Facts and figures about palm oil nutrition
Facts and figures about palm oil nutrition
IN an interview with Business Times, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) chief executive Tan Sri Yusof Basiron states the facts and figures about palm oil nutrition.
Question: Why does palm cooking oil sometimes turn "cloudy" when placed in the refrigerator? Is the oil still safe for consumption?
Answer: Palm oil becomes jelly-like and cloudy when stored in the fridge, when all the other major vegetable oils remain liquid. This is due to its 50 per cent content saturated acids, mainly palmitic and stearic, which help to increase the HDL, "the good cholesterol".
More importantly, the other half of palm oil's fat content is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated - known to reduce LDL, the "bad cholesterol", and can benefit the cardiovascular system.
Unlike other vegetable oils grown in temperate countries, palm oil contains the whole spectrum of Vitamin E, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Its deep orange hue shows it is packed with beta-carotene, a Vitamin A variant.
Question: Is palm oil less nutritious than other more expensive cooking oils?
Answer: Palm oil is nutritionally balanced. One tablespoon of palm cooking oil contains 120 calories and 13.6g of fat. With a balanced combination of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats, palm oil is made up of 44 per cent oleic, 10 per cent linoleic, 40 per cent palmitic and five per cent stearic acids.
While palm oil is the cheapest cooking oil in the world, it is nutritionally comparable to olive oil in its cholesterol effects.
Red palm oil is packed with carotenes such as beta-carotene and lycopene - the same nutrients that give tomatoes, carrots and papaya their reddish-orange colour.
Palm oil has the richest natural source of the supervitamin E called tocotrienols. Olive oil does not contain any carotenes or tocotrienols, yet it is marketed as being heart healthy.
Question: Does palm cooking oil contain cholesterol?
Answer: Like all vegetable oils, palm oil does not contain cholesterol. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administrator has allowed palm-based products sold under the Smart Balance brand (containing up to 50 per cent palm oil and 50 per cent local oils) to carry the US patented label "To help increase HDL (good cholesterol) and improve the cholesterol ratio (HDL/LDL)".
Question: There is much literature on the Internet stating palm oil is high in saturated fats. Is it bad for health?
Answer: Palm oil is actually nutritionally balanced. A recent analysis published in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that there was no evidence to show that dietary saturated fat was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The effect of saturated fat should be seen in the context of a person's overall diet and environment. High intake of fatty acids associated with low intake in polyunsaturated fatty acids, consumption of sugary and salty foods, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and stress collectively trigger the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, palm oil has a balanced 50:50 of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
IN an interview with Business Times, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) chief executive Tan Sri Yusof Basiron states the facts and figures about palm oil nutrition.
Question: Why does palm cooking oil sometimes turn "cloudy" when placed in the refrigerator? Is the oil still safe for consumption?
Answer: Palm oil becomes jelly-like and cloudy when stored in the fridge, when all the other major vegetable oils remain liquid. This is due to its 50 per cent content saturated acids, mainly palmitic and stearic, which help to increase the HDL, "the good cholesterol".
More importantly, the other half of palm oil's fat content is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated - known to reduce LDL, the "bad cholesterol", and can benefit the cardiovascular system.
Unlike other vegetable oils grown in temperate countries, palm oil contains the whole spectrum of Vitamin E, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Its deep orange hue shows it is packed with beta-carotene, a Vitamin A variant.
Question: Is palm oil less nutritious than other more expensive cooking oils?
Answer: Palm oil is nutritionally balanced. One tablespoon of palm cooking oil contains 120 calories and 13.6g of fat. With a balanced combination of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats, palm oil is made up of 44 per cent oleic, 10 per cent linoleic, 40 per cent palmitic and five per cent stearic acids.
While palm oil is the cheapest cooking oil in the world, it is nutritionally comparable to olive oil in its cholesterol effects.
Red palm oil is packed with carotenes such as beta-carotene and lycopene - the same nutrients that give tomatoes, carrots and papaya their reddish-orange colour.
Palm oil has the richest natural source of the supervitamin E called tocotrienols. Olive oil does not contain any carotenes or tocotrienols, yet it is marketed as being heart healthy.
Question: Does palm cooking oil contain cholesterol?
Answer: Like all vegetable oils, palm oil does not contain cholesterol. In fact, the US Food and Drug Administrator has allowed palm-based products sold under the Smart Balance brand (containing up to 50 per cent palm oil and 50 per cent local oils) to carry the US patented label "To help increase HDL (good cholesterol) and improve the cholesterol ratio (HDL/LDL)".
Question: There is much literature on the Internet stating palm oil is high in saturated fats. Is it bad for health?
Answer: Palm oil is actually nutritionally balanced. A recent analysis published in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that there was no evidence to show that dietary saturated fat was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The effect of saturated fat should be seen in the context of a person's overall diet and environment. High intake of fatty acids associated with low intake in polyunsaturated fatty acids, consumption of sugary and salty foods, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and stress collectively trigger the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, palm oil has a balanced 50:50 of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
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