The whole truth about palm oil

Palm oil

  1. History: Palm oil was traded even in the times of the pharaohs, more than 5000 years ago. Palm oil was officially imported to the USSR in 1977 (it was mostly exchanged for military equipment) in those times it was used in the production of margarine products and confectionery.
  2. Origin: Palm oil is a natural vegetable fat which is a product of natural origin. Palm oil is obtained from fruits of plants which have not been subjected to gene modifications that’s why it is a natural product without GMOs.
  3. Quality: The quality of palm oil is guaranteed by the presence of the Russian Federation standard - GOST R 53776-2010 "Palm oil. Refined deodorized for the food industry "(at the moment, palm oil is subject to GOST 31647 - 2012). The state standard is developed on the basis of scientific studies confirming that this product can be used for the production of food products.
  4. "Fictions" about palm oil. The following statements about dangers of palm oil are outspread:

 

№ Statement about danger Disproof
1 Palm oil is not absorbed by the body Digestibility that is the use of palm oil by human body is 97.5%.
2 Palm oil does not melt in the body because its melting temperature is above body temperature Very many products do not melt in our stomach: fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. The products in our stomach are digested and they get in the digestive tract the form of an emulsion and are digested. Palm oil is a common fat that is split by enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. Lamb fat has even a higher melting point (45ºC) and nevertheless is digested.
3 Palm oil is not used in developed countries European Union is on the first place in the consumption of palm oil. Then follow such countries as India, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, China and the US (listed in descending order).
4 Palm oil causes cancer Palm oil does not pass the stage of hydrogenation and does not contain trans fats which are carcinogens. Scientific researches do not confirm the relationship between cancer and palm oil consumption.
5 There are no useful substances in palm oil A huge amount of tocopherols are contained in palm oil, for example, (vitamin E), ubiquinone (vitamin Q), carotenoids (vitamin A) which are quite strong antioxidants and this is very useful for the human body.
6 In 2005 the World Health Organization recommended reducing palm oil consumption to decrease the risk of heart disease Torn from the context: a list of products that should be limited to people with cardiovascular diseases according to the WHO version of 2005:
- butter and melted butter;
- dairy products with a high fat content such as cream and cream cheese;
- palm oil and coconut oil;
- food fried in saturated fats;
- meat products such as hamburgers and sausages;
- liver, huslet;
- fat pork;
- bacon;
- bird’s skin;
- Egg yolks.
7 Palm oil is harmful for children Palmitic acid is a component of both palm oil (mass fraction in oil 44.3%) and breast milk and is used in infant food.

 

Speculation on the harm of palm oil is not caused by concern for the health of consumers because damage of palm oil is not proved. Palm oil is rather cheap raw material for the food industry in comparison with vegetable oils which must undergo numerous technological steps, including hydrogenation for use in the confectionery industry, production of margarine products, etc.

Conclusion: Palm oil has been used in the USSR since 1977, it is not carcinogenic, it is well absorbed by the body and it contains useful fatty acids and vitamins.