- What palm oil is made of
- Price and where to buy
- What is palm oil used for
- How to use palm oil
- Nutritional information for palm oil
Palm oil, also known as palm oil, is a type of fat, which when consumed raw, is rich in vitamin A and excellent for eye health and skin beauty.
However, palm oil has 9 calories per gram, which means that a tablespoon of palm oil has approximately 70 calories, being very caloric and therefore its frequent consumption favors weight gain.
What palm oil is made of
Palm oil is the result of crushing the seeds of a type of palm, called dendezeiro, which despite being 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 and cook using water or steam that allows the pulp to be stopped from 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 purchased in supermarkets, street markets, health food stores and on the internet. The price of a 200 ml package 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 to add flavor to stews, such as caruru, being an indispensable ingredient in Bahian cuisine.
Because it is rich in vitamin A, it helps to strengthen the health of the skin, eyes and the functioning of the reproductive organs. However, not more than 1 tablespoon of this oil should be consumed, as it has many calories and mainly bad fats for health that increase cholesterol.
This oil also serves to moisturize and shine the hair when it is applied directly to the hair strands, but it should not be applied to blond hair due to its orange color, as it can change the color of the hair.
How to use palm oil
Palm oil can be used to make butter, in stews, fried foods and is widely used in industrialized foods, such as breads, cakes, pies, cookies and even in the manufacture of Nutella.
In addition, palm oil is also used to make soaps, soaps, laundry detergents, detergents and fabric softeners that are biodegradable, and can also be used as fuel in diesel engines.
Nutritional information for palm oil
The following table indicates the nutritional value of each substance present in palm oil:
| Components | Quantities 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, it is best to season the salads and soup with extra virgin olive oil. Find out how to choose the best olive oil for health and weight loss at: Types of olive oil.
