Review of Studies on Palm-Oil Consumption in Relation to Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

A balanced-diet containing edible-oil has been advocated to have more of unsaturated fatty acid. The saturated nature of palm-oil (PO) has led to the recommendation that its consumption should be limited to avoid the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the claims and counterclaims of PO consumption and the risk of CVD from biochemical perspective.

Relevant published peer-review articles on PO consumption associated with risk of CVD were sorted from Google Scholar, Scopus, Medline, and PubMed databases. Keywords, such as “palm-oil, cardiovascular diseases, and cholesterol” were used for the search.

Apparent in animal studies, 52.17% support the claim that PO consumption is associated with CVD, and has been attributed to its saturated nature. According to the reports, PO consumption by virtue of its saturated nature-elicited hypercholesterolaemia, which may result to CVD. Furthermore, PO consumption may instigate fatty liver, cause narrowing blood vessels and thickening aorta of the heart, and consequently non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a serious condition that may lead to severe cirrhosis, thereby increase CVD risk. On the other hand, 47.83% refute such claims that PO consumption is not associated with CVD risk. Based on human studies, 45.45% and 54.55% support and refute, respectively the claims that PO is associated with CVD.

PO consumption has shown to be associated with hypercholesterolaemia, elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol, hence, could instigate CVD, even though no study convincingly establishes any relationship between PO consumption and the risk of CVD. Furthermore, consumption of repeatedly heated PO (deep-frying) may instigate oxidative stress, and consequently CVD.