Originally published July 31 2005
Tropical oils are making a comeback
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil, once used to extend the shelf life of processed foods, were replaced with partially hydrogenated oils containing trans fats. But given current research on the dangers of trans fats, tropical oils may not be as bad as once thought.
Coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are back.
Once used to extend the shelf life of processed foods, tropical oils all but disappeared in the 1980s.
At that time, these oils were replaced with partially hydrogenated oils containing trans fats.
Researchers now realize that trans fats act similarly to saturated fats and that tropical oils may not be as bad as once thought.
All fats are mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, but tropical oils contain a higher proportion of saturated fats than any other fat.
Saturated fats raise cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
But according to the May issue of the University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, palm oil does contain a significant proportion of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and other antioxidants.
Its main fatty acid has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels in some studies.
Less is known about palm kernel oil, which is more saturated than palm oil and contains little monounsaturated fat.
The resulting product, called fractionated palm kernel oil, is an ingredient in energy bars and other products because it makes the coating less likely to melt.
It isn't known whether this processed oil is any healthier than hydrogenated fat.
Coconut oil may also have a neutral cholesterol effect in most people.
Its main fatty acid, lauric acid, may even have some health benefits.
Manufacturers are scrambling to reduce trans fats in foods before trans-fat labeling becomes mandatory in January.
To beat that deadline and because more is known about the potentially damaging effects of hydrogenated oils or trans fats, tropical oils are being used again.
More research is needed before tropical oils get a clean bill of health.
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