Red palm oil and it’s fat-tastic benefits
Good fats come mainly from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish. This has lead to the health community celebrating palm oil as a superfood.
Red Palm oil is gotten from the fruit of the palm tree. Red Palm oil is a vegetable oil. It is widely used in food and non-food products worldwide.
Red Palm oil is 50 % saturated fat and 50 % unsaturated fat. More specifically, Red palm oil contains approximately 44% palmitic acid, 5% stearic acid, 39% oleic acid (monounsaturated), and 10% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated).
Red Palm oil contains high amounts of saturated fat, vitamins, and antioxidants. When Red palm oil is processed or over heated (bleached), the lack of colour means it has been stripped, of most of its nutritional properties.
Red Palm oil is great for high-heat applications. It won’t form nearly as many harmful free radicals during high-temperature cooking as polyunsaturated oils (such as corn, canola, soy, sunflower, safflower, and rapeseed oils).
Red palm oil is highly dense with antioxidants. Full-spectrum vitamin E, CoQ10, vitamin A, and vitamin K, are very important in maintaining antioxidant status.
Red Palm oil gets its reddish colour from the carotenes beta-carotene and lycopene, the same nutrients that give colour to carrots and tomatoes. Its carotene levels are 15 times higher than carrots and 300 times higher than tomatoes. This is why palm oil is hailed as the best source of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, both of which are influences on the development of vitamin A.
A study published in the British Journal of Biomedical Science Volume 66, 2009 – Issue 4, it was reported that despite the high levels of saturated fat in Red palm oil, the oil did not contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and/or arterial thrombosis (blood clot that develops in an artery). Researchers suggested that this is due to the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats in Red palm oil, as well as its rich nutrient profile.
The tocotrienols (members of the vitamin E family) found in Red palm oil also help support the heart against stress, suggesting its protective properties against heart disease. Other cardiovascular benefits associated with Red palm oil consumption include:
- Improved blood circulation
- Regulated cholesterol levels
- Reduced free radical damage and inflammation
- Reduced blood pressure
Studies suggest that Red palm oil’s antioxidant properties help prevent various types of cancers. According to findings, tocotrienols exhibit their potent antioxidant properties and aid in inhibiting the development of skin, stomach, pancreas, lung, liver, breast, prostate, colon, and other cancers. Regular vitamin E cannot perform this.
Red Palm oil’s antioxidant supply is also found to help prevent neurological degeneration by stopping free radicals that damage brain and nerve tissues, as well as promoting circulation; which increases your protection against diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other mental conditions.
Additional evidence also states that Red palm oil can help strengthen immune function and promote bone, eye, oral, lung, skin, and liver health. As a fat-rich oil, palm oil helps provide energy and enhance the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and E.
The Recommended intake states that the average man should eat no more than 30 grams (2.5 Tablespoon) of saturated fat per day. In contrast, the average woman should have less than 20 grams (1.5 Tablespoon) of saturated fat per day.
With the right balance, saturated fatty acids maintain your HDL (good cholesterol) while polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease LDL (bad cholesterol). People with elevated or high cholesterol are advised to choose oil; rich in polyunsaturated or fresh pressed red palm oil (not the bleached palm oil); which contains a healthy balance of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids as well as antioxidant-rich carotenoids and vitamin E.
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