Palm Oil History

Palm oil is a natural food that has been consumed for more than 5,000 years.

Palm oil is produced from the fruit of the oil palm, or Elaeis Guinnesis tree, which originated in West Guinea. While the tree was introduced into other parts of Africa, South East Asia and Latin America during the 15th century, it was first introduced 1870 as an ornamental plant. Large commercial planting and cultivation of the plant in Malaysia did not begin until the mid- 1990's.

Palm Oil Production

Palm oil is physically refined without the use of chemical solvents, thereby reducing the risk of residue contamination.

Malaysia is now the largest producer and exporter of palm oil in the world. Palm oil provides about 10 percent of the Malaysian gross domestic product.
 

COMPOSITION

Major Elements

Palm oil contains an equal proportion of unsaturated acids, containing about 40% oleic acids (monounsaturated), 44% palmitic acids and oleic acids, are also the major fatty acids produced by the body.

Percentage of Monounsaturates, Polyunsaturates and Saturates.

OTHER COMPONENTS

Vitamin E

Palm oil is a natural source of Vitamin E, the tocopherols, and tocotrienols. These components are dietary essentials, whose main function is to act as anti-oxidants, substance that prevents oxidation.

Free radicals are formed in the body during normal metabolic processes leading to the oxidant of the fatty acids component on the cell membrane. The oxidative damage may consequently impair the proper functioning of these cells.

The tocopherols and tocotrienols in palm oil act as natural antioxidants, scavenging the free radicals and are hence hypothesized to play a protective role against cellular aging, atherosclerosis and cancer.

Vitamin A

Unprocessed palm oil is used in a number of countries for cooking and is also a very rich source of beta-carotene, an important source of Vitamin A.

Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oils refer to oils that are derived from plant sources. Palm oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil and soybean oil are all examples of vegetables oils.

Palm oil is physically and chemically different from either palm kernel or coconut oil and should not be considered similar to these oils. Palm oil also contains a much higher proportion of palmitic acids than other fats and oils.

Major Uses

Palm oils is used worldwide as a cooking oil, shortening and margarine and also incorporated as a component into numerous fat blends and a wide variety of food products.
 

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES

Palm oil has a high solid glyceride content, which makes it semi-solid. It is usually used in its natural state without hydrogenation.

Extended Shelf Life

Palm oil based food products has an extended shelf life since palm oil is extremely stable against the onset of rancidity and oxidative deterioration. Because of its oxidative stability, palm oil is one of the best frying oils. It also contains only a trace amount of linolenic acids, and therefore does not give rise to "roomy" odors during frying.

Palm oil has the tendency to crystallize into small beta prime crystals, which increase its creaming performance for use in cakes and margarine's. The high palmitic acids content of palm oil is good for aeration of fat/sugar mixtures, such as those in baking.

Margarines

As a component in margarines, palm oil provides natural cooking and high gyceride content, which imparts the right consistency.

Palm oil is used to make vanaspati, or vegetable ghee, which is a 100% vegetable fat used as a substitute for butter, fat in many countries.

Longer Shelf Life

Bread made with shortening that consists of palm oil has a better texture and longer shelf life. Shortening made from palm oil is also preferred over lard, since it is more bland and will not interfere with the taste of the product.

Palm oil is used in the manufacture of instant cake mixed because of its vegetable origin and high stability.

Biscuit Creams

Palm oil is often used in manufacturer of biscuit creams that need to be made with facts that have a high solid content and melting point.
 

HEALTH BENEFITS

Palm oil is a natural source of Vitamin E, which is essential to good health.

No Cholesterols

Palm oil, like other vegetable oils, is cholesterol free. Like other common edible fats and oils; palm oil is easily digested, absorbed an utilized for the support of healthy growth and plays a critical role in providing nutrition worldwide.

Results from Human Studies

Results from human studies show that a palm oil-enriched diet does not raise blood cholesterol and even leads to lower plasma cholesterol in some studies.

Of serve fats, including an American fat blend, tested in animals, a palm oil-enriched diet induced the highest level of protective high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the greatest production of liver low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors (key to removal of harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol).

Anti-thrombotic

Animal fed a palm oil-enriched diet have shown a reduced tendency for their blood to clot. This anti-thrombotic effect may be associated with its ability to promote a favorable ration of prostacyclin to thromboxane, which is hypothesized to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Inhibits Cancer

A palm oil diet, as compared to diets containing some polyunsaturated oils, has an inhibitory effect on the development and incidence of experimentally included mammary cancer in an animal model.

Decrease Plasma Cholesterol

When dietary saturated fatty acids were compared in monkeys, progressive substitution of 12:0 (lauric) and 14:0 (myristic) of coconut oil with 16:0 (palmitic) of palm oil caused a progressive decrease in plasma cholesterol.

More:

Malaysian Palm Oil at a Glance
Health, Nutrition & Palm Oil
Palm Oil and Coronary Heart Disease

(Source: Malaysian Palm Oil Promotional Council)