The Common Benefits of Palm Oil || by @chilaw || 10% Beneficiary to @steem4nigeria

Hello Steemit friends, it was nice coming back this week again on this platform. I hope to make an article on one of the commonly used substances/ingredients in the African kitchen and how much it is beneficial to human health.

---

Introduction

Palm Oil is one of the most used cooking ingredients in the African kitchen. It is extremely useful vegetable oil with origin from different oil palm species. But we see two major species from the Elaeis guineensis (the African oil palm) and the Elaeis oleifera (also known as the American oil palm).

_{Palm Oil in a bottle}

As we all know, this is a reddish-orange color substance with a high content of the Beta-Carotene. Can also be described as one of the very few naturally saturated vegetable fats given to its ingredients. More so, it is a commonly used product in Africa, Southeast Asia, and as well as some other countries in South America.

Palm oil is not only limited to those mentioned countries but also popular in other parts of the world due to its wild-reaching benefits to humans. Palm oil has a lot of Trans Fats in the diet. This wholly represents the much-needed fats/LDL cholesterol type needed for healthy living. This also means that people with issues with bad LDL cholesterol can be placed on palm oil food dieting to regulate and remove concerns about this

There are a lot of health benefits associated with the consumption of palm oil over the years given the proper health requirements it offers.

---

Some Health Benefits of Palm Oil

1. Improves Energy Levels:
One of the major ingredients in Palm Oil is Beta-Carotene, which is a good source of enhancing one's energy level as well as hormonal imbalance in the body system. This major content is the reason why we see the reddish-orange coloration of palm oil.

---

2. Improves Human Vision:

---

This same Beta-Carotene is also another important component that improves human vision. Palm Oil contains a great number of antioxidants which are regarded as the body's defense system. This in simple terms means that free radicals are tamed with the presence of the palm oil contents. Palm oil limits the cellular breakdown and mutation that happens in our body relative to vision issues. Using Palm Oil goes a long way in preventing Macular Degeneration & cataracts.

---

3. Alleviates Pain and Prevents Cardiovascular Disorders:

---

The Palm Oil that we know is seen to contain a high presence of HDL and LDL cholesterol levels in them. Though we know that one is regarded as the good guy and the other as the bad guy regarding their side effects, the good thing about Palm Oil is that it creates a healthy balance between these two cholesterol types. (Just higher levels of LDL can lead to atherosclerosis which is a lifeline to heart attacks and strokes.

---

4. Helps in Cancer Prevention:

---

Free radicals in the body are major causes of cell mutations that impair healthy cells into cancerous cells. Palm Oil contains Tocopherols which is a typical example of a natural antioxidant that helps in fighting free radicals. Tocopherols belongs to the Vitamin A class of nutrients.

---

5. Prevents Vitamin Deficiency in pregnancy:

---

We all know that the process of pregnancy in women is one of tasking one for the body nutrients as there are two beings all struggling for the same nutrients. Therefore, deficiency of any type of body nutrient is a dangerous condition for both parties. Palm Oil contains Vitamin A, D, and E in them. And this is necessary we consume palm Oil via using them in our meals while cooking always since our body does not naturally store or retain these vitamins.

Other silent benefits can also be seen in its prevention of premature aging in humans, as well as an immune booster.
Thank you for your time.