Top 5 Myths busted about Palm oil – The Chicster Diaries

Hello Chicsters!

Palm oil has been one of the most controversial topics since the 1980s. Over the years, Palm oil has been in the centre of the debate between good vs bad. In today’s article, we will be shedding light and busting some myths about palm oil. 

Top 5 Myths busted about Palm oil Image credit -www.nationalgeographic.com

Myth #1: Palm oil and its products are unhealthy because they are high in saturated fat.

Palm oil is a trans-fat free vegetable oil that composes of 50% unsaturated fatty acids and 50% saturated fatty acids. It’s true that Palm oil contains a high level of saturated fats but since they contain even polysaturated fats aka good fats, scientists consider Palm oil to have a neutral effect on the body. There are two types of palm oil available currently- red palm fruit oil and fractionated palm oil. According to Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), “Palm oil is different from palm kernel oil, which contains about 80% of saturated fats. Palm oil is mainly used for edible purposes, while palm kernel oil is used for non-edible purposes such as making soaps, cosmetics and detergents.”

Myth #2: When palm oil is used to fry food, it can become toxic.

Palm oil is one of the few oils that has a very high smoke point value ie. 235°C. The high smoke point value of palm oil makes it stable at high temperatures which in turn makes it much more suitable for cooking, baking and frying. A balanced palm oil is resistant to oxidisation as compared to its counterparts high-polyunsaturated vegetable oils. On the contrary, palm oil has recently been increasingly incorporated in the food industry as it remains stable at very high temperatures along with the high levels of natural antioxidants. 

MPOC webinar on debunking myths on Palm oil

Myth #3: Palm oil is not nutritious because it’s just fatty acids.

Palm oil does contain fatty acids but it also contains carotenoids and Vitamin E. Palm consists of a natural dietary supply of Vitamin A which is 15 to 30 times much more than that of carrots and tomatoes. Palm oil contains high levels of alpha and beta carotene which is converted by our body into Vitamin A. Palm oil is considered as one of the few vegetable oils that reduces the bad cholesterol in the blood. Palm oil is also considered as a rich source of Vitamin E and antioxidants. 

Top 5 Myths busted about Palm oil

Myth #4: Palm oil is only used in foods.

Palm oil is a versatile product that is used not only in the food industry but it is also used in many other products such as lipsticks, candles, soap, shampoo, biodiesel etc. Even though you may not consume palm oil directly but there is a very high chance you are using products indirectly use palm oil in their production. 

Myth #5: Palm oil is responsible for worldwide deforestation

According to National Geographic, forests cover 30% of our planets land. Deforestation can be caused both due to natural and human reasons. Some of the common reasons for deforestation are mining, livestock ranching, agriculture, paper production, wildfire etc. As per a survey in 2018 by the European Commission, Palm oil accounted for 2.3% of deforestation as compared to beef/meat/ leather production, soy production and maize production.