the precious vitamins A and E. Because of vitamin E, it has an anti-aging effect on people and it is also very useful in several industries.

So to sum it up, here are again the reasons why red palm oil is preferable to all other types of oils. First of all, red palm oil contains more antioxidants and vitamin E than other oils. There is no other type of oil containing more carotenoids.

Also, it contains a mixture of healthy fat acids: 10% fat polyunsaturated acids, 40% fat mono saturated acids and 50% fat saturated acids. This is similar to the adipose tissue of humans who have an ordinary diet. This type of oil remains stable when it is used for cooking at high temperature, unlike other types of oil.

Also, it is not hydrogenated; it does not require toxic solvents such as hexane for processing and does not contain unhealthy "trans" fat acids. Olive oil was and still is generally considered to be the healthiest choice for cooking.

However, it is rather poor in fat polyunsaturated acids and vitamin E and rich in monounsaturated fat acids, and it becomes unstable at high temperatures when it is used for cooking. This is why palm oil is a very healthy product, combining great qualities at an affordable price!