We Are Better Off Cooking With Red Palm Oil.

Red palm oil is the oil from the mesocarp or fleshy part of the palm kernel tree (Elaeis guineensis) and has a distinctive flavour. It is called epo pupa(Yoruba) nkwu mmanu(Igbo). The other oil is from the kernel nut that is white in colour. Red palm oil has traditionally been used for years by West Africans as their oil of choice for cooking. Those were in the days when there was reduced illnesses of affluence from exposure to refined foods and  over-processed foods.

Red palm oil is the second most consumed vegetable oil in the world and in its natural form, contains high amounts of essential fatty acids and antioxidants in the form of carotenoids, tocotrienols and lycopenes which give it its healing properties. Consuming palm oil moderately daily can boost health and give protection against a lot of diseases including the following:

·         Lower Cholesterol levels.

·         Control blood sugar levels.

·         Prevent cancer.

·         Protect against brain cell damage.

·         Combat chronic inflammation.

·         Combat atherosclerosis.

·         Reduce blood pressure levels.

·         Boost immunity.

·         Protect against heart diseases.

·         Combat eye diseases.

Red oil is very nutritious food, good medicine and can be said to be one of the world’s best oils. It contains more carotenes than tomatoes or carrots and is the highest vegetable source of Vitamins E. Most of the red palm oil we use in West Africa are still in their natural form, so, we benefit from the high nutritional and health values. It is also very stable when used in cooking.

Red palm oil contains palmitic(45%), oleic(40%), linoleic(10%) and trace amounts of linolenic acids which are essential fatty acids that the body needs. Here is the percentage breakdown;

·         40% monounsaturated fatty acids.

·         10% polyunsaturated fatty acids.

·         50% saturated fatty acids.

·         No cholesterol.

Even with half of its fatty acids (palmitic) being saturated, palm oil is still healthy because it is neutral and does not have cholesterol. It is during refining or processing for other purposes that they become oxidized. This process negates most of its wonderful health benefits. This is the reason why it has been touted as being bad for health but remember, the oils that are processed by our women locally are only going through extraction and so are still in their natural form unless otherwise adulterated. They are neither bleached nor deodorized.

We Africans should continue to use the natural oils that were given to us so we can go back to the time our forefathers ate organic, natural and fresh foods to stay healthy. Even Dr. Oz recommends using 1-2 tablespoons in our daily diet. Most of the oils available in the markets are refined and over processed. We don’t even have an idea of what raw materials they have been made from or the processes they have gone through.

Palm oil is also used as an antidote for poisoining, to treat coughs, boils, abscesses and skin conditions. We are just beginning to rediscover the high value of our red palm oil.

Remember to use oils in moderation when cooking and this also applies to red palm oil.

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