Is Palm Oil Bad for You? What the Research Actually Says

# Is Palm Oil Bad for You? What the Research Actually Says

Palm oil is not straightforwardly bad for you—the evidence is more nuanced than that. It is high in saturated fat (about 49% by weight), which was historically linked to cardiovascular disease, but palm oil also contains significant amounts of vitamin E and beta-carotene, and some research suggests its effects on LDL cholesterol differ from other saturated fats. Whether it's harmful depends heavily on how much you consume, what it replaces in your diet, and how the oil was processed.

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What Palm Oil Is#

Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), native to West Africa but now grown primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together account for roughly 85% of global production. It is the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world, used in approximately half of all packaged goods in the US—baked goods, margarine, instant noodles, lipstick, soap, and biodiesel.

Two forms appear in food products:

Crude palm oil (red palm oil): Minimally processed, retains natural carotenoids (which give it an orange-red color) and high levels of vitamin E. Used in some specialty health products and traditional cooking.

Refined palm oil: Processed to remove color, odor, and impurities. The most common form in packaged foods. Refining removes most of the beneficial phytonutrients.

The Nutritional Profile#

Per tablespoon (14g), refined palm oil provides:

• Calories: 120
• Total fat: 14g
• Saturated fat: 6.7g (49% of total fat)
• Monounsaturated fat: 5g (37%)
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g (9%)
• Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols): ~2.2mg
• No trans fats (an advantage over partially hydrogenated oils it replaced)

The saturated fat content is lower than butter (63%) and coconut oil (82%) but higher than olive oil (14%) and canola oil (7%).

What the Research Says About Heart Health#

The cardiovascular research on palm oil is genuinely mixed:

Concern: A 2020 review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats reduces cardiovascular risk. Palm oil, being high in saturated fat (specifically palmitic acid), falls under this concern.

Nuance: A 2014 meta-analysis in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that palm oil consumption was not associated with greater cardiovascular mortality compared to other commonly consumed oils in a pooled analysis of 51 studies. The authors noted that the presence of tocotrienols may partially offset adverse effects on blood lipids.

Context matters: Much of the concern about palm oil applies when it replaces unsaturated fats in the diet. When it replaces trans fats (as it did in many reformulations after the FDA's 2015 trans fat ban), it may actually improve lipid profiles. A 2020 study in the European Journal of Nutrition found palm oil performed similarly to olive oil in terms of LDL impact when total calorie intake was controlled.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to under 6% of daily calories (~13g/day on a 2,000-calorie diet). A single tablespoon of palm oil contributes roughly half of that allowance.

The Processing Variable#

Refined vs. unrefined palm oil matters for health outcomes. Research on red palm oil (unrefined) shows different results than research on refined palm oil because:

• Red palm oil retains tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E that some studies associate with neuroprotective effects and favorable cholesterol modification
• Refining destroys up to 80% of carotenoid content and most vitamin E

If you're choosing palm oil deliberately for health purposes (rather than encountering it in processed foods), red palm oil is meaningfully different from the refined version.

The Environmental Question#

Palm oil's environmental footprint is substantial. Tropical deforestation for palm oil plantations has contributed to habitat loss for orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and pygmy elephants, as well as carbon emissions from peatland destruction.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certifies plantations that meet specific deforestation and labor standards. Products with RSPO-certified palm oil are preferable from an environmental standpoint, though certification uptake remains incomplete—roughly 19% of global palm oil production was RSPO-certified as of 2024.

For consumers who want to avoid palm oil entirely, the challenge is its ubiquity. It appears on ingredient labels under more than 25 names, including: sodium lauryl sulfate, palmitate, palmitoyl, stearic acid (when derived from palm), glyceryl stearate, and many others.

How Palm Oil Compares to Common Alternatives#

From a pure lipid profile standpoint, palm oil falls between butter and olive oil in terms of saturated fat content.

Practical Takeaways#

If you're eating mostly whole foods: Incidental palm oil in small amounts in processed foods is unlikely to cause harm. The impact of a tablespoon of palm oil in a cracker serving is not significant.

If you eat a lot of packaged and fast foods: Palm oil exposure accumulates quickly. Check ingredient labels and choose products that use olive oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil when available.

If you're managing cardiovascular risk: Follow your doctor's guidance on saturated fat intake. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats remains a well-supported strategy, per the American Heart Association.

For environmental reasons: Look for RSPO certification on products that list palm oil.

The Bottom Line#

Palm oil is not categorically bad for you, but it's not health food either. Its high saturated fat content warrants moderation, especially for people managing cholesterol or cardiovascular risk. Refined palm oil in packaged goods provides calories and fat without the nutritional benefits of unrefined red palm oil. The environmental impact is a separate but real concern, and RSPO certification is the best available signal of more sustainable sourcing.

Sources:

• Sacks FM et al., "Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease," Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2020: doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077
• Fattore E et al., "Palm oil and cardiovascular risk: A meta-analysis," Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2014: doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.720149
• American Heart Association, Saturated Fat guidelines: heart.org