Healthy Constituents of Palm Oil

~ Palm Oil, the healthier choice for your heart this World Heart Day~

India, September 2021: World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29 every year. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about the cardiovascular disease which causes nearly half of all the non-communicable diseases in the world. As the global pandemic gives us a chance to pause and assess our dietary and lifestyle choices, it’s essential to look at healthier alternatives for the way forward. Recent surveys also point towards as many as 7 out of 10 consumers saying that they will continue cooking, thereby providing an opportunity to take control over dietary choices and bring in healthier alternatives. This shift from dependence on dining or take out towards home cooked meals could result in reduction in heart related ailments in the near future.

One such healthy alternative is Palm oil, which is one of the most versatile oils used for cooking. Palm oil especially as part of an overall low-fat diet has been shown to effectively maintain total cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol values. There is evidence that a diet containing palm oil can actually reduce cholesterol levels: in a 2015 clinical trial published in the journal Food and Function, both palm oil and olive oil reduced cholesterol by 15 per cent. It contains monounsaturated fats which are proven to be beneficial for health and is free from cholesterol and trans-fat which are considered unhealthy and detrimental to the body.

Palm oil contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are known to be beneficial to health. In comparison, most vegetable oil such as soybean and sunflower are liquid at room temperature, so in order to be useful in many food products it has to go through an industrial process to turn it into a semi-solid. That process, known as hydrogenation, creates trans fats which are known to be linked to cardiovascular disease. Consumption of trans fats have negative health effects, including increasing plasma lipid levels.

As a result, countries around the world have moved to ban or restrict trans-fats in foods as they cause inflammation and calcification of arterial cells: known risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). They inhibit cyclooxygenase, an enzyme required for the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostacyclin, necessary for the regulation of blood flow. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, replacing trans fats with palm oil reduces heart disease risk markers and improves blood lipids. It’s high in tocotrienols, a type of vitamin E with antioxidant properties can slow the progression of dementia and lower stroke risk. Palm oil is also a sustainable key stock for the ‘Green’ industry due to its high productivity rate as compared to other crops.

Dato’ Dr. Hj Wan Zawawi Wan Ismail, CEO, Malaysian Palm Oil Council added “Due to its multifaceted composition, various benefits are attributed to Palm Oil such as supporter of vision and health, neuroprotective, cardio protective and potential anti- carcinogenic properties. This oil is the right choice for your food to achieve a balanced diet.”

About Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC):

The Council's role is to promote the market expansion of Malaysian palm oil and its products by enhancing the image of palm oil and creating better acceptance of palm oil through awareness of various technological and economic advantages (techno-economic advantages) and environmental sustainability.

The Council has set up a network of offices all over the world, mainly in China (Shanghai), India (Mumbai), Pakistan (Lahore), Middle East (Istanbul and Cairo), Europe (Brussels and Russia), South Africa (Johannesburg) and Americas (Washington DC) to support, promote and venture into new areas for the industry.

           

The plantation industry, particularly palm oil, is one of the main pillars of the Malaysian economy.  The palm oil sector has contributed significantly towards providing a continuous inflow of export earnings through the export of raw commodity and valued-added products to the global market. In 2020, palm oil contributed RM73.03 billion in export earnings for Malaysia and accounted for 26% of the world’s palm oil production and 34% of total palm oil exports.

 

The country today enjoys its economic prosperity and development through a strong foundation set by the industry and contribution in terms of export earnings and employment. It has long put into place guidelines, research, industrial and environmental standards that provide a safe, high quality Trans-free oil in a manner that supports the local economy, preserves the environmental resource base and is economically viable. Practices are constantly reviewed to ensure that best agricultural and management practices evolve in line with new research findings and international standards.