Let's remember that for many years, eminent scientists and professors have joined forces with soy, sunflower and peanut producing countries to demonize palm oil.

Their rather simplistic arguments are based on the fact that this oil would contain a lot of saturated fatty acids which would be harmful to health.

This information is biased and partial, because it only refers to the global composition of this oil and does not take into account the spatial presentation of the molecules and the precise position of the fatty acids linked to glycerol by ester bonds, which plays a fundamental role in the use and assimilation of fatty acids through the intestinal wall during digestion.

This subtle information is however crucial at the level of digestive physiology since it is this positioning that will be recognized by certain enzymes specific to the digestion and storage of this type of fatty acid.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, there is neither "good" nor "bad" oil, since everything depends on the dose ingested and the variety of types of oil used. Coconut oil, cocoa oil and palm oil all have very interesting health benefits.

A traditional culinary ingredient in Africa, South America and Asia, palm oil extracted from the pulp of the previously shelled fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) has a solid consistency at temperate temperatures because it is naturally hydrogenated thanks to the saturated fatty acids (about 50%) it contains.

Its percentage of saturated fatty acids is distributed as follows:

• palmitic acid 44%,
• stearic acid 4.5%,
• myristic acid 1%.

It contains 38% oleic acid, a monounsaturated acid, 10% linoleic acid and 0.5% linolenic acid, the latter two belonging to the family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is the most consumed vegetable oil in the world (25% of all oils combined). It is mainly used by the food industry (80% of the world total used). 19% of this oil is used for cosmetics and 1% for agrofuels.

Due to its high lubricating quality and its high content of β-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin E, it confers softness and facilitates the preservation of processed foods that contain it.

However, what makes it particularly attractive is its low production cost.

Unfortunately, most of the palm oils marketed and included in various food products are extracted under heat, which causes them to lose their valuable nutritional qualities.

This oil has an orange to red color, depending on its carotenoid concentration, and turns white after several minutes of boiling because of the loss of all these precious active principles. After cooking, the hydrogenation is no longer natural and the saturated fatty acids that have become "trans" are strongly suspected of promoting cardiovascular disorders in our Western populations.

As long as this oil is not heated or chemically transformed, and despite the somewhat monolithic nature of the majority of palmitic acid, it is the most elaborate form of energy storage for many animal species.

However, in case of an unbalanced diet, it can promote weight gain by accumulating and also by increasing the storage of sugars.