Palm oil is one of the most widely used edible oils in the world. From biscuits and chips to instant noodles, chocolates, ice creams, and even ready-to-eat curries – chances are, you’ve already eaten palm oil today without even realizing it.
But why is it everywhere?
It’s cheap, versatile, and gives packaged foods a long shelf life.
Food companies use it in baked items, fried snacks, margarine, spreads, and even baby formula.
While palm oil might be convenient for the industry, it’s not the best for our health.
Harms & Disadvantages of Palm Oil
Raises bad cholesterol, increasing heart disease risk
Can cause weight gain and diabetes
Offers little nutrition beyond calories
Refining may create harmful chemicals
Often hidden in labels as “vegetable oil”
Farming causes deforestation and habitat loss.
What to Do Instead
Read Labels – Watch for “palm oil,” “palmolein,” or “hydrogenated oil.”
Limit Packaged Foods – Less processed = less palm oil.
Switch Oils – Use mustard, groundnut, rice bran, or olive oil.
Choose Better Brands – Support those avoiding palm oil.
Where You’ll Commonly Find Palm Oil: Biscuits, cookies, and cakes, Chocolates and ice creams, Packaged chips, namkeens, instant noodles, Ready-to-eat curries, soups, and sauces, Margarine, spreads, and bakery products and Even in some infant formulas and powdered milk products.
Key Takeaway: Palm oil is cheap for companies but costly for our health. Cutting down on processed foods is the best way to avoid it and stay healthier. Did you know about this?
This is true, palm oil is used a lot commercially mainly because it does give off the smell of nuts or seeds like other oils do. But seeing how it is harmful for us and environment, we should try using other kinds of oils.
Palm oil is cheap because it grows fast and in bulk, but the hidden cost is high its trans fats and processing can raise heart risks. What’s more, large-scale plantations drive deforestation and harm biodiversity.
While palm oil is inexpensive, it poses many health risks. Before consuming, it’s important to read labels and choose homemade snacks for better health.
Wow, this is really eye opening! I had no idea palm oil was in so many everyday foods. Definitely makes me want to check labels more carefully and switch to healthier alternatives.
Palm oil remains economical for producers in terms of yield and versatility, but long-term use to consumers involves obesity, elevated cholesterol, and heart illness and is therefore an indirect long-run cost to health.
Palm oil, extracted from the fruit of oil palm trees, is one ..
Every oil has a specific smoke point and when it is heated beyond its smoke point, then the oil becomes carcinogenic which can cause cancer. It is always good to cook food on low to medium heat and for high heat cooking, it is advisable to use oils that have high smoke point, say food health experts.
Palm oil is cheap for companies because it’s highly versatile, easy to produce in bulk, and offers long shelf life—making it a profitable choice for the food and cosmetic industries. However, it comes at a hidden cost to health, as frequent consumption (especially in processed foods) is linked to increased risks of obesity, heart disease, and inflammation due to its high saturated fat content. What saves money for industries may slowly add up as a health expense for individuals.
It is surprising how often palm oil turns up in everyday snacks. Now, I check labels more carefully and try simple swaps like using nuts or roasting my own snacks. Has anyone else made this change?
This is a very informative post that everyone should read. It’s an eye-opener to learn why palm oil is so prevalent in our foods and, more importantly, the significant health risks it poses. It’s a great call to action to be more mindful of what we eat.
Harms & Disadvantages of Palm Oil
What to Do Instead