Is Palm Oil Harmful to Your Health? Key Points You Should Know

Palm oil is a vegetable-based cooking oil derived from the fruit of oil palm trees. It's extracted either by pressing the fruit or crushing the kernel at its core. While palm oil isn't a new commodity, it's still not widely discussed enough.

We take a closer look at its composition and explore why palm oil might not be good for your health or the planet. Before you start tossing out all the palm oil in your kitchen, here’s a quick guide on this controversial oil.

What Exactly is Palm Oil?

Palm oil is the most commonly produced vegetable oil in the world, with more than 81 million metric tons produced each year. It makes up over a third of the global vegetable oil supply, surpassing oils like soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed in production.

Palm oil comes in different varieties, each with unique properties and uses:

• Refined palm oil undergoes processing to remove impurities, color, and odor. This refinement makes it ideal for cooking and food production. It's commonly found in processed items like snacks, margarine, and baked goods.
• Red palm oil (unrefined) retains its natural red-orange color, packed with beta-carotene. It also has more vitamins like vitamin E and offers greater antioxidant benefits. Known for its rich, nutty flavor, red palm oil is less processed than its refined counterpart.
• Palm kernel oil is derived from the seed of the palm fruit. This oil is more saturated than regular palm oil and solidifies at room temperature. It's often used in non-food products, such as soaps, cosmetics, and detergents.

Nutritional Value

Palm oil is healthier than some cooking oils, but it doesn't quite match up to healthier options like olive or canola oil. While some studies indicate palm oil, as part of a balanced diet, doesn't raise heart disease risk, others associate it with higher mortality rates from heart disease. According to a WHO study, further research is needed on the matter.

So, what's actually inside palm oil? Here's a breakdown of the nutritional content in one tablespoon of palm oil.

• Calories - 120 kcal
• Fat - 13.6 grams
• Iron - 0.001 milligrams (0.01% of the daily recommended value or DV)
• Vitamin E - 2.16 milligrams (14.40% of DV)
• Vitamin K - 1.09 micrograms (0.91% of DV)

Palm oil is often marketed as a slightly healthier option compared to trans fats, which are increasingly being banned. Although it contains no trans fat, palm oil is rich in saturated fat, which can raise unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease. However, it is less saturated—therefore somewhat healthier—than oils and shortenings rich in trans fats.

Palm Oil Applications

Palm oil is incredibly versatile, which is why it's found in many packaged foods consumed by people in the U.S., including pizza, doughnuts, ice cream, instant ramen, and chocolate. Even Nutella contains palm oil, as it is the second ingredient listed on the label. Palm oil is also available as a cooking oil and will typically be labeled as such.

Aside from being in numerous foods, palm oil is also present in personal care products such as deodorants, lipsticks, soaps, detergents, and toothpaste. Its versatility means it’s used in a wide range of items, often under various names. There are about 200 alternative names for palm oil, making it almost impossible to avoid.

Look out for names like these:

• Vegetable oil (if unspecified)
• Palm kernel oil
• Glyceryl stearate
• Stearic acid
• Sodium laureth sulfate
• Elaeis guineensis (which is the scientific name for palm oil)
• Palmitate
• Sodium palm kernelate
• Hydrated palm glycerides

Drawbacks of Palm Oil

A study related to the preparation of palm oil for use in processed foods linked the oil to a potentially cancer-causing contaminant—but only if the oil is heated to a very high temperature of 200 degrees Celsius or 392 degrees Fahrenheit. Even then, the study says that further research is necessary to understand the possible risk level. Here are a few other points to consider.

Industry Influence

Public opinion on palm oil is constantly evolving as more information about this cooking oil becomes available. A 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) study highlights that the palm oil industry has influenced research on the health effects of palm oil, much like how the alcohol and tobacco industries have shaped research on their products to downplay their potential harm.

Since some of the research on palm oil’s health effects may be biased, it's possible that palm oil could be harmful to your health or have other unknown consequences. The WHO study notes, "The contested nature of the evidence suggests the need for independent, comprehensive studies of the health impact of palm oil consumption." As a result, the study leaves us uncertain about whether palm oil is truly beneficial or harmful.

Environmental Impact

While the debate over the health effects of palm oil continues, its environmental impact is another major concern. Indonesia and Malaysia produce the vast majority of the world’s palm oil, and the plantations responsible for growing palm oil contribute significantly to deforestation. The palm oil industry is notorious for destroying rainforests, displacing endangered species, increasing carbon emissions, and contributing to human rights violations, including labor exploitation.

However, when compared to alternative vegetable oils, palm oil uses less land, fewer pesticides, and less chemical fertilizer. For instance, growing the same amount of corn would have a much larger environmental footprint, although it wouldn't result in the destruction of vital rainforests.