Side Effects of Palm Oil

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruit of oil palm trees. Two types of oil are produced: crude palm oil is the oil that comes from squeezing the fleshy fruit and palm kernel oil is produced from crushing the kernel or the stone found in the middle of the fruit.

Although oil palm trees are native to the continent of Africa, over a century ago they were bought to South Asia. Now, the countries of Malaysia and Indonesia produce 85% of the world’s supply of palm kernel oil. Palm oil is an active ingredient in almost everything in the supermarket, from chocolates, candies, shampoo, toothpaste, and lipstick. It is also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in certain parts of the world.

Side effects of palm oil:

• Increase cholesterol levels- Excessive consumption of palm oil increase cholesterol levels.

• Yellow Skin- Unregulated consumption of palm through food can sometimes turn our skin yellow because of the presence of high levels of carotenes in the oil.

• Red and irritated skin- Applying red palm oil as a topical to treat skin conditions can cause the skin to become red and irritated.

• Stained clothes- Even though palm oil has several benefits for the skin and hair, it is important to realize that they stain clothes very easily.  

• Cause weight gain Palm oil is naturally rich in palmitic acid, a fatty acid that increases our chance of weight gain and obesity. According to a 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet high in palmitic acid leads to lower fat oxidation rates and a decrease in metabolism. The researchers also concluded that this may increase insulin resistance and the chances of obesity.

• High in saturated fats and calories- Palm kernel oil and palm oil are 117 calories and 120 calories per serving. They also have 13.6 grams of fat per serving. Regularly using palm oil can significantly raise your saturated fat and cholesterol intake.

• Increases risk of stroke- Palm oil is rich in triglycerides. Regular and excessive consumption of palm oil tends to harden and thicken the arteries. This increases our risk of developing heart disease and also our chances of stroke.

Since palm oil is used to make a lot of packaged food and is even favored for home cooking because of its high smoking point, therefore, nutrition experts recommend using a different vegetable oil for cooking to regulate and reduce your intake of palm oil.   

Palm oil production’s negative impact on the environment

Palm oil is an extremely productive crop that offers a greater yield at a lower production cost than any other vegetable oil. As the global demand for palm oil increases, so does the expansion of plantations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, this expansion is at the expense of tropical forests which act as a lifeline for many communities and which also form critical habitats for many endangered species.

According to a report from the World Wildlife Organization, between 2004 and 2017, over 160,000 square miles of global forest cover were lost to deforestation to grow palm oil trees. It is also very common to burn vegetation in oil palm plantations and this releases smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and pollutes the air. The indiscriminate application of pesticides and fertilizers in oil palm plantations also leads to soil and water pollution.