Palm oil has been widely used in Food Industry relatively recently, but the debate about whether it is harmful or beneficial has not subsided since then. TV screens often talk about him harmful properties, the media unanimously claim that it is the main cause of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But how is the situation really and is palm oil really so harmful or does it also have properties that are beneficial to human health? Let's look at this issue in detail.

How palm oil is made

According to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), palm oil is found in more than 50% of food. It is produced from the soft part of the oil palm fruit - this is what distinguishes it from linen or sunflower oil which are obtained from plant seeds. The product, which is made from oil palm seed, is called palm kernel (it resembles coconut in its structural composition and properties).

Oil palm grows in Malaysia, Indonesia and African countries. Such localization of plantations, low labor costs and relatively cheap transportation significantly reduce the cost finished products. In addition, one hectare of oil palm plantation is capable of producing eight times more finished product than sunflower.

Raw butter is a very thick orange or red liquid with a pleasant nutty taste and smell reminiscent of milk cream, chemical composition it largely duplicates the usual creamy.

Areas of use

Depending on the fraction (melting point), the product is used in various areas:

1. Stearin is a solid substance with a melting point of about 47-52 degrees, it looks like margarine;
2. Actually, oil - a semi-liquid product melts at 40-43 degrees Celsius;
3. Palm olein is an oily liquid with a melting point of about 18-21 degrees Celsius, looks like a cosmetic hand cream.

Use in the food industry

The use of palm oil in the food industry began after a study by American scientists of the composition of the product in 1985. They also examined in detail its properties - up to this point it was used exclusively for technical purposes.

Today, vegetable fat is used to make products with a long shelf life: confectionery, cottage cheese desserts, processed cheese, condensed milk, waffles, cakes and creams. In addition, it has the property to improve the taste and appearance products, reducing their cost.

Often it is they who replace milk fat, which is especially important for people who suffer from intolerance to certain components of milk.

There is no ban on the use of palm oil in any country in the world, but in the Russian Federation some time ago a bill appeared banning the use of an unrefined substance in the food industry. The ban was not adopted, but most manufacturers already “dilute” it with other vegetable fats, and the product packaging indicates that it contains “milk fat substitute”.

Also, palm oil is found in bakery and confectionery products, sweet spreads, chocolate, processed meats, chips and french fries - this list is very extensive. A lot of controversy flares up around the fact that the product is used in nutritious milk formulas for infants, although its harm when used in baby food has not been proven.

Chemical industry, cosmetology and medicine

The ability to heal minor skin lesions, moisturizing and nourishing properties make it possible to use oil in the production of creams for aging skin, healing ointments, medicines that are used to treat a wide range of cardiovascular diseases, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, and ophthalmic problems.

Palm oil, other than edible and pharmaceutical industry, is used by the chemical industry in the production of soaps, detergents, decorative and ordinary white candles, washing powders.

Effects of palm oil on the body

The benefits and harms of a product for a person depend on what kind of it is meant - red (unprocessed), refined and technical have different properties and are used in different areas of production.

It is important to consider that the harm of palm oil to human health is more often caused not by its composition, but rather by the chemical processing of raw materials in the pursuit of reducing the cost of finished products.

red oil

This is a natural product of plant origin, which is rich in natural red-orange pigment. It undergoes minimal processing, which allows you to save many useful properties:

• it contains vitamins E and A, which allows it to effectively fight free radicals that provoke cancer;
• red palm oil has a positive effect on the condition of the skin, nourishes the hair, supports the immune system, and also improves visual acuity.

But there are also a number of negative points:

• its use in large quantities can provoke diseases of the cardiovascular system or increase the risk of oncology;
• palm oil (in large quantities) can noticeably gain weight. Due to the high melting point (40 degrees), it is digested somewhat worse than other products and, as a rule, is not completely eliminated from the body. With excessive consumption of food, most of it settles in the form of toxins.

Vegetable fat does not accumulate in the body in such volumes that any special measures are required to remove it. It is enough just to increase the amount of natural products in the diet.

Refined and deodorized

In the food industry, as a rule, it is refined oil that is used. It is an order of magnitude cheaper than unprocessed and stored longer, which can significantly reduce the cost of finished products and extend their shelf life, but in addition, it is practically devoid of all useful properties and is dangerous for the human body:

• A source of large amounts of saturated fats can cause the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and worsen the condition of patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus;
• Another negative impact is improving taste qualities products, it provokes obesity;
• The harm of palm oil to human health is not limited to the likelihood of weight gain, because. in addition, it is a carcinogenic product.

Olein is also used in the production baby food, but not at all to reduce the cost of the finished product, as is commonly believed.

The source of palimitic acid, which is necessary for the full development of the child and is contained in breast milk in the required amount, cannot be cow or goat milk and vegetable fats, but palm olein can be brought closer to this substance. It is introduced into the composition of infant formulas precisely in order to bring the composition of nutrition as close as possible to breast milk.

hydrogenated

Hydrogenation is the process of saturation with carbon to bring the oil into a solid state. Any hydrogenated fat loses almost all of its beneficial properties and becomes a product that is unhealthy.

The product is hydrogenated for use in margarine and margarine blends. In this case, the harm of palm oil to human health is enormous, while useful substances hydrogenated foods (including hydrogenated olive or vegetable oils) contain very little.

Technical

Technical palm oil is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, medicines, soaps, candles and washing powders. In the food industry, its use is unacceptable due to the fact that:

• the changed acid-base composition makes olein completely unsuitable for adding to food;
• it significantly impairs digestibility, deprives absolutely all useful properties and often provokes the formation of cholesterol plaques or even malignant neoplasms.

Most of the myths about palm oil are based on the misconception that the product is banned in many developed countries. In reality, for example, in the United States, its consumption is growing year by year, and in the countries of Africa and the Asian region, it is used daily by the majority of the population for cooking.

If in the production of products not technical oil is used, but food oil, then it will bring no more harm than any other.

Palm oil is bad for your health! This is what doctors are constantly talking about, warning us, ordinary consumers, that we should not use food products containing it in their composition. But what if now most of the products are made using this type of oil? So you don't need to eat at all? Or switch exclusively to natural food? And is palm oil really bad?

To begin with, it is worth understanding what it actually is. So, the type of a special Guinean palm tree is used to create it. This oil is composed for the most part of what allows it to be the only one with a composition almost identical to that of animal fat.

The main use of palm oil is production, for example, as a lubricant for equipment in metallurgical plants. However, for some time now, palm oil has become a regular guest in our kitchens: it is part of most of the products that can be found in any store. This ingredient is added to many flour and confectionery, in chocolate, ice cream, condensed milk, french fries and in almost all products fast food. In addition, it is often the main component of margarine, spread or "light" butter.

The main (and perhaps the only) positive quality of palm oil is that the vegetable fatty acids contained in it can significantly increase the shelf life of the products in which it is included. Also, this oil has a very low price. It is these factors that make such an ingredient indispensable for most manufacturers. However, otherwise - yes, it is safe to say that palm oil is harmful.

It is a rather refractory product, that is, its melting requires a much higher temperature than for other products and higher than the human body has. Thus, such oil does not melt in the stomach, but remains, taking the form of a sticky mass that resembles window grease.

However, most have probably heard that the benefits have long been proven by doctors. The fact is that this statement applies exclusively to oils, which consist of unsaturated fats. Among other things, healthy vegetable oils contain up to seventy-five percent, the content of which in palm oil is almost zero. The most useful are olive and corn vegetable oils, while palm oil practically does not contain any substances necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. This is why palm oil is unhealthy.

Of which such oil consists, they contribute to an increase in the level of cholesterol, the negative effect of which has long been proven: it, like plasticine, clogs blood vessels, which causes heart disease and atherosclerosis. Among other things, palm oil is harmful because it is a carcinogen, which, with its constant use, can cause the appearance and growth of cancerous tumors.

Now that it has become clear how harmful palm oil is, you should think about how to limit its use in food. There is only one way out: pay attention to labels and packaging when buying goods. If palm oil occupies one of the first places in the composition of the product, you should not hesitate to put it back on the shelf. Of course, products obtained using palm oil will definitely be cheaper than more useful "brothers", but you should not save on your own health and the health of your loved ones, because you cannot buy it for any money.

Palm oil is a vegetable oil that is obtained from the fruits of the oil palm tree, which is exotic to us. It is red-orange in color and tastes and smells like walnut. This is known to everyone and there can be no particular disagreement about the color, taste and smell. But until now, expert disputes about the properties of palm oil, which has an ambiguous reputation, have not stopped. Many are afraid to use products that contain it. Not without reason, believing that this oil contains an excess of saturated fats, which, of course, is not at all useful.

But manufacturers of such food claim that oil does not cause any harm to the body, but quite the opposite. They claim that it contains many useful substances and is therefore even beneficial to health. This is probably why palm oil is included in most food products. And even without our own desire, we use it almost every day.

Let's listen to both opinions - palm oil is harmful or useful, and we will draw our own conclusions.

Where is it used, in what products does it occur?

This product is inexpensive and it is introduced into the composition of the most different products. In addition, it is used not only in the food industry. For example, this oil is used in the preparation of soap, stearin candles, it is part of mixtures for lubrication and processing of metallurgical equipment. It is used in the manufacture of cosmetics.

But it is also included in food products. For example, they are used when industrial production some brands butter, margarine. The firm consistency of the palm product gives them elasticity.

For the same reason, it is introduced into the composition of condensed, powdered milk, cheeses and sour cream. It is used in the preparation of baking, confectionery. This oil slows down oxidation. In addition, saturated acids contained in large quantities are most resistant to the harmful effects of microorganisms, so a perishable product becomes long-term stored. In this regard, palm oil can almost always be found in the composition of purchased gingerbread, cookies, cakes and even chocolate.

But maybe it has useful properties, according to the manufacturers? Well, let's hear their expert opinion:

Benefit

According to food manufacturers who use palm oil in the production of products, as well as some experts, this oil is good for humans. First, they claim that it contains a large number of carotenoids, which are very strong antioxidants. The tocopherols and ubiquinone located there have the same properties.

All these substances have the most positive effect on the skin, hair, nails. Therefore, the oil has long and firmly been used by global cosmetics companies.

The oil is rich in coenzyme Q10, useful for recovery, normal cell activity, and therefore reduces the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome. The fact is that the body produces a sufficient amount of this enzyme only at a young age. After 30 years, a decrease in production begins, and the body feels this on the deteriorating state of the liver, heart, brain, etc.

Both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, contained in excess in oil, actively dissolve cholesterol, help cells renew themselves, harmonize the work of the whole organism, and fight aging.

The oil contains provitamin A, which has a positive effect on vision, as it enhances the synthesis of visual pigment located in the retina. Well, the tocopherols included in the composition increase the volume of muscle mass, have a positive effect on sexual function.

And here is the opinion of another, the largest group of experts who claim that palm oil is very harmful:

Harm

This product contains a high concentration of saturated fat. But everyone knows that these substances increase the content of cholesterol, which means that the use of palm oil increases the risk of developing diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Causes obesity, atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

It in itself is already the strongest carcinogen. Knowing this, many developed countries have long banned or significantly restricted its use in industrial food production.

It is poorly processed and poorly excreted from the human body. Experts believe that only a very small part of it is displayed. The main part remains in the body, gradually turning into deposits, toxins that clog blood vessels, stick together intestinal tissues, and negatively affect all other vital organs.

Well, it contains less than 5% linoleic acid. Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about its positive impact. The powerful damage it does is much stronger.

Of course, we, consumers, will have to decide whether this ambiguous oil is harmful or useful. You can certainly trust the experts who rehabilitate palm oil in their research. But it should be noted that most of these studies are funded by food manufacturers who use it in the production process.

Therefore, whether it is useful or harmful - we are unlikely to know for sure in the coming years. Nevertheless, when buying another can of condensed milk, chocolate, gingerbread or chips for your child, think about whether it is worth it? Be healthy!

Palm oil how widely used in the food industry that today it is easier to name products where it is not. Today, a cheap substitute for traditional vegetable fats is added to confectionery, semi-finished products, puff pastry products. It contains chips, crackers, almost all types of sauces. As well as processed cheese, butter, margarine, fast food, sweets, chocolate. And it's far from full list. The exception is not even baby food.

At first glance, it may seem that if it is a product of plant origin, then it is harmless. It turns out not at all.

Harm of palm oil serious enough.

Where does it come from

Palm oil is obtained in several ways. The first is from palm seeds, it is called stone palm or kernel palm. It is widely used in cosmetology and as a medicine.

The second is obtained from the fleshy part of the fruit of the oil palm. It is used for the production of stearin, in soap making, as a material for lubricating metallurgical and other equipment. Today it is also widely used in the food industry. It has a reddish-orange color, pleasant smell, nutty taste. Despite the ability to enhance the taste of a culinary product, palm oil is harmful to health.

According to statistics, approximately 35 million tons of palm oil are produced annually. The largest producers are located in Malaysia, Indonesia.

Improves taste - clogs blood vessels

Palm and coconut oils are very high in saturated fats. These fats from vegetable sources are very resistant to environmental influences. Therefore, the products, which they are part of, are stored for a long time, do not lose their taste. In other words, it is a good preservative. Using it, the presentation of products improves, taste characteristics increase, shelf life increases, and the cost of the product decreases. But if it is economically beneficial for producers, it is very harmful for consumers.

Nutritionists explain the saturated fats found in palm oil are harmful to human health. The human digestive system is not adapted to such food. The use of saturated fats leads to a violation of lipid metabolism, an increase in cholesterol levels, as a result of which blood vessels are affected, atherosclerotic processes occur. The body wears out and ages faster.

Previously, it was believed that vegetable margarine is healthier than butter. But since manufacturers began to massively replace olive, sunflower, corn oils with palm and coconut oils, margarine has become hazardous to health.

palm oil unhealthy

In many countries, they refused to import this product and limited its use in the food industry, since its use causes serious damage to the health of citizens. Saturated fatty acids are poorly soluble in the human digestive system. They, like plasticine, have the ability to be deposited on the walls of blood vessels, forming atherosclerotic deposits, blood clots. This provokes the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's disease. In addition, palm oil is a very strong carcinogen. Therefore, it can cause oncological processes.

The harm of palm oil is also in the ability to cause some kind of addiction. It enhances the taste of the product, as it were, makes you want it more and more. Over time, it can be very difficult to give up your favorite dishes, such as chips, hamburgers, some types of ice cream, sweets, sauces, convenience foods.

Nutritionists advise eliminate foods containing this cheap fat substitute from your diet. When shopping at a grocery store, read the label carefully. If the product contains palm oil, do not buy it.

You should be especially careful when buying products for children. The dangerous ingredient can be used as a milk substitute, added to ready-made breakfast cereals.

Oils containing a large amount of linoleic acid are considered valuable. The more its content, the more valuable the variety. V vegetable oil average quality content of linoleic acid is approximately 70-75%. Healthy are olive, corn, sunflower. In palm - linoleic acid is only 5%.

Be careful what you eat! Do not eat foods that are harmful to your health!

Most of the cheap dairy products in the Russian Federation have nothing to do with milk: expensive animal fat in supposedly butter and pseudo-cottage cheese has been replaced with cheap vegetable fat - palm fat.

Recently, officials have attended to this problem. There are a lot of proposals: to mark all goods with “palm”, to sharply increase import duties on tropical oils, to quota the import of palm oil into the country or to ban it altogether. Only things are still there.

On a tropical needle

Palm oil has been used in the food industry since Soviet time- for example, in the glaze of eclair cakes. But the palm boom fell on the crisis of 1998: cheap products for impoverished Russians began to be massively cooked on the “palm tree”. “If in 1997 100 tons of “palms” were imported into Russia, then in a year - 390 tons,” the Federal Customs Service explained to AiF.

By the end of the 2000s the problem escalated to the limit: manufacturers, without hesitation, made milk without milk, without indicating it on the labels. “There was a real battle in the industry,” recalls Larisa Abdullaeva, Executive Secretary of the Dairy Union of Russia. “The technical regulation for dairy products in 2008, for example, was lobbied in such a way that it allowed naming palm products with terms close to dairy (cheese, sour cream, etc.).” It was only in 2012 that the concept of “dairy-vegetable” (more than 50% milk) and “vegetable-milk” (less than 50% milk) products were legalized to fool customers.

However, this was clearly not enough. The shady business has climbed onto the “palm” long ago and is not going to get off it: the artisanal replacement of milk fat with vegetable fat gives super profits. “Palm oil helps make a phenomenally cheap product: it costs about $570 a tonne – five times less than butterfat ($2,900),” says Roman Gaidashov, independent food quality expert. Passing off cottage cheese or butter as high-quality dairy, but adding from 60 to 100% palm substitute there, the manufacturer turns into a millionaire in six months. No wonder they say in Asia: it is more profitable to have an oil palm plantation than an oil well.

Palm collusion

Different countries are trying in their own way to deal with exotic fat, but their efforts are virtually in vain. “For example, India and Thailand have imposed additional fees on palm oil imports. In France, the issue of increasing the tax on products using palm oil by 300% is being discussed. Pavel Shapkin, Chairman of the National Union for the Protection of Consumer Rights. - Over the past two years, palm oil supplies to Russia from abroad have grown significantly. At the beginning of 2015, imports grew by 37% compared to the same period last year.” After the imposition of sanctions, domestic producers began to actively "chemize".

In fact, the real level of food falsification in the country is unknown to anyone: most of the accredited laboratories are engaged by dishonest manufacturers. “The heads of laboratories are fed by manufacturers and make false protocols that the products are clean,” one of the market participants told AiF on condition of anonymity. Even in courts between the state and businessmen, such "experts" turn out to be on the side of business! It is curious that within the framework of the WTO, Russia had to reduce the import duty on the "palm tree" - from 15 to 5%. But she did not do this: WTO arbitration is currently underway. And, most likely, we will have to pay the WTO for the “palm tree” and reduce the duty.

5 dangers of palm oil

Producers pursue their own benefit - palm oil greatly reduces the cost of production and prolongs the shelf life of the product. But we, the consumers, suffer from this:

1. It is unhealthy. Leads to atherosclerosis, heart disease and can provoke oncology. A number of experts argue that palm oil is healthier than an animal: it cannot contain harmful cholesterol. Europe is actively doing diet foods based on palm. “But in the EU countries it is allowed to use palm oil with a peroxide value of 0.5 in the food industry. For Russia, the allowable indicator is 10. The higher the peroxide number, the worse the oil. All over the world, such oil is considered technical, and we eat it!” - says P. Shapkin.

2. It deprives us of useful substances. Today, palm oil is everywhere (see info-graphic). "Vegetable fat", "confectionery fat", "vegetable fat substitute" - it's all about him. They are replaced by good and useful components food products, and as a result, a person receives less nutrients and vitamins of the same dairy products - neither calcium nor microelements. The diet on one "palm tree" is extremely scarce.

3. It helps us to deceive. Used for falsification, it is not processed properly and is not at all suitable for food. For legal palm oil, GOST clearly prescribes the permissible content of pesticides, toxic elements and radionuclides, says that it must be deodorized and refined. For example, GOST requires storing edible palm oil in stainless steel cans. But the raw materials for counterfeit are most often poured into plastic tanks that are not intended for this. The left oil usually contains heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, as well as non-food chemicals.

4. It helps us to rob. In fact, products with palm oil are many times cheaper than natural ones.

5. It destroys nature. Asia groans from the popularity of palm oil: centuries-old forests are cut down for plantations, animals living there are dying.

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