Palm oil is on everyone's lips, both because we don't stop talking about it, and because we consume it in a large quantity of processed “foods”. Here we tell you what are the reasons to keep him away from our families, but the decision is yours.
Let's be clear that many vegetable oils and fats in themselves are not harmful to health. But the consumption of palm oil in particular is associated with an increased risk of suffering from various undesirable disorders, such as diabetes.
Where and how to find palm oil
This oil It is produced from the fruits of the African palm, a perennial palm that can live for more than 100 years in its natural state, but that in its productive use almost does not reach 25 years. Palm oil 85% comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. Other palm oil exporting countries are Papua New Guinea, Colombia, Thailand, Cambodia, Brazil, Mexico and West Africa.
Since December 2014 the European Union requires that on the label of each food avoid the expression "vegetable oils". The origin of these oils and fats must be specified on the labeling. But of course, after the law, made the trap, and you can find it written like this on the labels: palm kernel oil, fractionated and hydrogenated vegetable fat of palm kernel, palm stearin, palmolein or palm olein, palm butter or using the name species scientist (Elaeis guineensis).
Palm oil is found in many cookies, cereals, cakes, pastries, margarines, and dessert toppings; bags of potatoes and salty snacks; frozen and chilled ready meals; chocolates and gummies. Some brands that most use this ingredient are Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg's, Burger King, McDonalds, Starbucks or Ferrero, among others.
Apart from food uses, palm oil derivatives are used in the cosmetology, for the production of creams, hair softeners, toothpaste or soaps. And in the production of biodiesel.
Health effects
The danger of palm oil comes from its high content of saturated fat (50%), which increases the risk of have a heart attack or stroke, beyond weight gain. On the other hand, the problem comes with its refinement, and that is that to cancel its flavor and natural smell, it must be subjected to temperatures above 200 degrees, which releases cancer-causing compounds and that damage the DNA strand. However, the companies that market it have produced various reports in which they point out that the industrial process they use minimizes the appearance of these pollutants.
One positive thing is that the US Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database classifies it as "Possibly effective in preventing vitamin A deficiency" By including palm oil in the diet of pregnant women and children in developing countries, you can reduce the risk of developing vitamin A deficiency.
It is almost impossible to eliminate it from our diet, the only thing we can do is reduce its consumption by looking and being very attentive to the labeling of what we buy.
Palm oil and the environment
Palm oil production also has a major influence negatively on ecosystems, since it causes an important biodiversity loss. Monocultures have a strong impact in tropical areas and displace many species, plants and animals typical of the areas. ANDThey are closely related to deforestation. It is worth noting the aggressiveness of the African palm in the soil on which it is grown, leaving it without nutrients within ten years.
As if that were not enough, the production of palm oil produces the emission of huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, thus increasing the greenhouse effect.
Palm oil is not the only danger in our diet, here is a article over other junk foods.