Red Palm Oil
Jul 18 2010 09:20 PM | Dee in Health and Nutrition
Red Palm Oil
Thomas Bankstahl, DVM(Adapted from transcription of comments presented atHBD and AVIx Chat held during the AAV AnnualConference, Monterey, California, August, 2005)
Red palm oil is the flesh of the fruit of the palm tree, Elaeis guineensis. It is considered one of the richest natural sources of carotenoids, containing 700-1000 parts per million (30 times that found in carrots).
In addition to the betacarotenes found in traditional foods, red palm oil also contains alpha-carotene,which is considered to have anti-cancer properties in human medicine.
Red palm oil has several characteristics that make it appealing for use in humans:
• It is more stable at room temperature than most other natural oils.
• It tends not to oxidize and turn rancid (because of its levels of vitamin E, other antioxidants and linoleic acids).
• It can be used for cooking.
• It is not hydrogenated or processed and there are no trans-fatty acids.
• It actually inhibits the enzyme for cholesterol synthesis.
Red Palm Oil in Human Medicine
• The vitamin A and E components of red palm oil are excellent scavengers for free radicals, which are part of the degenerative processes of heart disease, cellular aging, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
• In addition to the four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta), the vitamin E in red palm oil contains an abundance of the four tocotrienols, which seem to have more anti-cancer specific properties in human studies.
• Women taking red palm oil with tamoxifen had a 45% reduction of breast cancer recurrence and improved immune function.
• Because red palm oil decreases LDLs and triglycerides as well as increases HDLs, physicians are seeing a decrease in heart attacks and strokes in patients who take it. They are also seeing an increase in immune function.
• University studies have shown definite examples of decreasing the incidence of atherosclerosis, lowering blood cholesterol and decreasing blood clots with increased vasodilatation.
• Red palm oil is being used to lower the risk of cataract formation.
• The vitamin E content of red palm oil inhibits the arachidonic acid cycle, thereby decreasing the production of prostaglandins and stopping some of the inflammatory cascade.
• Palmitic acid is a 16-carbon chain saturated fat that makes up half of the fatty acids in red palm oil and is touted to be a good source of energy that is easy to digest and does not cause elevations in blood sugar.
Red Palm Oil in Veterinary Medicine
• In conjunction with full diagnostic workups, we use red palm oil as adjunct therapy for cases involving the skin, heart, eyes, conjunctiva, bladder, inadequate nutritional situations, immune system weakness and prevention of neoplasia.
• We also found that it decreases the need for nonsteroidals, such as in birds that may be on meloxicam for chronic arthritic changes in the feet or other dermatologic conditions.
• When red palm oil is used with antihistamines, we seem to get an improved antipruritic effect over other oils used in combination with antihistamines.
• We actually saw return of vision in two 35-year-old Amazons with very mature cataracts.
• I am applying it in small mammals preventively for the inhibition of the growth of breast cancer cells, because of the use in humans as a cancer preventive drug. It also helps with improved immune function for the prevention of respiratory diseases.
Ed note: Jan Hooimeijer, an avian veterinarian from The Netherlands, uses red palm oil along with Harrison's foods on almost every new bird that comes into his practice, because they all have nutritional problems. He says, "When Amazons are put on red palm oil, you can see changes in a couple of weeks in their feet, scales and nails, and the beaks become shinier. After a longer term, you can see skin changes on the planter surface of the feet. We see Amazons with flat-surfaced sore feet back to normal structure within a year.
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