So I want to write these little short blogs about certain foods/nutrition/health topics I see in the news that get all sorts of media attention and explain it as simply as possible for those who don't have time or patience for reading all the info on it. This one is about Palm Oil.
Recently palm oil got some extreme attention, especially Nutella for using palm oil in their super yummy delicious hazelnut spread. Yep I love it, grew up eating it regularly as a child in France.
So what's the scoop?
First, there are 2 main types, Red Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil.
Palm oil is high in saturated fat and unsaturated fat. "Studies have shown" saturated fat causes a whole mess of health problems, especially with the heart and clogging arteries (cardiovascular disease). But palm oil is also high in unsaturated fats which "studies have shown" can be good in lowering cholesterol and preventing CVD.
Palm oil is comparable to coconut oil which has been praised for its many health benefits.
When it is heated (any vegetable oil) it produces free radicals and reduces antioxidants and nutrients.
And when it is hydrogenated (please avoid anything that has anything hydrogenated in its ingredients) it creates trans fats which are more bad fats for your body.
Extracting, producing, manufacturing palm oil destroys rain-forests.
Orangutans and other endangered species are losing their habitats.
Indonesia and Malaysia produce 85% of the world's palm oil.
Most of America's palm oil comes from Malaysia which has sustainability laws for making sure the environmental impact is not damaging, or I guess not so damaging to the earth or animals. But how can one know from product to product if the palm oil was sustainably sourced? Lot's of phone calls and research.
There aren't any humans studies to show the exact health consequences of consuming specifically palm oil so it is not possible to say that it is cancer causing or leads quicker to cvd.
It is just a fat with questionable sourcing.
Most peanut butter contains palm oil. Easy fix? Just buy peanut butter which contains just peanuts and buying organic means sustainable practices were used.
Consume palm oil as well as all other types of oils in moderation and make sure it is sustainably sourced.