Palm oil and palmitic acid: a review on cardiovascular effects and carcinogenicity

Abstract

We reviewed the scientific literature on the evidence of the relationship between palm oil and adverse effects on human health. Few studies have investigated the effects of palm oil per se, and the main reason why it has been associated with negative health effects is the relatively high content of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), particularly palmitic acid, which in turn have been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and some tumours. However, more recent investigations on the topic seem to have reconsidered the negative role of the dietary SFAs as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and show that not only the type of fat, but also that the triglyceride structure plays a role in cholesterolaemia. As regards to a role in cancer, specific studies on dietary palmitic acid or palm oil and the risk of cancer development are scanty, and the evidence is not convincing.

Keywords::

• saturated fatty acids
• cardiovascular diseases
• cancer
• interesterification

Acknowledgement

We thank J.D. Baggott for English editing.

Declaration of interest : This work was financially supported by Associazione delle Industrie del Dolce e della Pasta Italiane (AIDEPI). The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.