Palm Oil In Cooking, In Snacks, Etc.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm aware that palm oil is not really good for you, but a friend of mine recently told me it was his understanding that there was some sort of awful fat in it that you couldn't ever get out of your arteries- much worse than cholesterol. Does he know what he's talking about?

If so, how much of the cooking oil on the street/in restaurants is palm oil? How would you check in order to avoid it? I've already started avoiding Thai potato chips, snacks, etc. (which I shouldn't be eating anyway).

"Steven"

[suegha]

It's not palm oil, although it is saturated! It's hydrogenated oils that are bad, found in mass produced veggie oils, best avoided!!!

I don't think they use them in street food. In the UK there's a move to drop them from snacks, crisps (chips) etc. There was a time when it was found in 'everything' cos it is so cheap!

Most natural products are okay, even palm oil is better for you than most of the synthetic products. Although with palm oils there's also a debate about the 'explotation' of palm trees.

[chingching]

I don't think palm oils are much better than hydrogenated oils (now called trans-fats) if at all. If a fat is solid at room temperature, it has a good chance of also being a solid inside your body.

[Trevor]

I'm aware that palm oil is not really good for you, but a friend of mine recently told me it was his understanding that there was some sort of awful fat in it that you couldn't ever get out of your arteries- much worse than cholesterol. Does he know what he's talking about?

If so, how much of the cooking oil on the street/in restaurants is palm oil? How would you check in order to avoid it? I've already started avoiding Thai potato chips, snacks, etc. (which I shouldn't be eating anyway).

"Steven"

Raw palm oil, like virgin coconut oil, is extremely healthy. Both doctors Atkins and Mercola support this. Problem is finding the real deal. Palm oil in food is more of an African thing. Not to Western palates. Can find one brand in Tesco but it's heavily refined, possibly (partially) hydrogenated (no labelling requirement), and basically toxic, especially when heated.

Look, in nature, there is NO bad fat or oil. They only turn bad when humans get hold of them and start heating, 'refining', bleaching, deodourizing and hydrogenating them!

Stick to the fats in raw coconuts, raw milk, raw organic meat & eggs, and raw fish (non-farmed, from clean waters), and you can't go wrong!

Edited June 2, 2007 by Trevor

[expatwannabe]

Agree with most of what was said above.

Natural oils are fine. But when they are hydrogenated (i.e., saturated with hydrogen molecules), they become harder to break down. As a result, your body stores the little fat molecules (triglycerides). Or they simply float around your bloodstream until they find a place to collect - on the sides of your arteries.

If you're looking for a truly healthy oil, use a combination 70% rice bran oil with 30% safflower oil. Japanese studies have shown this combination to inhibit absorption of cholesterol in the stomach and reduce cholesterol production by the liver - resulting in a much improved lipid profile.

[Jamie]

While pure palm or coconut oils are probably better than your hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, remember, any "oil" that begins to solidify at room temperature is probably not the best for your arteries.

[cooL_guY_corY]

Agree with most of what was said above.

Natural oils are fine. But when they are hydrogenated (i.e., saturated with hydrogen molecules), they become harder to break down. As a result, your body stores the little fat molecules (triglycerides). Or they simply float around your bloodstream until they find a place to collect - on the sides of your arteries.

If you're looking for a truly healthy oil, use a combination 70% rice bran oil with 30% safflower oil. Japanese studies have shown this combination to inhibit absorption of cholesterol in the stomach and reduce cholesterol production by the liver - resulting in a much improved lipid profile.

cool where do you get this magic oil ? any brand names ? stores in thailand or a broad ?

[ajarnwills]

Always a good idea to have some extra virgin olive oil in your diet.

Not a miracle oil at all - Palm oil contains a lot of saturated fats which is not good news.

where to buy? about 50% of all the oil in Thai supermarkets is palm oil.

The other problem with palm oil is the serious impact it's growth and production is having on the environment. This is being exacerbated by a massive increase in demand or palm oil as a bio-fuel

Edited June 17, 2007 by ajarnwills

[ajarnwills]

I don't think palm oils are much better than hydrogenated oils (now called trans-fats) if at all. If a fat is solid at room temperature, it has a good chance of also being a solid inside your body.

Since when has my body been "room temperature"?