People around the world have used palm oil as a source of food for thousands of years. It has been widely used for a variety of food products, which include cooking oil, margarine, shortening, and as raw materials in many other industries (Cottrel, 1991).
The palm oil is easily digested and absorbed by human body. Its savory taste that enhances the taste of foods (palatability) and its important nutritional content have made it popular in many countries (Calloway and Kurtz, 1956).
Known as very versatile vegetable oil due to its wide applications for households and industries that include energy industry, the palm oil saw a sharp increase in consumption and spread to all parts of the world. Data from Oil World (2017) shows that almost all global population have consumed palm oil in their everyday lives. The global consumption rise has been seen since 2005, surpassing the consumption of other vegetable oils. The phenomenon is suspected to have pushed certain groups to launch negative campaigns against the palm oil (PASPI, 2017).
One of the reasons why the palm oil becomes popular with global consumers is its higher nutritional content as compared to other vegetable oils. In its 2017 literature assessment on the nutritious advantages of palm oil and accusation of cancer trigger, PASPI reveals a number of research results that show the advantages of palm oil compared to soybean, sunflower, olive oil and other rival vegetable oils.
- Balance Fatty Acid Composition
A research by experts (Cottrel, 1991; Muhilal, 1998; Muchtadi, 1998; Haryadi, 2010; Giriwono & Nuri Andarwulan, 2016) shows that palm oil has a balance between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids at around 50:50. Such composition makes it more stable, not easily rancid, and does not produce free radicals which can trigger cancer disease.
Conversely, other vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower, and olive oils, are dominated by unsaturated fatty acids up to 85-90%, causing them more easily oxidized and less stable.
Palm oil contains around 40% oleic acid (monounsaturated), 10% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated), 44% palmitic acid (saturated), and 4.5% stearic acid (saturated). This composition makes palm oil having fatty acid at ideal level and superior to other vegetable oils (Wood et al., 1993; Ng et al., 1992; Hayes & Khosla, 1995; Choudhury & Truswell, 1995).
- Contain no trans fatty acids
Palm oil is naturally stable and does not require hydrogenation. In contrast, soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed oils often undergo hydrogenation process to increase their stability. This process can produce trans fatty acids, which are the compounds known potential to cause various diseases such as cancer, obesity, coronary heart disease, and Alzheimer’s (Haryadi, 2010; Giriwono, 2016).
Due to its fatty acid content, palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature, with a melting point between 33–39°C. This property allows palm oil to be used in a variety of formulations of food products without further processing.
It should be noted that the hydrogenation process, especially partial one, can change the natural structure of fatty acids from cis to trans, which is harmful to human health. The content of trans fatty acid in hydrogenated soybean oil can reach 13–30%.
- High content of Vitamin A and E
Another advantage of palm oil is its very high content of vitamins, especially vitamin A (beta carotene) and vitamin E. Palm oil contains about 1,172 ppm of vitamin E, much higher than other vegetable oils such as soybean oil (958 ppm), sunflower (546 ppm), or corn (782 ppm) (Slover, 1971; Gunstone, 1986). Vitamin E plays an important role as a natural antioxidant which protects body cells from premature aging, atherosclerosis, and cancer (Walton & Packer, 1980; Hirai et al., 1982; Cross, 1987; Elson & Qureshi, 1995).
In addition to that, red palm oil is even richer in vitamin A, reaching 5,000–6,700 µg per 100 grams. This content is 12 times higher than that of carrots and 300 times higher than oranges’. Having such rich property makes palm oil as one of the best sources of vitamin A compared to other foods, which include carrots, bananas, and oranges (Haryadi, 2010).
The combination of vitamin A, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, and stearic in palm oil have been scientifically proven effective in strengthening human immune system and in preventing various kinds of diseases, which include cancer, night blindness due to vitamin A deficiency, heart disease, etc.
Besides being safe for human consumption, the palm oil also has many advantages in terms of health and nutrition. Having a balanced and stable composition of fatty acids, high contents of vitamin A and vitamin E, and no content of trans fats, make palm oil a superior and healthier vegetable oil compared to its other rival vegetable oils. On the other hand, several other types of vegetable oils can actually pose health risks due to their hydrogenation process that produces compounds harmful to human body. (*)
bpdp.or.id. https://www.bpdp.or.id/bagaimana-nilai-gizi-minyak-sawit. Bagaimana Nilai Gizi Minyak Sawit?. Apr 18, 2025
