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Palm Oil Very Rich In Vitamin E: Myth Or Fact?

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JAKARTA – Palm oil is scientifically recognized for its antioxidant properties and nutritional richness, with a high content of vitamin A and vitamin E. The vitamin E plays a crucial role in maintaining human health.

Besides in palm oil, the vitamin E can be also found in a variety of foods, including other vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, green vegetables, and wheat products.

But apparently, palm oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world. Used in a variety of food and non-food products, palm oil is a favorite in the food industry, cosmetics, biodiesel, and other industries.

Vitamin E: Myth vs Fact in Palm Oil

The vitamin E in palm oil has been a controversial topic of discussion in recent years. Many argue that the content of vitamin E in palm oil is lower than other vegetable oils. Is it fact or myth?

As a matter of fact, data shows that vitamin E in palm oil is actually higher than other vegetable oils:

  • Palm oil: 1.172 ppm
  • Soybean oil: 958 ppm
  • Corn oil: 782 ppm
  • Cottonseed oil: 776 ppm
  • Sunflower oil: 546 ppm
  • Peanut oil: 367 ppm
  • Olive oil: 51 ppm
  • Coconut oil: 36 ppm

In addition to its high content, the composition of vitamin E in palm oil is also unique. Man and Haryati’s 1997 study showed that vitamin E in palm oil consists of 20 percent tocopherols and 80 percent tocotrienols. Palm oil is dubbed as “the richest natural source of tocotrienols,” which adds to its health value.

Palm Oil As Antioxidant

One of the well-known health benefits of vitamin E is its role as an antioxidant that protects body cells from oxidative damage. A research conducted by Serbinova et al. in 1991 even revealed that alpha tocotrienols in palm oil are 40-60 times more effective in fighting free radicals than alpha tocopherols.

Conclusion

The strong antioxidant properties of palm oil enable vitamin E to prevent various chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Vitamin E also plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin, eyes, supporting the immune system, and increasing fertility of reproductive organs. This makes the palm cooking oil or palm-based butter that we consume not just ordinary cooking oil, but vitamin cooking oil. It turns out that palm oil is not only the most efficient vegetable oil in the world, but it is also proven as a vegetable oil with the highest content of vitamin E. (*)

 

Palmoilina.asia. https://palmoilina.asia/berita-sawit/kaya-vitamin-e-dan-antioksidan/. Minyak Sawit Kaya Vitamin E dan Antioksidan (2023). September 19, 2023

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