One of today's most frequently asked questions: 'Is palm oil harmful or beneficial?'
What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is an oil obtained from the fruit of the palm tree, although it is a vegetable oil, it contains a high amount (50%) of saturated fat and is semi-solid at room temperature. It is frequently used in the food industry because it is cheap compared to other oils
Malaysia (31%) and Indonesia (51%) are the main producers and importers of palm oil in the world.
Different from other vegetable oils, palm oil is used. is the use of both the mesocarp and the seed part of the fruit in oil production.
There are 3 different types of palm oil used;
'Palm oil' produced from the fleshy part of the fruit (mesocarp)
'Palm kernel oil'
'Palm olein' obtained by fractionation process
Use of Palm Oil in the Food Industry:
Palm oil is the most used oil in the food industry because it is cheap and increases the shelf life of the food it is used in.
Food manufacturers mostly use palm olein, which is a processed oil. Palm oil contains tocotrienols and tocopherols, carotenoids, sterols, phospholipids, glycolipids and coenzyme Q10, while processed palm oil contains limited amounts of these substances. to remove and neutralize oil. During these processes, the oil is exposed to high heat and glycidyl esters, which are called carcinogens, emerge.
Palm olein is more suitable for frying because it is liquid at room temperature. As with every vegetable oil, when frying palm olein is applied, the formation of acrylamide, which is carcinogenic, occurs.
The Effects of Palm Oil on Health:
Tocopherol (E vit), which is high in palm oil, is a component that has important effects such as inhibiting cholesterol synthesis by acting on liver enzymes. But the palm Due to the saturated fats it contains, its effect on cholesterol and the development of cardiovascular diseases is still controversial. In addition to studies showing that palm oil raises cholesterol levels, there are also studies showing that it has no effect on cholesterol levels and lowers cholesterol levels. In addition, β-carotene is the vitamin with the highest ability to convert to vitamin A and plays a role in vision, cell epithelial differentiation, immune response and lung development.
In studies examining the effects of palm oil on blood sugar, it has been concluded that it generally affects blood sugar positively and reduces HbA1c levels. This result suggests that palm oil may have positive effects on diabetes.
However, more studies are needed to show the effects of palm oil on different diseases in order to clarify the possible effects.
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