Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil obtained from the oil palm.
This oil contains approximately 50% saturated fats, an amount that is above the percentage usually contained in other vegetable oils that are considered healthy.
Olive oil, for example, is healthier than palm oil because its composition contains 14% saturated fats.
Thus, the problem with palm oil is that it contains a large amount of saturated fats and excessive consumption of this type of fat is related to health problems, such as the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity, among others.
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not give specific recommendations on palm oil consumption. However, it recommends limiting saturated fats in order to prioritize unsaturated fats.
Palm oil consumption and cardiovascular problems
Palm oil contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E and antioxidant substances, which have great health benefits for the body.
However, these substances are eliminated during the refining process that is carried out before its commercialization in the food industry.
According to nutrition experts, saturated fatty acids are not beneficial for the functioning of the metabolism, because fats from these acids accumulate in the arteries and these fat accumulations lead to numerous cardiovascular problems.
Palm oil contains about 45% of saturated fatty acids, among which palmitic acid stands out.
Thus, this type of oil is harmful to the health of the organism and, in fact, specialists recommend avoiding the consumption of palmitic acid.