Palm oil is a product that has earned a rather mixed assessment. Manufacturers claim that it can be used in the food industry, cosmetology. It is widely used in industry. Often it is recommended to combat various ailments. However, there are opponents of palm oil. They believe that this component should not be included in food. So, let's figure out what palm oil is. What is this component made of? And what is its benefit and harm?
Product manufacturing
Where did palm oil come from? What is such a product made of? People say that it is extracted from the trunk of a palm tree. It is not known who initiated this judgment, but it is completely incorrect.
Palm oil is a plant product. It is widely distributed in Africa and South Asia. It is quite obvious what palm oil is made of (photo allows you to see the tree) - from the fruit. The latter with their appearance a bit like dates. The fruits of the oil palm, about 3-4 cm in size, grow in the form of a bunch.
Composition of the product
The main substances that determine the melting point of palm oil are olein and stearin. Consider what these components are:
- Stearin - is a solid fat. It melts at a fairly high temperature - 45-55 C.
- Olein has a more fluid structure. The melting point of this component is 20-23 C.
That is why it is important to consider, when considering whether palm oil is useful, what it is made of. In other words, it is necessary to study the percentage of stearin and olein in the product. In cheap varieties, the first component prevails.
But these are not the only substances contained in the product.
Composition of palm oil:
- phytosterol - vegetable alcohol;
- squalene - a hydrocarbon related to carotenoids;
- lecithin;
- Coenzyme Q10 - an excellent source of energy, takes part in most biochemical reactions, a natural antioxidant;
- vitamins A, E - the strongest antioxidants, prevent aging, improve eyesight;
- fatty acid;
- Vitamin D
- minerals.
However, you should not forget about one feature: the firmer the palm oil, the worse its beneficial substances are absorbed. This is a product in which the stearin content is high. Therefore, it is important to consider, if palm oil is used, what this product is made of. After all, the harm and its benefits do not depend on the number of useful components, but on the possibility of their assimilation by the body.
Product Types
There are several varieties of palm oil. Each of them is intended for specific purposes. In addition, the very production of palm oil is different.
So, consider the main types.
Pericarp Product
This is the most beneficial palm oil. What is the product made of? From palm fruit, but use the exceptionally soft part. Oil is obtained by cold pressing. When cooled, the component freezes, but in heat it becomes liquid. The hue of the product is yellowish orange. Carotenoids are given this color.
It has a pleasant smell and is considered a valuable food product.
Refined oil
This type is most often used for frying. Such palm oil is produced as follows. Special chemicals are introduced into the freshly squeezed product. This leads to the fact that the active components precipitate. It is removed and the product is deodorized to eliminate the taste of the reagent.
This is not the most useful type of product. Indeed, along with the sediment, many vitamins and useful substances “leave” it.
Palm kernel oil
The name of the product perfectly characterizes it. It becomes clear when they talk about such palm oil, what it is made of . For production, the solid part of the fruit, the kernel, is used.
The oil has a white color, sometimes with a yellowish tinge. Such raw materials are used for the production of confectionery, margarine. It is used to make soaps, shampoos, gels. Palm kernel oil is a raw material for the production of glycerin.
Red oil
This is the most valuable product. It is made according to a certain technology, which allows you to save almost all useful substances in oil.
If we consider its composition, then in such a product an extremely low percentage of stearin. In red oil, olein predominates. Accordingly, the melting point of the product is quite low.
The oil is high in carotene. That is why its color is red-orange. The product smells good, tasty, but has a short shelf life and high price.
The benefits of oil
When it comes to this product, several questions arise. The main one is: "What are palm oil made of and what is it useful for?" The first question was discussed in detail above. Therefore, we dwell on the second.
So what are the benefits of palm oil?
Doctors say the following:
- The product has a positive effect on blood vessels and heart. Often, this component is recommended for the prevention of strokes, heart attacks, inflammatory pathologies, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, ischemia, atherosclerosis, heart failure.
- The oil is able to make up for vitamin A deficiency in the body. Thanks to this component, it is useful in various eye diseases. In addition, the product provides protection for the cornea, retina, lens. It contributes to the normalization of intraocular pressure, improves blood circulation. This product is recommended for patients who are diagnosed with cataracts, glaucoma, conjunctivitis.
- Oil has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract. It prevents inflammation, provides healing of the mucous membranes. The product prevents the accumulation of fat in the liver, stimulates the formation and elimination of bile. It is considered useful for biliary dyskinesia, ulcers, colitis, enteritis, cholecystitis, gastritis.
- The product is recommended for use in diabetes, obesity, frequent colds. He is advised to patients suffering from asthma, tuberculosis.
- Oil is good for the female body. It stimulates the process of combating numerous pathologies.
- Product brings benefit to children. Since oil is actively involved in the formation of joints, teeth, bones, as well as nerve, brain tissues and organs of vision.
Product harm
However, the same doctors claim that palm oil brings minimal benefits to the body. And at the same time they give a whole list of negative influences that this product can provide with excessive consumption.
The question arises: is palm oil useful or harmful in food? Before getting an answer, consider what damage the body can cause this product.
Excess palm oil in the body leads to the development of the following conditions:
- Digestive disorders. The temperature of the human body is 36.6 ° C. Palm oil, as mentioned above, melts when the temperature rises above 40 ° C. That is why, despite valuable useful substances, the oil is not absorbed by the body. In addition, it is very poorly excreted. As a result, most of the product "settles" in the body in the form of toxins, and "sticks up" the digestive tract and many others.
- Increase cholesterol. In the future, this can provoke the development of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and many pathologies of the cardiac system.
- The development of numerous serious pathologies. Fatty acids stick together blood cells. This can cause a heart attack, impotence, infertility.
In addition, one should not forget that the product is carcinogenic.
What turns out, palm oil is harmful or beneficial? The use of the product leads to the development of heart ailments. But at the same time, the oil is rich in vitamins A, E, which provide excellent prevention of heart disease and oncology. However, the product itself is a carcinogen that increases the risk of cancer.
It is precisely such contradictions that make palm oil one of the most obscure products, which has earned an extremely mixed assessment among the population. And everything is much simpler. You just need to remember that this product is of several types. So, describing its benefits, refer to red palm oil. And when they talk about harm, they characterize a technical product.
Therefore, it is important to realize what kind of palm oil we consume. What is this component made for products? We will try to find answers to these questions.
Food
Palm oil has a range of beneficial effects on the human body. Some of the properties of this product are even unique. But we must not forget that this is characteristic only of red palm oil. A technical product is dangerous and harmful.
Unfortunately, the last palm oil is not very expensive. In food products, especially cheap ones, this component is most often contained. Although no one will undertake to assert this fact with certainty.
Therefore, with increased attention should be given to products that contain this ingredient in their composition:
- sweet pastries - buns, muffins, liver;
- chips and popcorn;
- cereals and instant soups;
- chocolates and chocolates;
- baby food;
- sauces and cocktails;
- ice cream;
- canned food.
Why add palm oil to products?
The above is the harm and benefits of this component. Moreover, it is obvious what type of oil is most often used by manufacturers. There is an urgent question: if the product is so harmful, why is it added to food?
The thing is that palm oil is a fairly cheap herbal component. Oil palm trees are highly fertile and fruitful. For example, compare them with sunflower - the most common raw material for vegetable oil. Identical sites will provide completely different amounts of raw materials. Eight times more oil is collected from oil palm trees than sunflower will produce.
In addition, such a culture is completely unpretentious. It does not require specific care and grows quickly on any soil in the tropics.
Such unpretentiousness and productivity provided the oil with a low cost, which was used by modern manufacturers.
Baby mixes
Most baby foods contain palm oil. In infant formulas, it provides palmitic acid, which breast milk possesses. This allows you to make baby food as close to natural.
Palm oil does not provoke the development of allergic reactions. In addition, it saturates the mixture with the necessary vitamin A. Infants are happy to use such baby food. After all, it is quite tasty.
However, an imperfect organism is not yet able to process palm oil. In infant formulas, such an ingredient is more harmful than useful. After all, it contributes to the removal of calcium from the child's body. And, as you know, this trace element is vital for the formation of bones and teeth of the baby.
That is why pediatricians do not recommend parents to use mixtures containing palm oil.
Doctors say that the consequences of such feeding are often as follows:
- persistent colic;
- loss of calcium;
- frequent spitting up;
- constipation.
Therefore, weigh several times whether to give crumbs palm oil in mixtures. Most scientists say that the baby’s body is completely unprepared for the loads that this component will bring to it.
Precautionary measures
How to protect yourself and your child from the use of a harmful component? After all, this ingredient is part of most products. Of course, it is hardly possible to completely exclude it from the diet. However, you can well reduce the amount of palm oil consumed.
Minimize the harm will result if you follow these recommendations:
- Be sure to study the composition indicated on the label before buying the product. Manufacturers most often indicate which oil was used. If vegetable nameless fats are written, then discard the product.
- When choosing a confectionery, be sure to pay attention to the shelf life. Remember: for a long time only those products that are enriched with technical oil are saved.
- Try to exclude fast food from the menu.
- In cottage cheese, the presence of palm oil can be determined as follows. Carefully consider its consistency. Liquid or excessively dry product indicates its unnaturalness. And, of course, do not forget about the shelf life. A natural product cannot be stored for more than 1 week.
- How to identify quality hard cheese? The procedure is as follows. Leave the product for a while at room temperature. Natural cheese will dry. A product containing palm oil is cracked.
- It is easy to distinguish real ice cream from a fake. To do this, open a pack on the street in the summer. Take a look at how the melting process takes place. A product rich in vegetable fats will retain its shape for a long time. Such ice cream melts extremely slowly. In addition, it leaves a sensation of an oily film on the lips and mouth.
- Condensed milk containing palm oil tastes a little bit bitter. In addition, manufacturers almost always indicate on the packaging how milk fats are replaced. As a rule, it contains the inscription "palm oil".
And the last one. Pay attention to the pricing policy. Remember that only those products that contain inexpensive ingredients can be cheap. As a rule, these are components of low quality.