Is Palm Oil Bad for You? Health, Facts, and Misconceptions

Many of us health specialists often find ourselves in a loop, consistently revisiting whether certain foods or ingredients are ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Palm oil is one of those ingredients that just keeps coming back.

But the truth is that there is no such thing as universally ‘bad’ or ‘good’ food or separate ingredients. What matters more is the context — how often we eat something, in what form, what else we are eating, and, of course, our individual health needs.

Even today, I can’t go through a grocery store with my family without someone asking: “Wait — does that have palm oil in it?” So, the concern is real, and rightfully so, as for years, palm oil has been having a pretty rough ride in the media. It has been blamed for everything from heart disease and cancer risk to destroying the planet. But how much of that is actually rooted in science?

I have decided to write this article not to defend palm oil or vilify it further. So, if you, like many of us, want to move away from fear-based labels toward a more informed and nuanced understanding, read on to see what I have discovered.

What is palm oil, and where is it found?

Palm oil uses date back to 3,000 BCE; during the Industrial Revolution, this oil started gaining popularity as a soap and lubricant, especially for lubricating machinery. Nowadays, palm oil is the most productive oil crop in the world due to its high yield, relatively low production costs, versatility, and long shelf life.

Generally, palm oil is a type of vegetable oil made from the fruit of a palm tree. This type of oil is semi-solid at room temperature and has a naturally reddish color unless refined.

Common food products and non-food uses

When considering diets, palm oil is a relatively small ingredient in the U.S., especially compared to developing countries, where it is widely used for cooking. Instead, in the U.S. and Europe, palm oil is used in many processed foods and other products — more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil.

Nutritional profile of palm oil

There are two types of palm oil: unrefined and refined. Unrefined palm oil, pressed from fresh fruits, retains its natural reddish color due to a higher level of antioxidants. It has a relatively high vitamin E content, contains carotenoids, and has a good profile of monounsaturated fats.

However, the more commonly used refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil lacks many of the potential health benefits found in red palm oil. Its nutritional value is largely limited to fat, with relatively low levels of vitamin E. This version, processed to improve stability at high temperatures, remove impurities, and make it colorless with a neutral taste and smell, enhances its versatility.

The nutritional profile of RBD palm oil per one teaspoon of product (4.5 g) includes:

• Calories: 39.8 kcal
• Protein: 0 g
• Total carbohydrates: 0 g
• Total fat: 4.5 g
• Total saturated fats: 2.22 g
• Total monounsaturated fats: 1.66 g
• Total polyunsaturated fats: 0.419 g
• Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): 0.716 mg
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone): 0.36 mcg

I understand that looking at these numbers may not reveal much, so let’s compare palm oil with the most common oils to get a more in-depth perspective:

*Nutritional values per tsp (4.5 g)	Palm oil	Sunflower oil	Canola oil	Olive oil
Calories	39.8 kcal	39.8 kcal	39.8 kcal	39.8 kcal
Protein	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Total carbohydrates	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Total fat	4.5 g	4.5 g	4.5 g	4.5 g
Saturated fat	2.22 g	0.405 g	0.331 g	0.621 g
Monounsaturated fat	1.66 g	2.58 g	2.85 g	3.28 g
Polyunsaturated fat	0.419 g	1.3 g	1.26 g	0.472 g
Vitamin E	0.716 mg	1.85 mg	0.787 mg	0.648 mg
Vitamin K	0.36 mcg	0.243 mcg	3.21 mcg	2.71 mcg

While none of the mentioned oils provide a meaningful vitamin profile, it’s evident that palm oil has the most saturated fat content and the lowest amount of monounsaturated fats, which are associated with beneficial properties to overall health.

Given that palm oil can only be discussed from its fatty acid profile, let’s see what the science has to say about it in terms of the potential impact on health.

Health effects of palm oil: what does the science say?

Cardiovascular considerations

From the nutritional profile, we can see that palm oil is rich in saturated fatty acids, especially palmitic acids, which account for almost half of the total fatty acid content in palm oil. This raises questions for many about the potential impact on cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular health.

Well, the truth is that the potential impact of palm oil on heart health is highly contradictory.

Some studies suggest that diets high in palm oil may increase LDL cholesterol compared to other vegetable oils, but due to a particular saturated fatty acid profile, it may have a smaller impact on cardiovascular health than other vegetable oils.

Other studies propose that while vegetable oils like canola, virgin olive, and rice bran may contribute to the reduction of triglycerides, oils like palm oil may meaningfully increase triglyceride levels in the blood, with the effects on cholesterol levels found to be insignificant.

So, in reality, I always say it's just one ingredient, and in this case, just a type of oil. Naturally, if following a high-fat diet with excessive saturated fat intake, especially from processed foods, any type of vegetable oil may potentially contribute to a negative impact on heart health, as some of the studies suggest.

However, if your diet is overall balanced and you generally have healthy habits, occasionally consuming foods containing palm oil may not have such tremendous health effects as commonly suggested in the media, and the effects themselves may be similar to other vegetable oils.

High processing and health impact

Since even refined palm oil is consumed relatively on its own or simply used for cooking, it's essential to place it in context. Palm oil is usually most present in ultra-processed foods, which are often associated with poor health outcomes, regardless of the type of fat used.

Including foods like packaged cookies, instant noodles, frozen meals, creamers, and other snacks in the daily diet and basing the diet on these foods long-term may not only provide a high content of saturated fat from palm oil alone, but also from other ingredients commonly found in such foods.

Moreover, ultra-processed foods are energy-dense, contain excessive amounts of sodium or added sugars, and often lack essential vitamins, dietary fiber, and other nutrients that overall support health long-term.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods long term is now associated with many potential health issues, including obesity, metabolic health disturbances, gut health issues, and cardiovascular health decline.

With that being said, if we put palm oil, which is present in these foods, in the context of other less desirable nutrients from ultra-processed foods, we could say that palm oil may contribute to an increased risk of health issues. However, the context of its use and consumption matters most.

Are there any positives of palm oil to health?

Red palm oil is known to be a type of less processed oil. Some studies suggest that such oil may provide certain health benefits when used in adequate amounts.

In his YouTube video, Dr. Eric Berg evaluates the differences between palm oil and coconut oil. He says, “One of the strengths of palm oil is that it absorbs fewer pesticides and other chemicals and fertilizers than other types of oil. It is also worth mentioning that most of the studies we have now on palm oil’s effects on health come from using refined palm oil. There is minimal to no evidence in terms of ‘pure’ palm oil’s impact on health.”

One of the potential key benefits of such unrefined palm oil is its antioxidant properties. Red palm oil may contain some tocotrienols and carotenoids that are proposed to play a role in heart health, brain health, and immune system function.

However, it is crucial to understand that most of the palm oil we ‘meet’ on a daily basis is not the unrefined red type but a highly processed version of it, found in many ultra-processed foods. Thus, discussing the potential benefits of such oil may not be optimal, considering that most of us may not even have the ability to include unrefined palm oil in our daily diets.

Environmental considerations of palm oil

We often tend to talk about palm oil in terms of its potential effects on health. However, let’s briefly touch on some aspects of palm oil production and environmental considerations.

Studies suggest that large areas of tropical forests and other ecosystems with high conservation values have been cleared to make room for palm oil plantations. So, it can be assumed that such high demand negatively impacts many aspects of the environment.

For this reason, the Roundtable and Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was founded in 2004 to improve the sustainability of palm oil production. Nowadays, the World Wildlife Organization, alongside other organizations, works to encourage companies to produce certified sustainable palm oil by defining standards and supporting their implementation.

Practical tips for consumers

Despite all we’ve learned, if you still want to minimize the intake of palm oil, here are some tips that may be helpful:

• Reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods. Focus on whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and whole grains to support your overall health.
• Read ingredient labels. Palm oil can appear under many names, like palm kernel oil, fractioned palm oil, palm stearin, palm plein, glyceryl stearate, or even the botanical name of Elaeis guineensis.
• Understand that palm oil in itself is not ‘toxic.’ Palm oil is not inherently harmful when used in moderation in a healthy and balanced diet.
• Choose fats wisely for cooking. When cooking at home, include olive oil or canola oil as well as other foods that contain more monounsaturated fats. This way, you’ll balance your intake of saturated fats from palm oil if you tend to include some ultra-processed foods in your diet.
• If you have to include some processed foods or other products with palm oil, opt for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) on the label.

Bottom line

Palm oil, like many other ingredients, is neither inherently harmful nor inherently healthy. Its health impact largely depends on how the oil is used, whether in nutrient-rich home cooking or as a part of a diet high in ultra-processed foods.

While refined palm oil offers little nutritional benefit, the real issue lies in its frequent presence in low-quality foods and its link to environmental degradation. A balanced, minimally processed diet, paired with informed shopping choices, can help consumers navigate palm oil with clarity and confidence.