Palm oil, apart from its outstanding characteristics in industry, is also distinguished in its nutritional value as vegetable oil. Research into the values of palm oil indicated that it is a source for high level of vitamin E when compared to other types of vegetable oil. The vitamin E that we know consists of Tocopherol, Tocotrieno in the form of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Tocopherol is the first substance for natural oxidation. It stops the oil from getting rancid, slows down aging, prevents free oxidation agents, cures burnt wounds, operation wounds, Herpes Zoster (Shingles) wounds and functions as a substance that rids the body of harmful substances, malfunctions of the reproductive system and abortion. It also appears that palm oil also has beta carotene which is a substance that helps in reducing infection in the respiratory system, prevents cancer in the epheterlial membrane, the wall of the nose, and the membrane under the skin. It also lengthens youthful period, prevents fast aging, and helps growth in the soft bone (cartilage), bone and teeth.
Apart from the above qualities, palm oil produced from fresh fruit bunch also has a good balance of both the saturated and unsaturated fatty acid. Beyond the unsaturated fatty acid, it contains Monounsaturated, that is oleic acid (43%), and polyunsaturated fatty acid which is linoleic acid (11%) which is an acid that is important to the body because the body cannot create this acid. Research indicates that monounsaturated fatty acid or oleic acid is able to reduce cholesterol in the blood.
Palm oil does not have cholesterol. There is also no cholesterol in vegetable oils because plants do not produce cholesterol. However, it does not mean that consuming vegetable oil will prevent high blood cholesterol. In some types of vegetable oil; for example, coconut milk or coconut oil, the body may produce cholesterol from saturated fatty acid. Vegetable oils that do not cause cholesterol problems are the oils in palm oil, sun flower oil, peanut oil, etc.
Our bodies can create cholesterol from substance from fat and starch solvents. Therefore, starch can produce cholesterol. However, it is found that saturated fat can produce cholesterol better than other types of fat groups. For the saturated fat group omega 6, if the quantity is not too great, it may help reduce cholesterol. If the quantity is too high, for example, higher than 10% of the energy, it will also suppress the production of HDL.
1. Crude Palm Oil - produced from pericarp of fresh fruit bunch.
2. Crude Palm Kernel Oil - produced from the kernel which is located in the core of fresh fruit bunch.
We can use palm oil to produce all types of food, both stir fried and deep fried. Compared to using other types of oil, deep frying food with palm oil, especially, will make the food crispy for a longer time, with inviting and delicious color and better taste.
About 80% of palm oil and palm kernel oil are used in producing many types of food in the food industry, for example oil for frying , for mixing with other ingredients, margarine, vanaspati, ice-cream, coffee mate, butter substitute, white butter, coco butter, cake, bread, etc. including the food supplementary such as vitamin E and vitamin A.
About 20% of palm oil and palm kernel oil are used for producing consumer products using the following chemical processes:
1. The production of different Fatty Acids both Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty Aacids for use in many industries such as
a. Lauric acid for making resin used in the paint industry.
b. Palmitic acid used for growing bacteria for producing antibiotics, mixed with steric acid for making candles.
c. Oleic acid used in weaving industry.
d. Steric acid used in making cosmetics, childrens soap, mixed with palmitic acid for making candles.
e. Linoleic acid used for injection to reduce cholesterol in the blood vessels.
2. The production of Methyl Esters
Methyl esters is a substance produced from chemical reactions between palm oil and methol esters. It has many uses including energy (bio diesel), or used as a chemical for different kinds of fatty acids:
a. Fatty Alcohol used for producing Sodium Alkyl Sulphates and Sulphates used for producing washing power.
b. Fatty Acid amides have water proof quality and are popular for using in the weaving industry, for the production of paper, pressed wood board, metal, rubber etc.
c. Fatty Amines are important and popularly used in weaving industry, plastic production, lubricant oils, substances for controlling fungi and bacteria.
The use of palm oil for making Bio Diesel or Bio Oil is becoming a topic of interest and there is support for its wide spread production as, apart from being a source to replace petrol which reduces import of oil from foreign countries. Farmers are hopeful in their wish to help solve the price of oil problem since palm oil price continued to fall from the year 1998 until now. However, what important is it is pure and clean oil which does not destroy the environment. Its widespread usage resulted in the Agricultural Division tending to expand land area for growing oil palm plants to serve the demand for palm oil. For the production of bio oil in the future, it aimed to increase the income of the farmers who grow palms to serve the increasing market demand
The characteristics of good vegetable oil are
1. No rancid smell
2. Clear with no sediments
3. Sufficiently yellow
4. Contains a balanced quantity of both Unsaturated Fatty Acid and Saturated Fatty Acid
5. Has the least amount of metal or dangerous impuritie
Our bodies can create cholesterol ourselves. When the food does not have cholesterol but has high energy, whether this could result in high cholesterol or not depends on the persons genetic make up. When the cholesterol level is normal, there is no need to worry about cholesterol, but if there is problem of high cholesterol, both non-dairy cream and non-dairy butter create problems because both give energy and have high level of saturated fat.
Do you know how much nutritional value there are in palm oil?