Bad fat This is how palm oil in food damages your health

Almost every second food in this country now contains palm oil. Experts believe that this oil has extremely negative health effects. In addition, rainforests are cleared for the production of cheap fat.
Environmental and health protection against palm oil
For years, environmentalists have been criticizing the steady increase in the use of palm oil in the food industry. Especially in Southeast Asia, massive quantities of rainforest are cut down to meet demand. Slash-and-burn causes dangerous smog in the countries, animals lose their habitat and people are driven out of their villages due to growing plantations. Many health experts are against palm oil. Just recently, the ZDF business and consumer magazine "Wiso" reported on how harmful Nutella is to the body, with a special focus on palm oil. On the website of the North German Broadcasting Corporation "www.ndr.de", interesting facts about the relationship between health and palm oil have now been summarized.

How harmful is palm oil? Here are some answers. Image: Huna - fotolia

Included in around every second food
Palm oil is used in numerous foods. It is used in the production of chocolate, margarine, spreads and many finished products like pizza. The raw material gives some food a coat-firm, creamy consistency and in case of soup soups it ensures, for example, that no powder sticks to the bag. As the NDR reports, a sample of the Consumer Center revealed that palm oil was present in every other grocery in the supermarket. Since December last year, food manufacturers have been required to indicate the vegetable origin of the oils or fats used in the list of ingredients. So on the labels are indications such as "palm oil", "vegetable fat (palm oil)", "olive oil" or "coconut oil" to find. Consumers thus have the opportunity to avoid products with particularly unhealthy fats.

Harmful oil
Palm oil is considered by many health professionals to be particularly problematic. It is suspected, among other things, of being involved in the development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. If palm oil is heated to a high degree, so-called fatty acid esters (3-MCPD) can form, which, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, are considered carcinogenic. In animal experiments, the substance triggered tumors at a certain dose. In addition, the relatively high content of saturated fatty acids in palm oil may lead to a worsening of blood lipids in the opinion of physicians. This, in turn, increases the risk of vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis) and diabetes.

Vegetable oils that are better for your health
According to experts, vegetable oils with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, such as walnut oil or linseed oil, are considered to be better for the health. The NDR has its report also different manufacturers to speak. This is what Dr. Oetker: "According to the company, there is no health risk when consuming palm oil." And Nestlé says, "Only an over-consumption of saturated fat can have a negative effect on the blood lipid level." (Ad)