The ancient Egyptians cooked with red palm oil more than 5000 years ago. The pharoahs considered it a sacred food, and the culture used it in cooking and as a medicine. Derived from the fruit of the oil palm Elaesis guineensis; the plant originated in Africa. From its prized origins, red palm oil fell out of favor in the Western world. Now, with trends going back to natural cures, red palm oil once again flourishes with its numerous health benefits.
Medicinal Treatments
For countless centuries, red palm oil has served as a cure-all for many common ailments in Africa. It is still common for the sick to be administered a cup of the oil to drink. In addition, pregnant and nursing mothers in the African villages drink red palm oil daily to boost the vitamin content of their milk naturally.
Nutrient Power
The red color comes from the natural presence of betacarotene and lycopene, which gives carrots and tomatoes their distinctive red and orange colors. Once digested, the body converts these to vitamin A. The equivalent amount of red palm oil offers 15 times the betacarotene of a carrot. As such, one teaspoon of the red palm oil supplies a child with the daily recommended allowance of vitamin A.
In addition to vitamin A, red palm oil also contains vitamin E and K to support healthy skin, hair and nails.
Beside packing a hefty vitamin punch, red palm oil also contains other recognized healthy components such as CoQ10, squalene, falconoid, phenolic acids and glycolipids. All of these phytonutrients have been recognized as providing an important role in overall nutrition and health.
Despite its high saturated fat content, palm oil studies have shown that oil reduce the buildup in the arteries. The presence of CoQ10 has been attributed as part of the reason for the improvements in overall heart health and lower cholesterol levels.
While palm oil contains more than 50 percent saturated fat, some of this comes in the form of high density lipoprotein or HDL, the good fat for lowering cholesterol. Here lies the main debate over whether palm oil offers a healthy alternative. The cultures that traditionally use palm oil daily as part of their heritage have no increase in heart disease, compared to other cultures that use natural, healthy oil.
Future Benefits
In third world countries, red palm oil serves as a necessary source of dietary fat. In this capacity, the trans fats help stave off malnutrition by adding needed calories. With the trend toward natural fats, palm oil may someday replace the hydrogenated animal fats that make up many processed foods.
With red palm oil being commercially produced through parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, sufficient quantities are manufactured yearly to support the substitution of this naturally healthy substance in place of the chemically produced fats.
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