Is Palm Oil Good or Bad? Are there Health Benefits?

The question of whether palm oil is good or bad is a complex one, as there are both positive and negative aspects to consider.

On the positive side, palm oil is generally good and there are various health benefits. Every one tablespoon of palm oil contains the following nutrients (rounded):

• 120 calories 
• 14 grams of total fat
• 7 grams of saturated fat (the same as in butter)
• 5 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat
• 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat 
• 2 micrograms of vitamin E
• 1 microgram of vitamin K

Palm Oil Health Benefits

Palm oil is a great source of vitamin E, well known for its antioxidant effects, protecting your cells from oxidative damage by neutralizing harmful molecules called free radicals. In addition, it’s needed for proper immune function and cellular signaling. Getting enough vitamin E in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, certain forms of cancer, and age related macular degeneration.

Scientific studies support the following health findings of palm oil:

Better Brain Health

The vitamin E found in palm oil has been connected to improved brain health. This form of vitamin E, known as tocotrienol, has been shown to protect brain tissue from dangerous free radicals more effectively than other antioxidants. In fact, one study showed that palm oil tocotrienols may even slow down the progression of brain lesions, dementia and lower stroke risk

Better Heart Health

Studies also reveal the antioxidant effects of vitamin E found in palm oil seem to reduce or even halt the progression of heart disease in some patients. While more studies need to be done to replicate this effect, palm oil extract may be useful for people fighting heart disease.

Vitamin Absorption

Palm oil may help increase the amount of vitamin A you can absorb, which is a critical vitamin for your retinas and general eye health. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that you need fat in your diet to absorb the vitamin efficiently. Adding palm oil to your diet has been shown to increase your body’s ability to absorb vitamin A, and presumably other fat-soluble vitamins. 

Is Palm Oil Bad for You?

On a negative note, palm oil isn't the healthiest oil you can use for cooking. While palm oil has less saturated fat than other tropical oils such as coconut and palm kernel, one tablespoon of olive oil contains only 2 grams of saturated fat which can contribute to heart disease and about 10 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Palm oil contains more saturated fat (up to 7 grams) and less heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (up to 5 grams only).

When it comes to health, it's important to remember that like any other oil, palm oil should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Overconsumption of any oil, including palm oil, can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

Due to its high saturated fat content, lower production costs and quality, palm oil can be found in more than half of all packaged products we consume. It may be safe to say that you use or eat palm oil products daily. Common foods high in palm oil and related derivatives include:

• margarines
• cooking oil
• shortenings
• ice cream
• cookies
• crackers
• cake mixes
• biscuits
• instant noodles
• packaged breads
• pizza dough
• chocolate

According to studies done by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), palm oil can cause cancer when processed at high temperatures. EFSA found that when incorporating palm oil into foods and related products, the oil is heated which causes glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs) to form. 

When digested, GEs break down and release glycidol, a substance known for its carcinogenic effects in animals and it is suspected harm to humans. Though there have been animal studies, there is little research on palm oil and cancer risk in humans.  Hence researchers merely emphasise moderation to limit exposure when using and consuming palm oil products.

Palm Oil: Deforestation and Sustainability

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Palm oil is a very productive crop. Global production of and demand for palm oil is increasing rapidly. According to World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), palm oil offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. 

But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities. Palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the Orang Utan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino. 

Palm oil production also leads to an increase in air pollution and climate change, due to the burning of vegetation in natural forests and palm oil plantations. Due to the clearance of natural forests to create large plantations, soil erosion often occurs which causes increased flooding and silt deposits in rivers and ports. Palm oil mills also generate harmful effluent that causes freshwater and soil pollution, which affects downstream biodiversity and people. 

On the flip side of this problem, palm oil supplies 35% of the world’s vegetable oil demand on just 10% of the land. To get the same amount of alternative oils like soybean or coconut oil you would need anything between 4 and 10 times more land, which would just shift the problem to other parts of the world and threaten other habitats and species. 

Furthermore, palm oil is an important crop for the GDP of emerging economies and there are millions of smallholder farmers who depend on producing palm oil for their livelihood. Boycotting palm oil is not always the answer, but demanding more action to tackle the issues and go further and faster, is.

Palm oil can be produced more sustainably and things can change. The Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil ( RSPO) was formed in 2004 in response to increasing concerns about the impacts palm oil was having on the environment and on society. The RSPO has a production standard that sets best practices producing and sourcing palm oil, and it has the buy-in of most of the global industry. 

As well as committing to buy and use RSPO certified palm oil across their operations globally, WWF encourages companies to be transparent in their use and sourcing of palm oil ensuring they know who they are buying from and where it’s been produced, and to invest in and support smallholder programmes and sustainable landscape initiatives. Only with all of these ingredients can we start to accelerate the shift to a mainstream sustainable palm oil industry.

Lastly as a consumer, check the ingredients on the products you buy and specifically search for the sustainable options marked by RSPO. Check out the WWF Palm Oil Scorecard now to see which of your favourite brands and retailers are committed to sustainable palm oil free of deforestation and destruction of nature. If you're on the lookout for chocolates or other food products, here are some top scorers from the Scorecard:

• Ferrero
• Mars
• The Hershey Company
• Danone
• Unilever