Is Palm Oil Good For Me?

If you look around you especially in Nigeria, you would agree with me that Palm oil is used in most meals, from soups to porridges, name it.

But the question on the lips of most people is this? Is palm oil the best option for me?

IS it safe for my heart, will it raise my cholesterol levels?

Why did my neighbour tell me that palm oil is bad for the heart?

What is the deal with palm oil?

Palm oil is an edible fat eaten in many parts of the world. It is extracted from the oil palm, the oil palm yields two types of oil: One is extracted from the flesh of the fruit (palm oil), and the other from the seed, or kernel (palm kernel oil). Palm oil is consumed in many countries in vegetable oil, shortening, and margarine. IN Nigeria, palm oil makes a lot of the fat that we eat.

Palm oil is thought to be bad because they’re high in saturated fat, which has long been thought to be bad for the heart. Saturated fat increases the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which increases the chances of you getting heart disease.

Palm oil has about 50% saturated fats and unlike other oils, that have a higher saturated fat composition, what this means, is that the higher the saturated fat content, the easier it is for the oil to become solid at room temperature. Palm oil is semisolid at room temperature.

However, the worst kind of fat is trans fat, they not only increase the levels of bad cholesterol but also reduce the levels of good cholesterol which is bad for your heart, in some countries, they have been banned.

Palm oil is better than butter and contains no trans fat, but you should know that this does not mean that it is healthy for you, as it still contains high amounts of saturated fats. It is probably a better choice than butter, but choose oils that are naturally liquid at room temperature

Palm oil is less saturated than butter and contains no trans fat. But that does not mean it should be your first choice, Palm oil is clearly better than butter,  But vegetable oils that are naturally liquid at room temperatures, such as olive oil and canola oil, should still be your first choice. Look out on the packaging of the oil for the number of saturated fats it contains

According to Dr Folakemi, a dermatologist, “It’s best to use the top part of palm oil that is liquid at room temperature for cooking and leave the bottom that is solid. The liquid part has less saturated fats and a lot of the vitamins. In times past the solid part was not used for cooking but for making soaps and potions.”

So there you go!!!