Palm Oil Facts: Know Their Health Benefits And Other Details

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that has many health benefits and is extracted from the fruit of the African palm tree.

Some of the key benefits of palm oil include that it is high in antioxidants and contains lauric acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruit of the African palm tree. It has been used for centuries in Africa and Asia for cooking and making soap.

Around 1,000-5,000 orangutans have been killed per year due to palm oil production, as per Orangutan Foundation International. One orangutan species critically endangered due to palm oil production is Bornean Orangutan. As global populations rise in the future, the demand for more palm oil will also increase.

In this article, we will discuss some of the key health benefits of palm oil and some other details about this versatile vegetable oil.

Palm Oil Manufacturing Process

Palm oil has natural red color due to its high beta-carotene content. Palm oil comes from the fruit of Elaeis guineensis or oil palm trees.

When the fleshy fruit is squeezed, we get crude palm oil, while crushing the fruit's seed or kernel gives palm kernel oil. Refining processes are used to make many palm oil products after milling.

The first step is fractionation, with separation method and crystallization to get liquid or olein and solid or palm stearin fractions. To remove impurities from fruit bunches melting and degumming are done. The oil is filtered and then bleached.

Color and smell are removed through physical refining to produce free fatty acids and RBDPO or the 'refined, bleached, and deodorized palm oil' used to manufacture products like washing powder and soap. The basic palm oil product, RBDPO, is sold on the world's commodity markets. Several companies further fractionate to make palm oil for other processes or cooking oil.

Red palm oil is usually cold-pressed since the '90s from oil palm fruit and used as a bottled cooking oil and also used for vegetable oils and mayonnaise. Red palm oil has about 50% saturated fat and around 40% unsaturated fat with 10% polyunsaturated fat. Techniques like processing and refining lead to the production of white palm oil.

Around 33% of the global production of oils from oil crops was palm oil in 2014. Malaysia and Indonesia do more than 85% of the global supply of this oil. Indonesia is the biggest palm oil producer, followed by Malaysia.

Benefits Of Palm Oil

Elaeis guineensis palm oil has been recognized in Central and West Africa for a long time, used extensively as cooking oil. European merchants who traded with West Africa would sometimes buy palm oil to use as a cooking oil.

Alternatives to palm oil such as rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oil need more land compared to palm oil. Palm trees also produce around 5-10 times more oil compared to other crops. Palm oil is high in antioxidants, which help protect the body from free radicals and oxidative damage.

Like how sunflower oil or olive oil is widely used as cooking oil in the United Kingdom, palm oil is used widely in Asia and Africa. It is a good source of vitamin E, which is important for maintaining healthy skin and hair.

It contains lauric acid, which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It is a good source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, an essential nutrient for vision, immune function, and reproduction.

Palm oil is a stable oil that does not spoil easily. It can be stored at room temperature without going bad. This makes it a good choice for cooking.

It has a high smoke point, which means it can be used for high-heat cooking without producing harmful compounds. Palm oil is considered to be vegan because it does not contain any animal products. However, some producers may use animal byproducts in the refining process, so it is important to choose products that contain sustainable palm oil.

Impact On The Environment

Many regions of the tropical forests and several other ecosystems have been cleared to create huge monoculture plantations of oil palms.

The production of palm oil can have harmful effects on the environment. The extensive conversion of tropical forests to plantations has a destructive impact on many animal and plant species.

A standard method to clear forests is burning, releasing carbon dioxide and smoke polluting the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. Some people may be sensitive to the side effects of palm oil, which can include diarrhea, cramps, and nausea. It is best to use it in moderation if you are unsure how your body will react to it.

Products using palm oil are usually produced at the cost of local communities as their land is used without their approval. It creates social conflict.

Areas where palm oil is produced, have experienced a clear breach of alleged human rights violations, labor practices, illegal immigrant labor, and indigenous land rights. Effluents produced by palm oil mill leads to freshwater pollution, impacting people and downstream biodiversity.

Palm oil production has become a recent threat to orangutans that were once spread across South China and Southeast Asia. Smoke inhalation is what causes orangutan death, which is produced due to slash and burn agriculture methods for palm oil production.

Sustainable palm oil or alternative oils will decrease the harm caused to wildlife in Southeast Asia by palm oil production. Some companies have started to use sustainable palm oil.

When forests are cleared to build plantations, it leads to erosion and can also be the result of planting trees in the wrong arrangements. Oil palms planted on steep slopes are a significant cause of soil erosion. Erosion is the cause of silt deposits in ports and rivers and increased flooding.

FAQs

Q. Why is palm oil so bad?

A. There are many reasons why palm oil is bad for the environment. Deforestation is required for palm oil plantations and is a significant issue.

The production of palm oil also generates large amounts of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. In addition, the use of pesticides and other chemicals in palm oil production can have harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. For these reasons, it is important to choose products that contain sustainable palm oil.

Q. Is palm oil destroying the rainforest?

A. Yes, the production of palm oil is contributing to deforestation in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Forests are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations, which can have harmful effects on the environment. Deforestation also releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

Q. What are the positives of palm oil?

A. Some of the positives of palm oil include that it is a good source of vitamin E, contains antioxidants that protect you against disease, has anti-inflammatory properties, is high in saturated fat, but contains healthy fats that are beneficial for the body, is cholesterol-free, does not contain trans fats.

Q. Why is palm oil so cheap?

A. The price of palm oil is low because it is a commodity that is in high demand. It is also a relatively easy oil to produce, which keeps the cost down.

Q. What is the benefit of palm oil?

A. The benefits of palm oil include that it is a good source of energy, contains antioxidants that protect against disease, has anti-inflammatory properties, and does not contain trans fats.

Q. What do we use palm oil for?

A. Palm oil is used in a variety of applications, including food products, cosmetics, lubricants, soaps, and biofuels.

Q. Which is better palm or coconut oil?

A. Palm oil and coconut oil are both excellent oils, but they have different benefits. Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Palm oil is a good source of vitamin E, which is beneficial for the skin. Choose the oil that best suits your needs.

Q. Why should palm oil be banned?

A. Palm oil should not be banned, but it should be produced sustainably. The production of conventional palm oil can have harmful effects on the environment, so it is important to choose products that contain sustainable palm oil.