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- $Unique_ID{BRK02190}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Cholesterol vs. Saturated Fat in Palm Oil}
- $Subject{Cholesterol Saturated Fat Palm Oil kernel Vegetable oils tropical
- coconut animal products blood levels food}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Cholesterol vs. Saturated Fat in Palm Oil
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- QUESTION: How much cholesterol is contained in palm oil? Is the reason it
- was taken off the market was because it was so high? If I wanted to
- substitute palm kernel oil, would it lessen my problem? You see I have this
- special recipe, and I want to use it; but everyone is so health conscious in
- my family that I fear I will be chastised if I don't pay close attention to
- the cholesterol content in the cake.
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- ANSWER: You have need have no fear of cholesterol from either palm oil or
- palm kernel oil. Vegetable oils, even tropical oils (and that includes
- coconut oils as well) never contain cholesterol, which is only found in animal
- products. However, tropical oils are notorious for the amounts of saturated
- oil they contain, and that is just as bad for your health. To compare the
- two, palm oil is 51 percent saturated, palm kernel oil is 86 percent
- saturated. Coconut oil takes the prize though, as it is 92 percent saturated
- oil.
- Though they were never taken off the market, and are still available,
- most American manufacturers of food and baked goods, for the most part,
- voluntarily abandoned the use of tropical oils in 1989. The effects of
- saturated oils on blood cholesterol levels can be quite serious, even if they
- themselves do not contain cholesterol. Despite that, there are still a few
- products, including chocolate covered cookies, coffee whiteners, some brands
- of potato chips and whipped toppings that contain these oils. You can chose
- to avoid these products by carefully studying the labels, and selecting only
- those products that are free of tropical oils.
- As for your baking, alas, I am no gourmet cook, but am sure that there
- are many other baking oil products that can meet with your family's enhanced
- health priorities and still permit you to prepare your specialty with little
- change in its flavor or allure.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-