Palm Oil, Healthy Oil for a Healthy Heart!
Oil and Fats are used in daily cooking preparation to provide energy and to enhance the flavour of the food. Different oilseeds and vegetable oils as well as animal fats have served as a source for these fats. Among these, palm oil has historically been one of the most commonly used fats in the world.
Palm oil is one of the 17 edible oils cited by Codex Alimentarius, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as an edible oil suitable for human consumption. Palm oil contains 50% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 40% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids. (PUFAs).
Many human studies have also reported that palm oil has a neutral effect on the total cholesterol level and is comparable to those of unsaturated oils. Palm oil can be safely used as a substitute for olive oil with the same heart health benefits. It has high oxidative stability compared to polyunsaturated rich oils and is naturally free of harmful trans–fatty acids.
Benefits of Palm Oil:
-
It is vegetable oil, therefore cholesterol-free
-
Palm oil is trans free as it does not require hydrogenation
-
Palm oil contains natural antioxidants vitamin E.
-
It helps in extending the shelf life of the fried food products.
-
Palm oil is the most cost-effective and competitively priced oil.
-
Palm oil is non-seasonal and is available all year round.
-
It also promotes sustainable farming practices.
Dato’ Dr. Hj Wan Zawawi Wan Ismail, CEO, Malaysian Palm Oil Council added “Our main aim is to improve understanding of palm oil, enhancing its application, elucidating its numerous strengths and benefits. We want to create awareness about the role of Malaysian Palm Oil in the Indian Vegetable Oil sector through our partnerships in India. We desire to safeguard Malaysian Palm Oil as the most dominant vegetable oil in terms of market coverage, nutritional benefits, environmental sustainability, and commercial success. “
The Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification Scheme is the national scheme in Malaysia for oil palm plantations, independent and organised smallholdings, and palm oil processing facilities to be certified against the requirements of the MSPO Standards. The mandatory implementation of MSPO certification demonstrates Malaysia’s commitment towards the production of sustainable Malaysian palm oil.