By: Frank Tate

Much has been written and said about palm oil ever since the dubious Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) launched their questionable campaign against palm oil alleging that it was damaging to heart health.

The Palm Oil Truth Foundation takes the view that CSPI’s campaign against palm oil is both misguided and mischievous. At the very least, their position against palm oil cannot withstand the scrutiny of scientific and factual examination.

Let us examine the science and the facts and in the process get rid of some the more popular misconceptions and myths on palm oil perpetuated by the likes of CSPI.

First, palm oil is a vegetable oil and since it is not an animal or dairy product, it does not contain any cholesterol. Secondly, palm oil is not palm kernel oil. It is produced from the pulp of the mesocarp of the palm oil fruit. Next, palm oil contains much less saturated fat than palm kernel oil or even coconut oil.

Attacking palm oil as being “saturated,” because it contains 44% palmitic acid and 5% stearic acid, CSPI alleged that palm oil raises blood cholesterol and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A sizable and growing body of scientific evidence, indicates, however, that palm oil's effect on blood cholesterol is relatively neutral when compared to other fats and oils. In a survey article, Professor Charles Elson concluded, “palm oil, an essential fatty acid-sufficient tropical oil, raises plasma cholesterol only when an excess of cholesterol is presented in the diet.” (i)

Many pre-1990 human feeding studies reported that palm oil diets resulted in lower serum cholesterol levels than pre-study values. (ii) Five distinguished American scientists concluded that these studies “have revealed that a palm oil diet lowered plasma cholesterol compared with the starting periods during which the subjects were eating their habitual Western diets.” (iii) Subsequent studies, specifically designed to evaluate palm oil, confirm that palm oil's impact on serum lipid and lipoprotein profiles compares favorably to corn oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, and olive oil.(iv) A 1995 study comparing the effect of palm olein and olive oil diets on twenty-one healthy, free-living normocholesterolemic subjects found no difference in total and LDL-cholesterol levels. (v) In sum, the scientific evidence reveals that palm oil affects serum lipids more like a monounsaturated than a saturated oil.

There appear to be a number of explanations. Palm oil contains a high percentage of monounsaturates (40%). Its saturated fatty acids are palmitic (90%), which does not appear to elevate blood cholesterol in people with cholesterol levels in normal ranges, (vi) and stearic (10%), which also does not raise blood cholesterol concentrations. (vii) Animal studies have found that palm oil stimulates synthesis of protective HDL cholesterol and removal of harmful LDL cholesterol. (viii) In addition, palm oil is rich in vitamin E and particularly in tocotrienols, whose health benefits appear to include the reduction of serum cholesterol concentrations. (ix)

It also appears that palm oil, as compared to saturated fats and oils, may pose a lesser degree of risk of cancer, (x) or thrombosis.(xi). This may be due to tocotrienols (xii) or other phytonutrients (xiii) present in palm oil. Indeed, Professors K. K. Carroll of the Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of Western Ontario and David Kritchevsky of the Wistar Institute recently concluded that evidence from animal and in vitro studies indicate that tocotrienols of palm oil are effective anti-cancer agents and provide adequate justification for clinical trials in human cancer patients. Palm oil is the only vegetable oil available on the world market that naturally contains tocotrienols.

Finally, in 1991, the FDA began taking enforcement action against food manufacturers making “no palm oil” and “no tropical oils” label claims. The FDA issued warning letters to The Kroger Company (xiv) and Goodmark Foods, Inc., (xv) notifying the companies that “no palm oil” and “no tropical oils” label claims on baked goods containing saturated or hydrogenated fats and oils were false and misleading, and violated § 403(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Following passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1994, the FDA issued regulations prohibiting claims such as “no palm oil” and “no tropical oils” from food labels, unless and until pre-approved by the FDA through a petition process. See 21 C.F.R. § 101.69. The FDA has not pre-approved “no palm oil” or “no tropical oils” claims. Manufacturers that display these claims on food labels are in violation of § 403(a)(1), and subject to disciplinary action by the FDA and will have to face the consequent penalties.

The Palm Oil Truth Foundation wonders whether the curiously named Center for Science in the Public Interest is even aware of these scientific and regulatory developments – or they would rather wish that the consumer continue to believe in their pulp fiction. Certainly not in this day and age! THE END.