Palm Oil Benefits and Nutritional Value

The proven health benefits of palm oil also known as "red oil" are numerous to count and includes vision improvement, skin nourishment, and hair growth improvement, contains unsaturated fat, treatment of vitamin A deficiency, highly rich in vitamin k, rich in antioxidants, contains many nutrients, support good brain function, reduces cancer risk, good for pregnant women.

 

The 9 PROVEN Health Benefits of Palm Oil:

1. Improves Vision

Palm oil is rich in vitamin A which makes it good for consumption in order to improve vision and help in reducing other eye relating issues, the presence of vitamin E too in red palm oil helps to prevent and reduce the chances of cataracts, heart and brain diseases because of its role as an antioxidant.

It also contains beta-carotene nutrient that aids in vision improvement and prevents macular degeneration.

 

2. Nourishes the Skin and Hair

The presence of the vitamins in red palm oil also makes it good for the skin and hair, as it nourishes and protects them from dryness, and because of these benefits, it is widely used in industries in the production of cosmetics and other ranges of beauty products.

Palm kernel oil gotten from red palm oil helps to condition the hair, straighten, thickens and prevent hair loss. When it is used in hair treatment it improves hair texture and leaves the hair strong and nourished.

Adding red oil to your diet helps to supplements your skin due to Tocotrienols and carotenes present in the oil which helps to build up the epidermis of the skin and protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays and as well reduces the risk of cancer of the skin.

 

3.  Contains Unsaturated Fat

Fats is beneficial to health as it provides energy, dietary fats help the body in the effective absorption of food nutrients and more, thus, palm oil contains a lot of such fats which can provide the body with the functions for cell growth and more.

But consuming a lot of it can make the fats especially saturated fats to cause an increase in the cholesterol levels which is not good for the heart, and can lead to weight gain among others.

 

4. Treatment of Vitamin A Deficiency

Natural Palm oil has been proven to be the best treatment for vitamin A deficiency in children due to the presence of Carotenoids which helps in growth, vision and more.

 

5. Highly Rich in Vitamin K

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient needed by the body to produce blood clotting (coagulation), bone building and regulating blood calcium levels. The body requires vitamin K to produce prothrombin, which is a protein that works through the clotting process.

Research shows that vitamin K helps to prevent heart disease, diabetes, multiples of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and optimizes the insulin levels.

Red Palm oil contains a high amount of vitamin K and it is advised to use it in our cooking for these benefits. 

 

6. Good for Pregnant Women

Lack of vitamin can be dangerous for a pregnant woman and to the unborn child that is why gynecologists always advise pregnant women to consume foods with vitamins more. Red palm oil contains vitamins A, D, and E that are very beneficial to health.

 

7. Contains Many Nutrients

The content of nutrients in palm oil is very much higher than other cooking oil. It contains a much nutritional value that has a lot of benefits to health.

 

8. Support Good Brain Function

Making fresh palm oil a regular part of your diet will help your brain to function properly and prevent neurodegenerative diseases of the brain which includes Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and senile dementia.

Red Palm oil contains antioxidants that help reduce stress and allows blood circulation to the brain which makes the brain to deliver oxygen and glucose that aids in blood functioning.

 

9. Reduces Cancer Risk

Antioxidants present in palm oil are of so many benefits to the health as it prevents stroke and contains anti-cancer properties that neutralize free radicals that cause healthy cells to change into cancerous cells in the body.

The presence of tocotrienol, an antioxidant in red palm oil which is an active anticancer nutrient helps to block up these free radicals which are very harmful to the body and as well prevents them from leading to oxidative injury to the vital organs of the body.

This tocotrienol also helps to fight cancers of the breast, liver, colon, pancreas, stomach, skin and prostate.

 

Nutritional Values of Palm Oil:

Generally, the usefulness of palm oil cannot be overlooked and it has some health benefits when consumed too.

Its main derivatives such as palm oil contain beta-carotene, saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E, iron, vitamin k, palmitic acid, choline, lauric acid, palmitoleic acid, linolenic acid, gadoleic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, calories, vitamin A that may support your health.

  

 

Palm Oil and Oil Palm Derivatives:

Nigeria is one of the countries of the world that major in the cultivation of oil palm, not just for the processing and the use of the palm fruits but also for other uses that can be derived from it.

Everything that concerns palm oil source (oil palm) is useful and beneficial in their own way, it contains fruits known as the palm fruits which is used not only in the processing and production of palm oil but is also used in cooking most Nigerian foods such as Banga soup, stew and more.

The Palm fruit has a Palm kernel which has an edible nut and is also useful as it is used in the production of palm kernel oil used in various industrial and commercial purposes, the palm kernel cake gotten during the processing of palm kernel oil is used as a feed for fishes and dairy cattle and contains protein as well. The kernel itself can serve as an alternative to fuel in cooking and industrial applications.

 

Side Effect of Palm Oil:

Generally, red/palm oil and other derivatives of oil palm are safe to use and good for the body too as it contains some essential nutrients in which it is properly one of or among the chief source.

Palm oil, when consumed in a large amount may result in a yellowish-orange color patch on the skin which is caused by the high level of carotenes in the oil and may limit the person from the protection of harmful Ultraviolet rays.

 

Conclusion:

Still, there are many reasons why you need to include red palm oil in your diet as it contains some of the vitamins which the body really needs.