Olive oil vs Palm oil: Which is healthier?

Olive oil and palm oil have differences both in their fatty components and in the way they are produced.

The traditional scientific view is that palm oil is unhealthy due to the saturated fat it contains but in recent years some meta-analyzes have not been able to find a correlation between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease.

Palm oil contains mainly saturated fats which raise cholesterol while olive oil contains mainly monounsaturated fats which improve the profile of blood cholesterol. Therefore, when olive oil replaces palm oil, blood cholesterol is reduced and this is good for health. A meta-analysis in 2015 concluded that palm oil could increase heart risk by 6% compared to other vegetable oils [1]. This conclusion was based on the induced rise in cholesterol.

How are vegetable oils divided?

Vegetable oils are divided into categories depending on the type of fat they contain. They all contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats but the percentages can vary considerably. In general, saturated fat raises cholesterol while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat has a beneficial effect on cholesterol.

Olive oil contains 75% of monounsaturated oleic acid, although the percentage varies depending on the variety. The saturated fat in olive oil is only 14%. Therefore, olive oil is a vegetable oil that is considered healthy. It is also rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, such as polyphenols, and contains some substances that are tested for their positive effect on health, e.g. the squalene.

In contrast, palm oil contains 50% saturated fat, a very high percentage for vegetable oil. The remaining fats are oleic acid by 40% and polyunsaturated linoleic acid by 10%. The saturated fat in palm oil is 44% palmitic acid and 5% stearic acid. This high content of saturated fat was the reason why after World War II, when a “heart attack” epidemic was recorded in the US and other developed countries, palm oil was considered unhealthy along with coconut oil – both are tropical oils. and it was suggested to avoid them.

In recent years, the view has been expressed that palmitic acid, the main saturated fat in palm oil, does not have the destructive effect once considered. Although palmitic acid increases the “bad” LDL cholesterol, this is mainly due to the increase in large LDL particles and this is less worrying. In addition, the other saturated fat, stearate, has a neutral effect on cholesterol or can lower it slightly – it is an exception among saturated fats.

Does Palm Oil Have An Advantage Over Olive Oil?

The debate over palm oil exists today because of its widespread use. It is an alternative to hydrogenated oils that have lost their popularity. According to a study, replacing trans fats with palm oil can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve blood lipids [2]. Also, another study found that when palm oil is consumed as part of a balanced diet it does not pose a health problem [3, 4].

Olive oil is ideal for salads and low heat uses. On the other hand, palm oil, due to its saturated fats is semi-solid at room temperature and is not suitable for salads. However it is more stable at high temperatures and that is why it is used by restaurants.

Under frying conditions, an oil is exposed to high temperatures and this causes various changes, including oxidation – peroxides and free radicals are produced. Therefore, it is not good for an oil to have a low smoking point because it spoils at lower temperatures. Palm oil is more resistant to oxidation and has a higher smoking point than extra virgin olive oil but no higher than plain olive oil. However, this does not make palm oil healthier. Experts still recommend virgin olive oil for cooking, saying that high temperatures should not be used and that the same oil should not be used repeatedly.

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References

1. Palm Oil Consumption Increases LDL Cholesterol Compared With Vegetable Oils Low in Saturated Fat in a Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.
2. Palm oil and blood lipid–related markers of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary intervention trials.
3. Palm oil and the heart: A review.
4. Palm oil and LDL cholesterol.