A new health food trend is emerging for the health conscious. It is called red palm oil and it is used in cooking, baking and food preparation. Red palm oil is free from cholesterol and trans-fat.

Red palm oil is also a rich source of phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, vitamin-E, lycopene and other carotenoids. These carotenoids are responsible for the striking red colour of the oil.

Red palm oil has been used for thousands of years as a cooking oil in the East, but has only recently become available in the West. Importers in the West intend to make it more readily available. At the moment, red palm oil is available at selected health shops and supermarkets.

Why is red palm oil a super-healthy oil?
Red palm oil is particularly healthy because it contains the above-mentioned carotenoids and a special form of vitamin E. Most people are not aware of the fact that many different kinds of vitamin E occur in nature and that some forms of vitamin E are more beneficial than others. Red palm oil contains tocotrienols, a powerful form of vitamin E, which acts as a super-antioxidant.

The carotenoids in red palm oil also act as antioxidants and one of these carotenoids, namely lycopene, is associated with reducing the risks of certain types of cancer.

Our bodies need antioxidants to counteract 'free radicals'. When we are exposed to pollutants in cigarette smoke, industrial pollution, stress, unbalanced diets, pesticide residues in food, and many other negative environmental influences, we are also exposed to free radicals.

A build-up of free radicals in the body is associated with degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer, as well as general ageing. It is, therefore, in our own best interests to ensure that we eat a diet rich in antioxidants that will counteract the damage to our bodies by free radicals.

What about heating?
Most people are aware of the fact that important nutrients can be broken down or destroyed when food is cooked. Research has shown that red palm oil can be heated during cooking without destroying its rich phytonutrient content.

What are tocotrienols?
Tocotrienols are super-antioxidants that belong to the vitamin E family. Red palm oil is particularly rich in these tocotrienols and is the only vegetable oil that has an abundant tocotrienol content.

Research results
Scientific studies conducted at the Universities of Louisiana and Wisconsin in the USA, the University of Reading in the UK, and the University of Western Ontario in Canada, have identified the following health benefits of red palm oil:

• a reduction in the incidence of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries which can result in heart disease);
• a reduction in blood cholesterol levels;
• a reduction in blood clotting, combined with blood vessel dilation, thus preventing heart attacks and strokes;
• inhibition of the growth of breast cancer cells, which suggests that red palm oil may act as a chemopreventive agent;
• a 45% enhancement of the efficiency of breast cancer drugs such as Tamoxifen.

These research results are indeed good news and may herald a new chapter in the prevention of heart disease and various types of cancer.

Interesting comparisons
The following table illustrates the nutritional benefits of red palm oil:

Nutrient   Red Palm Oil   Sunflower Oil   Safflower Oil   Maize Oil   Olive Oil

Vitamin E (mg)  80              39                  27.4              20.7            7.6

Carotene (mg)  50               0                    0                    0               0

It is evident that the vitamin E and carotene contents of red palm oil are superior to those of the above-mentioned cooking and salad oils. THE END.