For generations, people have found many red palm oil uses. They have regarded it as both a nutritious food and a valuable medicine.
Red palm oil was prized by the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt as a sacred food. It was so highly valued that it was entombed with the Pharaohs so that they would have access to it in the afterlife.
Until modern medicine, red palm oil was the remedy of choice for nearly every illness in many parts of Africa. When someone was sick, downing a cup full of palm oil was common.
Today, some red palm oil uses include the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Scientists are recognizing its value as a health food. Essentially it contains a rich, balanced mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, providing a higher level of bioavailable nutrients than any other vegetable source.
Red Palm Oil vs Palm Kernel Oil
Red Palm oil is not to be confused with palm kernel oil. Red palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and is referred to as “red palm oil” because of its rich dark red color in its unprocessed natural state. Palm kernel oil is derived from the seed or the kernel.
The general assumption that kernel oil and palm fruit oil are one in the same may have lead to one of the greatest oversights in modern nutrition. The stigma attached to the kernel has kept the fruit in the dark – at least until now. Virgin organic sustainable red palm fruit oil is a bona fide food.
Palm kernel oil does not provide the same health benefits that red palm fruit oil does. The red color of the palm fruit oil is due to its high content of carotenes which include beta-carotene and lycopene.
Red Palm Oil Uses for Better Health
Like coconut oil, red palm oil is also rich in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which mobilize body fat stores, increase the metabolic rate and are a great source of energy.
Red palm oil not only supplies fatty acids essential for proper growth and development, but it is packed with an assortment of vitamins, antioxidants and other phytonutrients important for good health. The red colour comes from carotenes such as beta-carotene and lycopene which are the same nutrients that give tomatoes and carrots and other fruits and vegetables their rich red and orange colour. Carotenes are valuable nutrients and powerful antioxidants. They are also important because the body can convert them into Vitamin A – an essential nutrient.
In addition to Vitamin A, it contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, CoQ10, squalene, phytosterols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and glycolipids. Red palm oil is chock-full of nutrients and antioxidants that it’s like a natural dietary supplement. You can buy it in capsules as a dietary supplement.
How to Use Red Palm Oil
Red palm oil given with its high ratio of saturated is perfect for cooking. It will give a beautiful red color to your food which gives it life in my eyes! In fact, you can use it as a replacement for coconut oil in all of your recipes.
My recommended brand is Nutiva and it can be found online and in most health food store.
Share your thoughts: Have you ever explored the wide variety of red palm oil uses? Did you like it? How did you use it?