Palm oil, also known as palm oil, is a type of fat, which when eaten raw, is rich in vitamin A being excellent for eye health and beauty of the skin.
However, palm oil has 9 calories per gram, which means that one tablespoon of palm oil has about 70 calories and is very caloric, so frequent consumption favors weight gain.
What the oil is made from palm oil
Palm oil is the result of the crushing of the seeds of a type of palm tree, called oil palm, which although typical of Africa was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese at the time of colonization. For its preparation it is necessary to harvest the fruits of the palm tree and to cook using water or steam that allows the pulp to be stopped of the seed. Then the pulp is pressed and the oil is released, having the same orange color as the fruit.
Price and where to buy
Palm oil can be bought in supermarkets, free markets, natural food stores and on the internet. The price of a 200 ml pack of palm oil varies between 4 and 9 reais.
What is palm oil used for?
Palm oil is used to season foods, such as salads, or flavored in sautéed, like caruru, being an indispensable ingredient in Bahian cuisine.
By being rich in vitamin A, it helps to strengthen the health of the skin, eyes and the functioning of the reproductive organs. However, it should not be consumed more than 1 tablespoon of this oil, because it has many calories and especially bad fats that increase cholesterol.
This oil also serves to moisturize and give shine to the hair when applied directly on the hair strands, but should not be applied on blond hair because of its orange color, as it can change the color of the hair.
How to Use Oil Palm Oil
Palm oil can be used to make butter, in stewed, fried foods and is widely used in processed foods such as breads, cakes, pies, biscuits and even in the manufacture of Nutella.
In addition, palm oil is also used to make soaps, soaps, laundry soap, detergents and biodegradable fabric softeners, and can also be used as fuel in diesel engines.
Nutritional information of palm oil
The following table indicates the nutritional value of each substance present in palm oil:
| Components | Amounts in 100 g |
| Energy | 878 calories |
| Proteins | 0 g |
| Fats | 99.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Vitamin A (retinol) | 45920 mcg |
| Calcium | 7 mg |
| Phosphor | 8 mg |
| Iron | 5.5 mg |
Palm oil has many calories and therefore should not be used in diets to lose weight. In this case, the most suitable is to season the salads and the soup with extra virgin olive oil. Learn how to choose the best olive oil for health and to lose weight in: Types of olive oil.
