|
Palm Oil
|
|
 |
|
| Natural Palm Oil from Tropical Traditions
What is Natural Palm Oil? Natural Palm oil is a minimally processed
palm oil that maintains the natural nutrients of Vitamin E and Vitamin
A. Typical RBD (Refined, Deodorized, and Bleached) palm oil has these
nutrients stripped from them resulting in a clear oil. Tropical Traditions
Natural Palm Oil is processed with no solvent extracts or bleaching
at low temperatures. We are the first ones in the Philippines to develop
this unique process. In its natural state, palm oil is red in color
due to a high concentration of carotenes and tocols. It is a traditional
oil used for more than 5000 years in Asian and African countries.
In non-tropical climates in cooler temperatures the oil tends to be
orange, like a carrot. Advantages of Natural Palm Oil High Stability
To Oxidation Oils and fats generally are susceptible to attack by
atmospheric oxygen, resulting in rancidity. Natural Palm Oil contains
a high level of the tocols (Vitamin E) which are powerful natural
antioxidants. It contains a very low concentration of linolenic acid
and only a moderate proportion of linoleic acid, the most readily
oxidized components of oils. Therefore, it has exceptional resistance
to rancidity. Natural Palm Oil is known for its excellent stability
at high temperatures. The low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids,
which confers resistance to rancidity, also makes it less prone to
oxidative polymerization. The formation of polymeric materials is
responsible for the increase in viscosity and for the foaming tendency
of a heated oil. Vitamin E - The Tocotrienols: Super Anti-oxidants
Vitamin E is one of the most important phytonutrients in edible oils.
It consists of eight naturally occurring isomers, a family of four
tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha,
beta, gamma and delta) homologues. While most Vitamin E supplements
on the market today are composed of the more common tocopherols, tocotrienols
are believed to be a much more potent antioxidant than tocopherols.
Tocotrienols are naturally present in most plants, however they are
found most abundantly in palm oil extracted from palm fruits. Other
sources are rice, wheat germ, oat and barley. It has been shown by
published research that alpha-tocotrienol is 40-60 times more potent
than alpha-tocopherol in the prevention of lipid peroxidation. Since
tocotrienols are a form of Vitamin E found less abundantly in nature
than tocopherols, the research on this super anti-oxidant is still
recent and ongoing. It is predicted that tocotrienols will become
recognized as the new super anti-oxidant in the very near future.
Vitamin A - Carotenes from Natural Palm Oil is Nature's Most Abundant
Source In nature, there are approximately 600 known carotenoids, ranging
from yellow orange to red hues and some 50 of these pigments possess
vitamin A activity of varying degrees. Red palm oil is one of the
richest natural plant sources of carotenoids with concentration of
500-700 ppm. It has 15 times more retinol-equivalent than carrots
and 300 times more than tomatoes. No other vegetable oil contains
carotenoids in significant quantities. Analysis shows that alpha and
beta carotenes constitute approximately 90% of the total carotenoid
content.
|
|
