Health Effects of Palm Oil in the Diet

Palm oil is a plant oil derived from the pulp of palm fruits. There has been much controversy in recent years about whether or not palm oil is a healthy substitute for hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats). A 2009 study conducted by Alice Lichtenstein et al. at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, and supported by the Agricultural Research Service, has found that consuming either palm oil-based or partially hydrogenated soybean oil-based diets result in similar unfavorable levels of LDL cholesterol.

Heart Disease

• Palm oil is found in foods such as margarine, shortening, baked goods and candy, and is made of 45-to-50 percent saturated fat. Saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association, can lead lead to an increased risk of heart disease. A 2003 meta-analysis of 34 studies conducted by researchers in the Netherlands found that palm oil increases the risk of heart disease and is more harmful than other oils such as olive, soy and canola oils. According to the World Health Organization, there is "convincing evidence" that palm oil increases the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol

• According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a 1997 meta-analysis of 134 human experiments conducted by British researchers concluded that palm oil raises cholesterol levels. Saturated fat found in palm oil can raise your LDL cholesterol levels. This is the "bad" type of cholesterol that can lead to many negative health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. In 1997, the National Institutes of health warned that "Saturated fat raises cholesterol the most" and that "a high content of saturated fat can be found in foods that come from plants such as palm oil."

Weight Gain

• Since palm oil is high in saturated fat, it can lead to an increase in unhealthy fat consumption, which can lead to weight gain. The USDA recommends that only 7 percent of your daily calorie consumption come from saturated fat. Since palm oil is made of up 45-to-50 percent saturated fat, it's easy to surpass this limit, putting you at increased risk of being overweight.

Controversy

• As mentioned, there are many groups that tout the benefits of palm oil as a healthy alternative to trans fat-laden oils. According to a 1991 research study from the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia that was published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia, "examination of the chemical and fatty acid composition of palm oil or its liquid fraction should convince most nutritionists that the oil has little cholesterol-raising potential." The report goes on to explain that palm oil is cholesterol free; its major saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, has a neutral cholesterolemic effect; palm oil only contains trace amounts of the hypercholesterolemic saturated fatty acids; and palm oil is high in healthy monounsaturated oleic acids and linoleic acid. In addition, palm oil contains vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the body. It's important to note that Malaysia accounts for more than 80 percent of global palm oil exports, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.