Food
How often during a shopping trip you look not only at the price of goods and shelf life, but also at the composition? And you will agree, each of us has a list of ingredients, the presence of which makes it disgusting to put the goods back on the supermarket shelf. For some, such a "stop signal" are multiple additives such as "E", and for someone - palm oil, which in our country is used relatively recently. Contrary to the existing delusion, the first word in the title does not mean that it is made from the trunk or leaves of a palm tree. This oil is made from small (about 4 centimeters) fruits that grow in large clusters. That is what is squeezed out of them and is called palm oil. Compared with other vegetable fats, it is solid initially. This consistency is obtained due to the high content of saturated fatty acids. It is the hardness and composition of palm oil that made it so popular around the world. Most often it is used for the production of confectionery and in general in the production of food. Despite all this, the debate about whether it is useful or not, does not subside until now. So let's understand this, and at the same time we will debunk a couple of myths about this mysterious product.
We will not find ideal products, therefore we will begin with the fact that useful in palm oil.
Its high resistance to oxidation makes it unique because it can be stored for a very long time because of this. By unconditional advantages can also be attributed to the fact that the oil contains a very valuable antioxidant for our body carotenoid. It also contains a record amount of vitamin E, part of which is tocotrienol, it is rarely found in other plants and fights against substances that trigger cancer.
Linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) help to lower cholesterol in the body. They contribute to the structuring of bones and joints. These unsaturated fats are also present in palm oil. Triglycerides, which are rapidly absorbed in the liver, which it is also rich in, do not enter the bloodstream and produce energy. So this ingredient is useful to those who watch their weight and figure. This oil is useful even for those who have vision problems, because it contains Provitamin A, which is involved in the production of visual pigment of the retina.
Of course, there are a lot of useful things, but what harm does the use of palm oil bring to our body?
As with cream, the main damage to the human body is applied with a high content of saturated fats, the use of which leads to the appearance of problems with the heart and blood vessels. The World Wide Fund for Wildlife is sounding the alarm, as companies, fighting for profit, cut down wild rainforests and plant oil palm trees there. Indirectly, but, nevertheless, these changes in the forest zone are harmful to animals.
As promised, we will debunk a couple of myths about palm oil:
• Due to the increased refractoriness, it is not absorbed in the body and is deposited with slags.
Absolutely not. The body does not burn food, like a wood stove, but it digests, and food is absorbed in the form of an emulsion. Therefore, consumption of palm oil contained in food does not harm a person.
• In Europe, it was banned.
According to Oil World (ISTA Mielke GmbH), residents of China or Japan annually consume the same amount of this oil as the population of Russia. But the European Union every year eats it 2 times more than we do.
Now that you know the pros and cons of consuming palm oil, you can decide for yourself whether to bring products home or leave them on the shelf in the store.