Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Health Benefits of Red Palm Oil

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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!

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



10 comments:

  1. Hmmmm and my GP said it's very high in cholesterol.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Red Palm Oil doesn't lose its nutrients like other oils when heated for cooking. Unlike Olive oil which takes the body some time to break down fat, Red Palm Oil metabolizes the fat which gives the body energy and you lose the belly fat faster.

    Red Palm Oil is also great for dry hair. Especially natural afro-textured hair. It moisturizes dry hair giving it shine, bounce, softness and manageability w/o being heavy or weighing the hair down. The hair's ends retains softness and bounce.

    Red Palm Oil should be used in moderation as a leave-in conditioner on the hair and you won't need the use of water, oil, butters, or cream-based hair lotions to moisturize your hair. Your hair will stay moisturized and shiny for about a week or so, especially if it is in a protective style.

    RPO is red in color and does not go on clear like other yellow or golden colored oils. It stains yellow like curry or tumeric so it is best to cover hair when sleeping or use an old towel/t-shirt if using this as an oil rinse or in a conditioner or shampoo. So don't slather it on your hair as it will drip all over.

    It is semi-solid and has a buttery but faint carroty smell so if used to moisturize/condition hair, it is best to use pin sized drops when moisturizing hair so that the smell won't be overpowering since it smells more buttery than carroty.
    Other than that, I recommend this over coconut oil, argan oil or any other oil for moisture, shine, softness and bounce to combat dry, dull looking, damaged hair.

    I've just tried this oil on my hair because I'm a Doubting Thomas. I wanted to prove it doesn't work. So 3 days later, I took down one of my twists to see whether there would be breakage and/or dryness (I'd used pin drops in case the oil wasn't adaptable to my hair). To my surprise my hair is soft, shiny, bouncy and moisturized which is totally unbelievable for my textured hair. Even my ends were soft! I took down a few more twists and saw the same results. I should say this has never happened to my hair before. Perhaps it's the rich mounts of Vitamin E that's in the oil compared to less in other oils.

    As a natural, I've tried everything and nothing worked. Moisturizing shampoo/conditioner dried out my hair/ends, even those that were natural and sulfate free. Coconut oil and argan oil or my other oil combinations had to be applied every day or so to keep my hair moisturized and the ends from breaking but they never gave my hair shine. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar or Water/glycerin kept my hair soft and dull looking but never shiny.

    I never go around writing on blogs commenting or recommending anything for hair as everyone's hair is different and has different needs. However, I will recommend this for those who have dry damaged hair and want soft, shiny, bouncy moisturized hair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My hair is permed and yes I use it as a conditioner. I also use it as a mask on my face. The end results, very soft hair and facial skin.

      Delete
  3. hmm... so who are we going to follow now
    some said red oil gives bp et al...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would suggest you not to follow anyone but do your research on Red Palm Oil and its benefits for health, skin and hair. I'm a Doubting Thomas on hair products because nothing ever works for my hair. They dried out my hair and left my scalp itchy and dry.

    I don't jump on the band wagon and follow everyone who says to do this or buy that. I do research to see if the product would be beneficial for me. If it didn't work, I give it away or use the shampoo/conditioner on my pets which work on their coats much better than on my hair.

    RPO has been in use for about 5000 years. It's just new to the western world and has become the new and hot trend because of Dr. Oz. I'd heard about RPO for a long time and I did lots of research. I'd forgotten about RPO until I went to The Vitamin Shoppe and saw the only RPO on the shelf. I only bought it to cook with bc I remember my family cooking w/this oil but I never knew what type of cooking oil was used.

    I decided to experiment with it to prove that it doesn't work. It works. After a couple of days my hair/ends are still is soft, shiny, bouncy and manageable. The faint buttery smell is still there. The smell is not overpowering but I can tolerate it.

    I don't know what type of hair you have but you can buy the oil for cooking purposes. If you choose to use it for your hair, try it in moderation as a moisturizer or leave in conditioner alone or mix it in your shampoo or conditioner. If it doesn't work you can always cook with it or give it away.

    It won't hurt to test it. That way you'll know for yourself whether the product works or it doesn't. Nutiva makes RPO in Ecuador where there are no orangutan displacement or plantation deforestation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New to the Western world? Hell no. Maybe it's new to you!

      Look at the contents of a lot of chocolates, sweets, biscuits and other types of confectionery and they contain RPO. Also, a lot of cosmetics. If it's not typed as RPO, it's typed with it's scientific name.

      Delete
    2. When I said new to the western world, I meant "new" to those who had never heard of red palm oil, had never used it in cooking nor had heard of its health, skin and hair benefits.

      RPO is not "new" to me or those who live in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. Some people never knew about red palm oil until Dr. Oz "introduced" it on his show which has a broader audience. However, there are few who knew about it before the show who questioned and blogged about its hair care benefits 5-6 yrs ago but not its health benefits.

      I know Red Palm Oil is used in cooking, baking, cosmetics, soaps, etc. It has been used in my family for cooking but I didn't know its name. Nor did I know it can be used for hair care until recently.

      So don't rip apart a few words or take things out of context to try to make a point as my comments weren't posted to disparage anyone or a group of people. Thanks.

      Delete
  5. Good news! I hope the enterprising folks in Africa can use this information to market and sell their oils to the world. They better get on it before the enterprising outsiders come in and exploit the situation, and leave them with nothing as it always goes. Opportunities are always around us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exporting palm oil from Africa is very huge.

      Delete
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