Food Spotlight: Palm Oil (Elaesis guineensis)

This is the first of many food spotlights I will be doing.  I will put as much information on a particular food as I can for each post, the good/bad, nutrition facts, fun facts, other names for certain foods, and history.

Elaesis guineensis

Palm nuts

Palm Oil

Palm oil has been used as a food for ~5000 years and originates in West Africa.

The following is regarding natural, cold-pressed(expeller pressed) red palm oil(palm oil).  With oxidized palm oil, most of the benefits deteriorate and toxic effects arise. (4)  Moderate consumption leads to benefits while higher levels of palm oil have led to toxicity in the liver.

Nutrition Facts

Good:

1. Carotenoids (alpha-,beta-,and gamma-carotenes)(1)
2. Sterols (sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol)(1)
3. Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols)(1)
4. Water-soluble powerful antioxidants, phenolic acids and flavonoids(1)
5. Reduces risk of:
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Arterial thrombosis(1, 4)
• Atherosclerosis(1, 4)
• Cancer(1)
• Cataracts(3)
• Cognitive impairment(3)
• Macular degeneration(3)
• Platelet aggregation (blood clotting)(1, 4)
• Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol levels)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) (4)
• Vitamin A deficiency(1)

Bad:

1. Palm oil destroys the rain forest in most cases
1. CSPO Cerified Sustainable Palm Oil does not destroy the rainforest.
2. Processed/oxidized palm oil:
1. Induces an adverse plasma lipid profile
2. Induces reproductive toxicity
3. Causes Organotoxicity in multiple organs:
1. Kidneys 
2. Lungs 
3. Liver 
4. Heart

Other names for Palm Oil:

Aceite de Palma, African Palm Oil, Crude Palm Oil, Elaeis guineensis, Elaeis melanococca, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Huile de Palme, Huile de Palme Brute, Huile de Palme Rouge, Huile de Palmiste, Main Ja, Oil Palm Tree, Palm, Palm Fruit Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil Carotene, Palmier à Huile, Red Palm Oil.(1)

Foods containing the healthy version of palm oil:

• Maranatha Almond Butter

Palm oil uses:

• Frying
• Binding (almond butter, peanut butter etc)
• Soap
• Cosmetics

1 Springer Link Research Paper 
2 Webmd

3 draxe.com
4 Influence of palm oil (Elaesis guineensis) on health
5 History