30/06/2011 (Nigerian Tribune) - The age-long myth that consumption of palm-oil is not safe because it contributes to the risk of developing heart problem has been dispelled by researchers. Researchers in a review of studies on the possibility of palm oil’s saturated fatty acid content increasing the low density cholesterol in the blood and thus predisposing to heart problem, aside disproving this myth, scored palm oil as one of the best cooking vegetable oils with health promoting properties.

Palm-oil has been used mainly for cooking, especially along the coastal and forest regions of West Africa for many years. It is used worldwide as cooking oil, in preparation of margarine and shortening. It is incorporated into blended oils and a large variety of food products uses red palm oil.

Palm oil, has long been perceived as unhealthy cooking oil because of its high  saturated fatty acids content.

Irrespective of the variety of the palm tree used in the preparation of palm oil, there is no significant difference between their fat content. However, red palm oil is rich in carotene, a precursor for vitamin A.

Red palm oil is highly saturated and contains nearly 50 per cent palmitic acid, which forms the basis for questioning its health benefits. But several scientific studies in animals and humans have indicated that red palm oil is quite different from other high cholesterol fats such as lard or coconut oil.

However, the researchers’ writing in the December 2010 edition of the African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, declared “palmitic acid, as the major and most controversial saturated fatty acid in palm oil did not increase blood cholesterol (cholesterolemic).”

The researchers included Dr O.E Oyewole from the Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan and Dr A. M Amosu from the School of Science and technology, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State.

They wrote, “although it has been established that saturated fatty acids from animal and vegetable sources in human diets tend to cause an elevation of blood cholesterol level, recent studies in both humans and experimental animals suggest that palm oil, despite a high concentration of saturated fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid) is an exception to this general proposition.”

Interestingly, they said studies have shown that palm oil behaves like an unsaturated fat and that there was considerable difference between palm oil and other vegetable oils such as that from coconut.

According to them, palmitic acid, which is present in palm oil is different from myristic acid which is present in butter (13 per cent), coconut oil (18 per cent) and palm kernel oil (16 per cent) and practically negligible in amount (one per cent).

Fortunately, “oleic acid is another major fatty acid (about 40 per cent) present in palm oil. Epidemiological studies of Mediterranean populations who consume substantial amounts of olive oil (high content of oleic acid) have found that the mortality rate for coronary heart disease in these populations is low.”

Quite interesting was the finding of another study that compared the effect of red palm oil with sunflower oil and ghee/butter in volunteers. In fact, the finding of the study which lasted 15 days was that people feed palm oil recorded the lowest total cholesterol.

In addition, a comparison of the overall nutritional effects of red palm oil, palm olein and peanut or groundnut oil in rats indicated that there were no significant differences in blood cholesterol levels or organ weights.

However, the researchers posited: “overall, there is little evidence to suggest that one vegetable oil should be promoted over any other oil on the basis of additional health effects as there are few good quality trials that have adequately compared the health outcomes of individuals consuming different oils.

“Indeed, because of the use of a variety of different oils each day. Instead, the choice of the oil often depends on functionality of the oil for a particular application, or on taste, personal preference or cost.”

According to them, “the most important message for consumers is that all oils, regardless of whether they contain “good” or “bad” fats, are almost 100 per cent fat and that the oils themselves, as well as products manufactured from them, should only ever be included in the diet in moderate quantities.”

In an accompanying editorial by Professor E Olu Agbedana, a chemical pathologist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, stated that the continuous consumption of palm oil in human diet is safe as indicated by extensive evidenced-based scientific information on the pro-health benefits of the oil.

According to him, “as clearly indicated by the review, the minor components of red palm oil like carotenoids, tocophenols and tocotrienols are important in protection against heart diseases and other chronic diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases”

But, Professor Agbedana declared that “the beneficial nutritional effects of red palm oil consumption can only be enjoyed fully when used in the natural form, where the natural nutrients of carotenes and the Vitamin E (anti-oxidants-tocotrienols) are maintained.”

According to him, “the typical refined, bleached and deodorized palm oil has these nutrients stripped off them resulting in clear oil. Also, red palm oil should not be reused after one frying, as it has been shown that 70 per cent of the carotenes are retained after one deep frying. Repeated, extensive use of high heat will destroy the natural anti-oxidants; increase the amount of saturated; as well as trans-fatty acids which may be injurious to the heart.”

Conversely, Professor Solomon Kadiri, a consultant nephrologist with the Ibadan College of Medicine wrote “it seems prudent to continue to include moderate amounts of unprocessed palm oil in the diet for the reasons of low cost, wide availability, possible health benefits and not much convincing evidence of increased cardiovascular risk especially in these parts.”