Is palm oil harmful to one's health?

From the Guidelines

Palm oil is not inherently harmful to health when consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. It contains both saturated and unsaturated fats, with about 50% being saturated fat, which is higher than some other vegetable oils. While excessive consumption of saturated fats can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and potentially increase heart disease risk, the occasional use of palm oil in cooking or in processed foods is unlikely to cause health problems for most people.

Key Considerations

• Palm oil also contains vitamin E and beneficial compounds like carotenoids and tocotrienols that have antioxidant properties 1.
• The processing method matters—refined palm oil loses many of these beneficial compounds, while unrefined red palm oil retains them.
• Recent studies have shown that saturated fat intake is not significantly associated with coronary artery disease or mortality, and some even suggested a lower risk of stroke with higher consumption of saturated fat 1.
• A large and diverse study, the PURE study, found that increased consumption of all types of fat, including saturated fat, was associated with lower risk of death and had a neutral association with CVD 1.
• If you're concerned about fat intake, consider alternating palm oil with oils higher in unsaturated fats like olive, canola, or avocado oil.
• The environmental impact of palm oil production is a separate concern that some people consider when making dietary choices, but from a purely nutritional standpoint, moderate palm oil consumption is acceptable for most individuals.

Summary of Findings

• A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that saturated fat intake was not associated with increased risk of CVD or mortality 1.
• Another study published in Advances in Nutrition found that palm oil contains a similar amount of MUFAs and PUFAs as olive oil, and that the ratio of SFAs to MUFAs in palm oil had no effect on serum lipids in healthy volunteers 1.
• A review published in Circulation found that judging a food or person's diet as harmful because it contains more saturated fat, or beneficial because it contains less, is unsound, and that the health effects of saturated fat are complex and depend on the specific fatty acid and the food source 1.

From the Research

Health Effects of Palm Oil

• Palm oil is a highly saturated vegetable oil that has been linked to controversy over its health effects 2.
• Some studies suggest that palm oil may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its high saturated fatty acid content 3, 4.
• However, other studies have found that palm oil may not promote atherosclerosis and arterial thrombosis, and may even have beneficial effects on blood lipid profiles 5.
• The tocotrienols present in palm oil have been shown to lower blood bad cholesterol levels by 7-38% 2.
• A systematic review of clinical trials found that palm oil consumption increased LDL cholesterol compared to vegetable oils low in saturated fat, but also increased HDL cholesterol compared to trans fat-containing oils 4.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk

• A study found that palmitic acid from vegetable sources, such as palm oil, has less effect on blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to palmitic acid from animal sources 2.
• Another study found that the consumption of moderate amounts of palm oil may reduce the health risk associated with its consumption, and that red palm oil may protect against vitamin A deficiency and certain forms of cancer 5.
• A systematic review of palm oil consumption and cardiovascular disease risk found that the evidence was graded as very low, and that further studies are needed to establish the association between palm oil and cardiovascular disease 3.

Dietary Recommendations

• Consumers are advised to avoid trans fatty acids, solid and semi-solid oils, and to prioritize a healthy overall diet for good cardiometabolic health 2, 3.
• Moderate consumption of palm oil, as part of a balanced diet, may be a viable option for those looking to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease 5.
• However, more research is needed to fully understand the health effects of palm oil and to provide definitive dietary recommendations 3, 4.