Tag: Unrefined palm oil

Archaeological findings indicate that unrefined palm oil was used as early as 3000 BCE in an Egyptian tomb. This oil, pressed from the fruit of the oil palm tree, is known for its natural properties which are often lost during modern refining.

Did you know that in Western markets, over 50% of packaged products contain refined palm oil, while its unrefined counterpart remains a niche health food? The fundamental difference between refined and unrefined palm oil lies in how it is processed, which dictates its characteristics and best uses.

Red palm oil, in its crude form, contains up to 90% potent antioxidants known as tocotrienols, giving it significant nutritional advantages over its refined counterpart. So, which type of palm oil is healthy? The answer lies in understanding the processing and nutritional content of each version, primarily distinguishing between unrefined red palm oil and standard refined palm oil.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), palm oil is found in nearly 50% of the packaged products in supermarkets, from food to cosmetics. But despite its natural origin from the oil palm fruit, the question of "is palm oil all natural?" is not straightforward and depends entirely on how it is processed.