Benefits of Palm Kernel Oil For Your Health

Extracted from the seeds of the palm fruit, palm kernel oil has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties. In this article, we will take a look at the several ways palm kernel oil benefits your health.

Know Your Ingredient: Palm Kernel Oil

What Is It?
The oil extracted from the seeds of the palm fruit.

What Are Its Benefits?
It protects the skin from harmful UV rays, prevents eye issues, and improves bone health. It may also reduce cholesterol, poor bone health, and eye disorders

Who Can Use It?
Those who want improved skin, hair, and overall physical health can consume it.

How Often?
It can be used daily in cooking instead of vegetable oil.

Caution
Prolonged use can cause the increase of bad LDL cholesterol.

Understanding Palm Kernel Oil

Palm kernel oil is derived from the seeds, or kernels, of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), a species native to West Africa. The palm kernels are cleaned, crushed, and then pressed to release the oil during the extraction process. After that, this oil is processed to improve its stability and purity. Throughout history, palm kernel oil has been widely used in Latin American, Asian, and African cultures for its diverse applications in skin care, medicine, and cooking. Due to its extended shelf life and high saturated fat content, it was a popular ingredient in soaps, ointments, and traditional foods.

Understanding the origins and extraction of palm kernel oil sets the stage for examining its numerous benefits and applications. Scroll down to know more about them.

Benefits Of Palm Kernel Oil

Given here are the amazing palm kernel oil benefits for you to look at. Keep reading!

1. Zero Cholesterol

This is the most important health benefit provided by palm kernel oil. Palm oil benefits your heart health and may prevent the risk of heart issues. This makes it a perfect replacement for lard and butter in the cooking process. People with high cholesterol and heart disease can easily switch over to healthy palm oil without worry.

2. Loaded With Antioxidants

With a sufficient amount of Vitamin E, rarely found tocotrienols and being loaded with anti-oxidants, palm oil provides amazing anti-aging benefits. It prevents the occurrence of wrinkles and fine lines. It is capable of providing protection against harmful UV rays and other toxins. Therefore, it is wise to include palm kernel oil in your daily diet. It will keep your skin healthy and youthful.

3. Unsaturated Fats

The palm kernel oil is an amazing source of healthy unsaturated fats as well as medium chain fatty acids.

This is what makes it perfect for use as a cooking medium. Moreover, these qualities make it ideal for healthier skin, bones and joints (1).

4. Rich In Vitamin K

Vitamin K is one of the most important fat-soluble vitamins that the body requires. It boosts bone health and also acts as a blood coagulant. Palm kernel oil contains high amounts of the vitamin and hence, is recommended for daily use (2), (3).

5. Zero Trans-Fat

This is another great benefit of palm kernel oil. This amazing oil does not contain any trans-fat, and is hence considered the ideal cooking oil for those looking to shed extra pounds.

6. Contains Vitamin A

Another important benefit of palm kernel oil is that it is loaded with Vitamin A

(4). This vitamin is required for proper vision. Vitamin A also prevents the occurrence of different eye disorders, like night blindness .

7. Long Shelf Life

Besides the comprehensive health benefits offered by palm kernel oil, there are also other benefits that can be useful for the food industry. The oil doesn’t get oxidised under high cooking temperatures and during the course of storage. This makes it a better choice compared to vegetable oil. The oil can be used for commercial cooking, such as French fries and potato chips.

Did You Know?

Palm kernel oil is used for frying foods due to its high-heat cooking ability and stability to prevent any potential fire risk or burn.

8. Filled With Nutrients

In addition to containing important fat-soluble vitamins, palm kernel oil also is packed in nutrition (2). It has numerous nutrients that are essential for maintaining good health. The presence of palmitic acid, considered as a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, makes it distinctive from other cooking oils.

9. Improved Hair Growth

Have you ever used Palm kernel oil for haircare? Palm kernel oil shows amazing results on hair growth. It provides thorough conditioning, thickens hair and reduces hair fall by making it stronger. Used as a hot oil treatment, palm oil benefits your hair by providing a soothing effect along with the desired nourishment. Hadassah Agbaps, a blogger, shared her experience of using palm kernel oil to improve her hair health. She writes, “When I used Nigerian Black Palm Kernel Oil on my dry ends (I rotate between coconut and PKO) I noticed that it doesn’t take a lot of time for it to be fully absorbed and there is an improvement in the suppleness of my ends… I noticed that my strands were harder to break when I pulled a shed strand between my fingers (i).” The blogger added that this oil adds strength and luster to the hair, reduces hair shedding, and locks in moisture in the strands.

Quick Tip

You can mix natural ingredients such as fenugreek, banana, honey, or avocado with palm kernel oil to make a hair mask to detangle your hair effortlessly.

10. Provides Naturally Soft Skin

Besides the amazing anti-aging benefits provided by the palm kernel oil, it also makes the skin naturally soft and glossy without it getting a greasy appearance. This is the reason the oil is a key ingredient in many soap bars and skin creams . It also provides relief to ragged cuticles and itchy skin (5).

After discussing the benefits of palm kernel oil for health, let’s examine its nutrient composition to see how these advantages are enhanced by its particular nutrients.

Nutritional Profile Of Palm Kernel Oil

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1 tablespoon (13.6 g) of palm kernel oil contains (2):

• Energy: 117 calories
• Fat: 13.6 g
• Carbs: 0 g
• Protein: 0 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Choline: 0.027 mg
• Vitamin E: 0.518 mg
• Vitamin K: 3.36 micro g
• Fatty acids: 11.1 g

Knowing the nutritional profile of palm kernel oil helps to explain how its unique composition makes it more useful in a variety of culinary applications. Scroll down to know more about it.

Culinary Uses Of Palm Kernel Oil

Palm kernel oil is a very versatile culinary ingredient renowned for its rich flavor and high smoke point. Because of its durability at high temperatures, it is perfect for baking, sauteing, and frying.
For frying, palm kernel oil delivers a crispy texture and golden color to foods, making it suitable for dishes like fried plantains, chicken, or doughnuts. To make cakes and muffins that are moist and tender, palm kernel oil can be used in place of butter or other oils.
In addition, palm kernel oil can be used in marinades and salad dressings, where its distinct flavor goes well with herbs, citrus, and garlic.

Infographic: 4 Incredible Advantages of Palm Kernel Oil

Are you looking for an oil that you can use without worrying about extra calories? Then, you are in luck because palm kernel oil can benefit you in so many ways! Check out the infographic below to learn more about why palm kernel oil will make an excellent addition to your diet.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can palm kernel oil be mixed with shea butter?

Yes. Palm kernel oil and shea butter are mixed together for many skin care remedies.

Can palm kernel oil clear stretch marks?

Stretch marks do not go away completely. Palm kernel oil may keep the skin moisturized, improving the appearance of the stretch marks, but it cannot clear them.

Is palm kernel oil good for baby skin?

Yes. Palm kernel oil is safe for baby skin and is known to aid in moisturizing and healthy skin.

Illustration: Amazing Benefits Of Palm Kernel Oil

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Discover the amazing benefits of palm kernel oil! From skincare to cooking, click on this video to see why this natural gem is a must-have for your well-being routine.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr Archana BatraPG Diploma, CDE

     

Dr Archana Batra is a dietitian, physiotherapist, and Certified Diabetes Educator with over 13 years of experience in nutrition and diet counseling. She specializes in weight management diets and diets related to metabolic disorders like diabetes, high cholesterol levels, hypertension, etc.

Read full bio of Dr Archana Batra

Tanya ChoudharyHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Tanya is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition. She specializes in writing articles on ingredients that benefit skin, hair, and health. She believes in the right health and lifestyle practices and strives to promote the same to everyone around her.

Read full bio of Tanya Choudhary

Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

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Moksha GandhiHealth & Wellness Writer

Moksha is a health and wellness writer and a certified diet and nutrition coach. Her passion for science and writing has helped her excel in crafting evidence-based articles. Her previous experience in writing science-based research papers ensures that her articles are grounded in research and provide practical tips that are reader-focused.

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