Enemy of your heart: Palm Oil... know how

Mumbai, December 7: Day by Day demand for palm oil has increased sharply as it is one of the cheapest vegetable oils available in the global market. India is the biggest consumer and importer of palm oil. The roadside junk food producers majorly use Palm oil. But do you know that Palm oil is a villain who plays a role in increasing incidence of heart disease.

 

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil from the fruit of the African oil palm tree. Imported into India, it is used in various forms consumed directly as ‘palm oil’ after refining, used in the production of vanaspati, for blending with other vegetable oils and as kernel oil for industrial purposes. Its fatty acid breakdown is 50 per cent saturated fatty acids, 40 per cent monounsaturated fatty acids and 10 per cent polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The saturated fat content is harmful to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. A Stanford University study suggested that increased palm oil consumption could exacerbate mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, particularly in developing countries such as India, where it represents a major nutritional source of saturated fat.

The high saturated fat content of palm oil boosts “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which are known to be risk factors for heart disease.

The study has found that in developing countries, for every additional kg of palm oil consumed per capita annually, IHD mortality rates increased by 68 deaths per 1,00,000, whereas, in similar settings, stroke mortality rates increased by 19 deaths per 1,00,000. Another study from Malaysia further validates these claims: Consuming palm oil that has been repeatedly reheated may cause plaque deposits in the arteries due to a decrease in the oil's antioxidant activity and formation of trans fats (a highly toxic form of fatty acid). Palm oil that had been reheated 10 times led to large arterial plaques and other signs of heart disease over a six-month study period.