Is Palm Oil Dangerous? The Truth About Saturated Fat And Cancer Risks

Researchers have discovered that fatty acids found in Palm Oil are able to induce cancer.

Palm Oil is obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree, and it is the world’s largest produced fat. Palm oil is manufactured in the amount of 81 million metric tons annually. Palm Oil is obtained through two methods, one is the pressing of the fruit and the other method is the crushing of the seed inside the fruit.

There has been controversy as to why one should not ingest Palm Oil. There are a number of reasons why this is so:

Palm Oil Contains High Content Of Saturated Fat

Palm Oil is largely 50% saturated fat and the chief acid is palmitic acid. Nutrition advice recommends controlling high consumption since it is likely to lead to higher levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is referred to as bad cholesterol in today’s age. High levels of the same are likely to lead to atherosclerosis, or hardening of arteries, and may lead to cardiovascular ailments such as heart attack and stroke.

Palm Oil Can Be Cancerous?

When palm oil is being processed and the temperature rises, that is, to 200°C, it is capable of creating toxic compounds, which in turn can result in causing cancer. These are:

Glycidyl Fatty Acid Esters(GE)-

GE hydrolyzes to glycidol, the target compound. In 2016, strongly the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) cautioned against GE, wherein glycidol was a genotoxic and carcinogenic compound found. Genotoxic means the ability of the compound to cause DNA damages, a cancer initiator. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also designated glycidol as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.

3-Monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) And Esters (3-MCPDE)-

Even less toxic than GE, 3-MCPD has been classified by IARC as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B). EFSA also expressed concern, especially regarding potential harm to kidneys and male fertility at extremely high exposure levels.

The greatest health concern with palm oil is the carcinogenic refining byproducts (GE and 3-MCPD) of processing that are formed during high-temperature refining. Palmitic acid’s role in cancer metastasis is yet to be explored, especially in animal models, but it is a more complex and less clearly demonstrated link in humans than for byproducts of processing.

Briefly, palm oil’s health problems stem from its saturated fat content, elevating heart disease risk. Most importantly, its refining at high temperatures produces carcinogens such as GE and 3-MCPD with direct associations with cancer vulnerability. Although the role of palmitic acid in cancer metastasis is controversial, these industrial wastes are of most concern.

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