Nutritionist warns on excessive palm oil consumption

Nutritional experts have warned people with heart disease and high cholesterol to avoid consuming palm oil, warning that excessive intake of it can accelerate the progression of cardiovascular diseases.

READ ALSO:Beans consumption won’t make children of short parents tall- Nutritionist

Palm oil, according to them, contains high levels of saturated fats, which have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Based on this, the food experts urged people with heart-related diseases to limit their intake of processed foods, which often contain palm oil.

The World Health Organisation described cardiovascular diseases as a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels, which include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions.

The WHO noted that CVDs are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year.

According to the global health body, more than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, while one-third of such deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.

Speaking exclusively with newsmen, the nutritionists advised people with heart disease or high cholesterol to focus on consuming foods high in unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and fish.

While noting that palm oil has some health benefits such as being rich in antioxidants, the experts maintained that high levels of saturated fats can offset or diminish such good benefits.

A nutritionist, Odunayo Babatunde said consuming too much palm oil raises the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its high saturated fat content.

She noted that this can contribute to heart disease by increasing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which can build up in the arteries, causing blockages.

The food expert stressed that eating more than 10 per cent of the total calories of a particular food from palm oil is considered excessive.

She explained, “Eating more than 10 per cent of your total calories from palm oil is considered excessive. For a 2000-calorie diet, this amounts to around 22 grams or 2 teaspoons.

“Refined palm oil has fewer micronutrients and antioxidants than unprocessed virgin palm oil. However, refined palm oil has fewer pollutants. The health risks stem primarily from saturated fat intake, regardless of the kind.

“Palm oil has health advantages such as vitamin E, and some red palm oil contains carotenoids. However, the hazards outweigh the advantages of high ingestion.

“People with high cholesterol or a history of heart disease should be more cautious about palm oil consumption since it might aggravate lipid profiles and accelerate disease progression.

“Excess palm oil consumption can aggravate lipid profiles and accelerate cardiovascular disease progression in persons with the aforementioned diseases.”

The nutritionist, however, stated that exposing children to high levels of palm oil consumption can result in lifetime taste preferences for fatty foods, raising their chance of obesity and heart disease in later years.

Babatunde said, “Children should avoid excessive palm oil consumption because it can create lifelong taste preferences for fatty foods and increase the risk of obesity and heart disease later in life.

“Virgin (unrefined) palm oil, consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, is the healthiest option. Do not reuse palm oil for cooking.

“Healthy cooking oil choices include olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and nut oils.”

Meanwhile, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Ede Ebele noted that people might benefit from the positive effects of palm oil when they take it in moderation.

She stressed that excessive consumption can lead to obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

“Palm oil is safe when consumed in moderation. Palm oil has an equal amount of saturated and unsaturated fat i.e. 50%-50%. So when consumed in moderation, you can reap the protective effect but when consumed in excess, it can lead to obesity and cardiovascular diseases,” she explained.

On how to identify when palm oil is in excess, the food expert said, “When you cook, if the amount of oil you use forms a thick layer on your soup or floats excessively on the surface, then that is excessive.

“If after cooking and eating, your plate of food appears overly glossy, indicating that it has been excessively coated with palm oil, then that indicates excessive consumption. For instance, if you are to consume 1800KCal in a day, all the saturated fats you are to consume daily should be less than 10% of this 1800KCal. Anything above that is excessive consumption.”

According to researchers, people who consumed the most palm oil had a 26 per cent higher risk of death from all causes, compared to those who consumed the least palm oil.

 

PUNCH/Wumi