The Health Benefits of Red Palm Oil

Did You Know…

… that red palm oil is healthier than olive oil and coconut oil and has been proven to reverse the symptoms of heart disease and protect against certain cancers? Move over olive and coconut—there’s a new oil in town proven even more effective at cutting the risk of heart disease and degenerative illnesses: red palm oil.

Red palm oil has been celebrated as a healing tonic among ancient civilizations, but has been
overlooked by modern health practitioners due to its mistaken similarities to palm kernel oil.  Both palm kernel and red palm oil originate from the oil palm Elaeis guineesis.  But palm kernel oil is derived from the seed, while red palm oil is extracted from the fruit.

Recent research suggests that the two aren’t as alike as previously thought, as red palm oil has shown superior health benefits to not only palm kernel oil, but to virtually every other edible oil on the planet! In fact, Dr. Oz claims, “none compare to the powerful nutritional virtues of red palm oil.”

A Nutritional Powerhouse

Rich in phytonutrients, red palm oil owes the majority of its antioxidant super powers to its high concentration of carotenes and tocotrienols.  You’ve probably heard about carotenes such as lycopene and beta-carotene, which lend the bright red and orange hues—and powerful health benefits—to tomatoes and carrots.  Red palm oil contains significantly more potent levels of these phytonutrients.

Tocotrienols are a superior form of vitamin E (40 to 60 times more powerful than tocopherols) that control free radicals and inflammation (the primary cause of heart disease). Tocotrienols are also powerful anti-cancer agents that help ward off cancers of the skin, stomach, pancreas, liver, lung, colon, prostate and breast.

Over 700 published studies have shown that tocotrienols have an unprecedented number of health benefits when combined with the other super nutrients in red palm oil, which include:
a unique complex of phytosterols
plant squalene
co-enzyme Q10
carotenes

Unprecedented Health Benefits

Red palm oil is an overall immune system tonic that improves liver detoxification and can help treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NFLAD).  It protects against osteoporosis and arthritis.  Both tocotrienols and mixed carotenes naturally accumulate in the outermost layer of the epidermis, thereby shielding hair and skin from harmful ultraviolet rays.

However, the most well-documented and scientifically validated nutritional benefit of red palm oil relates to heart health.  Even though red palm oil is high in saturated fat, it actually helps prevent and reverse heart disease.  Studies have shown that the oil breaks down plague buildup in the arteries and prevents blockages from forming.

Red palm oil is a potent natural anti-inflammatory, and as such helps to prevent inflammation in the artery lining.  Science has now confirmed that inflammation in the arterial linings is the major cause of cholesterol buildup!  Red palm oil naturally improves cholesterol and lowers high blood pressure.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that red palm oil reduces your risk of stroke by 50% due to its protective effects on brain cells.  The super vitamin E in red palm oil stimulates blood flow to the brain and also defends against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia!

NOTE - The key to all food, healthy or not, is to eat or use in moderation.