Palm Oil Consumption Research Articles

Effect of palm oil consumption on plasma lipid concentrations related to cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The precise association between palm oil consumption and lipid-related cardiovascular disease risk remains unclear. A systematic review was thus performed to assess whether palm oil consumption has a negative effect on plasma lipid-related cardiovascular disease marker levels. In June 2018, the electronic bibliographic databases PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), the Cochrane Library (Ovid) and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched and a total of 11 eligible dietary intervention articles involving 961 volunteers were selected. Both random and fixed effect models were used to calculate pooled weighted mean differences (WMD). A total of 11 articles involving 547 participants met the inclusion criteria. The pooled analysis revealed that palm oil increased the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: 0.15 mmol/L; p<0.00001). Palm oil consumption had no significant effects on blood total cholesterol (WMD: -0.01 mmol/L; p=0.82) and LDL-c (WMD: -0.05mmol/L; p=0.10) and triglyceride concentrations (WMD: 0.00 mmol/L; p=0.96), relative to the effects of unsaturated fatty acid consumption. Subgroup analyses revealed that palm oil has a beneficial effect on High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels when more than 30% of total dietary energy was constituted by fat. This review revealed that palm oil does not induce increases in cardiovascular disease risk risk-related biomarkers relative to unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, larger-scale samples of human dietary intervention trials are required to increase the accuracy of meta-analyses.

Hypercholesterolemia Risk Related to Consumption of Palm Oil Produced in Côte d’Ivoire

The purpose of this work is to determine the consumption pattern estimated from quantity and frequency of consumption of palm oil produced in C&amp;ocirc;te d&amp;#39;Ivoire in order to assess risk of hypercholesterolemia related to these oils. To achieve this objective, a cross - sectional survey was conducted with 417 randomly sampled people in seven district capitals of C&amp;ocirc;te d &amp;#39;Ivoire. This investigation shows that average of crude and refined R1 and refined R2 palm oil consumed are 24.52 mL, 25.88 mL and 24.13 mL per person per day, respectively. In addition, datas on consumption frequency of different palm oils indicate that refined palm oils are most prevalent in population&amp;rsquo;s dishes. Daily consumption frequency of crude and refined palm oils varies between 7.43 % and 85.40 %. These oils contain 32.95 % to 48.04 % palmitic acid (hazard). For a bioavailability of 100 % palmitic acid, the risk assessment for hypercholesterolemia indicates that 26.02 %, 25.80 % and 21.73 % of surveyed populations ingest higher quantities of palmitic acid. Those are greater than the recommended rate Anses (National Agency for Food Safety, Environment and Labor) during consumption crude and refined palm oils. 26,020, 25,800 and 21,730 cases of increase in serum cholesterol per 100,000 inhabitants after consumption crude, R1 and R2 oils. Concerning a bioavailability of 11 %, risk of hypercholesterolemia is 0 %; 0.02 % and 0.03 % respectively for the consumers of crude, R2 and R1 palm oils. Hypercholesterolemia risk varies from the mode of consumption and oils types.

Analysis of Production and Consumption of Palm-Oil Based Biofuel using System Dynamics Model : Case of Indonesia

Indonesia biodiesel blending mandate emerged in 2006 driven by strengthening energy security while in parallel reducing and toning down the need for fossil fuels, strengthen the country's balance of payments and increasing environmental demand to reduce CO2 emission while leveraging the abundance of Crude Palm Oil as raw material. The purposes of this study were to analyze production and consumption of palm Oil-based biofuel. System dynamics model was developed based on 4 stages, Palm Oil Plantation, CPO Production, Palm Oil-based biofuel production and consumption and the validation of the model through Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) test confirms the correspondence between structures and phenomena. Baseline simulation analysis shows that there is no single strategy capable of improving the production and consumption of palm-based Palm Oil-based biofuel. We suggest that combined strategies such as government support hand in hand with industrial conversion efficiency, increase in palm oil on-farm productivity, 5% reduction in CPO export, Increase biodiesel production capacity and generally biodiesel utilization target cannot be achieved without the support from the government in form of subsidy which require additional IDR 409 a 15% increase in subsidy.

Palm oil and dietary change: Application of an integrated macroeconomic, environmental, demographic, and health modelling framework for Thailand

Palm oil is a cooking oil and food ingredient in widespread use in the global food system. However, as a highly saturated fat, palm oil consumption has been associated with negative effects on cardiovascular health, while large scale oil palm production has been linked to deforestation. We construct an innovative fully integrated Macroeconomic-Environmental-Demographic-health (MED-health) model to undertake integrated health, environmental, and economic analyses of palm oil consumption and oil palm production in Thailand over the coming 20 years (2016–2035). In order to put a health and fiscal food policy perspective on policy priorities of future palm oil consumption growth, we model the implications of a 54% product-specific sales tax to achieve a halving of future energy intakes from palm cooking oil consumption. Total patient incidence and premature mortality from myocardial infarction and stroke decline by 0.03–0.16% and rural-urban equity in health and welfare improves in most regions. However, contrary to accepted wisdom, reduced oil palm production would not be environmentally beneficial in the Thailand case, since, once established, oil palms have favourable carbon sequestration characteristics compared to alternative uses of Thai cropland. The increased sales tax also provokes mixed economic impacts: While real GDP increases in a second-best Thai tax policy environment, relative consumption-to-investment price changes may reduce household welfare over extended periods unless accompanied by non-distortionary government compensation payments. Overall, our holistic approach demonstrates that product-specific fiscal food policy taxes may involve important trade-offs between nutrition, health, the economy, and the environment.

Trends in agri-food choices for health since the 1960s: the case of fatty acids

The FA composition of our diet affects human health: SFAs and n-6 PUFAs in excess are a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, while n-3 PUFAs have a protective role. These FAs should be considered together, since an excessively high n-6:n-3 ratio is linked to a strong pro-inflammatory effect. We reconstructed the FA composition of the French diet from the 1960s to the present to identify the main reasons for decreases or increases due to agriculture, food processing or food choices. From the 1960s to the late 1990s, the diet increased in SFA and n-6 PUFA levels and likely decreased in n-3 PUFA level. Consequently, food behaviors did not follow dietary recommendations. For SFAs, this was due to the sharp increase in cheese and, to a smaller extent, palm oil consumption. For n-6 PUFAs, it was due to the sharp increase in oil consumption, especially linoleic sunflower oil. For n-3 PUFAs, this was due mainly to replacement of grass by maize and soybean meal to feed ruminants. This trend has reversed since the 2000s: the SFA level decreased due to decreased consumption of palm oil and genetic improvements in pigs and poultry, n-6 PUFA level decreased due to increased consumption of oleic instead of linoleic sunflower oil, and n-3 PUFA level increased due to increased consumption of rapeseed oil. These changes are consistent with the FA composition observed in breast milk. Despite these improvements, however, the average dietary composition remains far from the recommendations, especially for n-3 PUFAs. We show the potential for improvement by supplementing animal feed with flaxseed and increasing consumption of oleic sunflower and rapeseed oils, at the expense of that of other oils.

Peeling back the label—exploring sustainable palm oil ecolabelling and consumption in the United Kingdom

Palm oil production has been linked to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. We explore consumer awareness of palm oil, perceptions of its environmental impact, recognition of ecolabels including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) ecolabel, and inclusion or avoidance of ecolabels in household shopping using a representative sample of the British population. We find consumer awareness of palm oil to be fairly high (77%), with 41% of those aware of palm oil perceiving it as ‘environmentally unfriendly’, more than double the level of any other vegetable oil examined. However, recognition of the RSPO ecolabel is the same as those who ‘recognize’ a fictitious ecolabel, making recognition indistinguishable from zero. Based on our logistic regression analysis, members of the British population most likely to actively include ecolabelled products in their weekly household shopping are those who are female, from higher socioeconomic groups, spend more than £120 per week on household shopping, and have received a Bachelors degree or higher. Despite clear benefits of environmental certification and ecolabelling, a relatively niche segment of the general population actively includes ecolabelled products in their weekly household shopping. Therefore, we recommend current policies be amended to require companies to source 100% identity preserved certified palm oil that can be traced to the plantation level to avoid having to rely on consumer decisions to enable a shift towards more responsibly-sourced palm oil. Additionally, requiring multinational companies to map and publicly disclose full supply chain information for all global operations, including palm oil suppliers and concessions, could help illuminate and discourage unsustainable practices.

Ethnomedical Beliefs and Utilization of Alcohol Herbal Remedy for Malaria in South-Coastal Nigeria.

We studied ethnomedical beliefs and utilization of alcohol herbal remedy for malaria in Uyo, south-coastal Nigeria. In-depth interviews were conducted with 213 respondents aged between 25 to 65 years, who were recruited through venue-based sampling. Malaria is recognized by its symptomatic presentations, which is reflected in different local names for the disease. Local etiological beliefs attribute malaria to mosquito bites, exposure to sunlight, fatigue, witchcraft, and excessive consumption of palm oil. There is a disease-specific preference for alcohol herbal remedies because they are accessible, affordable, and responsive to sociocultural realities. The therapy veils excessive consumption of alcohol with associated risks. Lack of quality control in production and dosage for the administration of these herbal remedies also put users at risk. Local beliefs should be integrated into malaria control programs to enhance community acceptance and participation. Herbal remedies should be subjected to regulation to ensure quality and minimize harms. Community health education should be mounted to improve knowledge of malarial transmission and promote utilization of appropriate health-care services.

Reduction of Total Suspended Solids, Turbidity and Colour of Palm Oil Mill Effluent using Hybrid Coagulation-Fltrafiltration Process

High consumption and production of palm oil have led to the massive generation of palm oil mill effluent (POME). This study was intended to reduce the total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and colour using hybrid coagulation-ultrafiltration process. POME was pre-treated with coagulation process using polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and optimization of operating condition for coagulation process was performed. The coagulation results revealed that optimum pH, dosage of coagulant and rapid mixing speed were pH 4, 600 mg/L and 200 rpm, respectively. It achieved the highest percent reduction of TSS, turbidity and colour with 99.74%, 94.44% and 94.60%, respectively. Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was fabricated using polyethersulfone (PES), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and titanium dioxide (TiO2­) nanoparticle. Different concentrations ranging from zero and 1.0 wt% of TiO2 nanoparticles were added into the dope solution. The characterization studies of UF membranes confirmed that higher concentration of TiO2 provided higher pure water permeability and more porous structure in the UF membranes. The amount of TiO2 in membrane only affected the permeate flux but had no obvious effects on the reduction of TSS, turbidity and colour. The optimum transmembrane pressure was found to be 3 bar, resulting in the greatest reduction of TSS, turbidity and colour.

Trends of serum phospholipid fatty acids over time in rural Uganda: evidence of nutritional transition?

Non-communicable diseases are projected to become the most common causes of death in Africa by 2030. The impact on health of epidemiological and nutritional transitions in sub-Saharan Africa remains unclear. To assess the trends of dietary fatty acids over time in Uganda, we examined fatty acids in serum collected from individuals in rural south-west Uganda, at three time points over two decades. Independent cross-sectional samples of 915 adults and children were selected from the general population cohort in 1990 (n 281), 2000 (n 283) and 2008 (n 351). Serum phospholipid fatty acids were measured by GC. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare the geometric means of fatty acids by time period. Serum fatty acid profiling showed high proportions of SFA, cis-MUFA and industrial trans-fatty acids (iTFA), likely to be biomarkers of high consumption of palm oil and hydrogenated fats. In contrast, proportions of n-6 and n-3 PUFA from vegetable oils and fish were low. From 1990 to 2008, serum phospholipids showed increases in absolute amounts of SFA (17·3 % increase in adults and 26·4 % in children), MUFA (16·7 % increase in adults and 16·8 % in children) and n-6:n-3 PUFA (40·1 % increase in adults and 39·8 % in children). The amount of elaidic acid, iTFA from hydrogenated fats, increased in children (60·1 % increase). In this rural Ugandan population, we show evidence of unfavourable trends over time of dietary fatty acids.

Właściwości oleju palmowego i wpływ plantacji olejowca gwinejskiego (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) na środowisko

W ostatnich dziesięcioleciach obserwowany jest znaczący wzrost produkcji oleju palmowego, szeroko wykorzystywanego w wielu gałęziach przemysłu, w tym: spożywczym, kosmetycznym i energetycznym. Surowiec ten pozyskiwany jest z owoców olejowca gwinejskiego (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), którego plantacje zakładane są główniena obszarach tropikalnych Azji Południowo-Wschodniej. W kolejnych latach prognozowany jest dalszy wzrost zapotrzebowania na olej palmowy. Tymczasem niejasny pozostaje wpływ plantacji olejowca gwinejskiego na środowisko naturalne, w tym m.in. na wylesianie obszarów tropikalnych i różnorodność biologiczną oraz spożywania oleju palmowego na zdrowie człowieka. W pracy podjęto zatem próbę kompleksowego omówienia wymienionych problemów. Ostateczna ocena oddziaływania produkcji olejowca gwinejskiego jest złożona, gdyż musi uwzględniać, nie tylko aspekty środowiskowe, ale i kwestie etyczne (jak globalny wzrost zapotrzebowania na żywność, czy zapewnienie źródeł utrzymania lokalnej społeczności). Natomiast rozpatrując wpływ spożywania oleju palmowego na zdrowie człowieka, należy wziąć uwagę, m.in. różnice w składzie i wartości odżywczej surowego, rafinowanego i poddanego procesom modyfikacji oleju palmowego.

Effects of six-week consumption of lard or palm oil on blood pressure and blood vessel H2S in middle-aged male rats

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. The etiology of this disease is multifactorial, with unhealthy nutrition being one of the main risk factors. Diets high in animal fats and saturated fatty acid have been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, the results of investigations on the effects of lard (LO)- and palm oil (PO) on cardiovascular risk are still controversial due to the dosages used and the age of the animals investigated. Objective: We investigated whether LO or PO consumption led to different effects on blood pressure, vascular functions, and lipid profiles within middle-aged rats. Methods: The study was performed in middle-aged male rats, n = 6 for each group. LO, PO, or distilled water (control) 1 or 3 ml/kg were orally gavaged once a day for 6 weeks. Basal blood pressure and heart rate were measured in anesthetized rats. Fasting serum lipids were measured by enzymatic methods. The vascular functions of isolated thoracic aorta were studied using pharmacological techniques in the absence or presence of N-nitro-L-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) inhibitor and or DL-propargylglycine (PAG), a cystothionine-γ-lyase (CSE) inhibitor. Additionally, the aortic wall eNOS and CSE protein expression were measured by Western blotting.Results: In comparison to the control group (distilled water, DW), no differences were observed in any of the parameters studied after the rats took 1 ml/kg of LO or PO. However, PO caused an increase in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and body fat. At 3 ml/kg dosage, LO caused increased basal blood pressure (LO, 153.4 ± 3.2; DW, 131.4 ± 3.2 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and LO, 130.9 ± 2.5; DW, 107.9 ± 5.8 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure) body and liver cell lipid accumulation, while PO led to increased body fat and fasting serum triglyceride (PO, 131.5 ± 13.2; DW, 91.8 ± 4.8 mg %). Neither LO nor PO treatment had any effect on vascular contraction to phenylephrine, except in the presence of PAG which led to an increased contractile response to phenylephrine. PO but not LO treatment caused increased vascular wall CSE protein expression.Conclusion: The results document how both LO and PO at a dose of 3 ml/kg (corresponding to three servings of Thai fast food) cause increased cardiovascular risk factors. However, the blood vessel H2S production increased while the lower dose had a minimal effect.Keywords: Lard oil; Palm oil; blood vessel; liver lipid; NO; H2S

Pediatric Age Palm Oil Consumption.

Palm oil is widely used in the food industry for its chemical/physical properties, low cost and wide availability. Its widespread use has provoked an intense debate about whether it is a potential danger to human health. In a careful review of the scientific literature, we focused on nutritional characteristics and health effects of the use of palm oil with regards to children, seeking to determine whether there is evidence that justifies fears about the health effects of palm oil. Our review showed that palm oil represents a significant source of saturated fatty acids, to which scientific evidence attributes negative health effects when used in excess, especially with regards to cardiovascular diseases. However, to date, there is no evidence about the harmful effects of palm oil on the health of children. Nevertheless, palm oil has possible ill health effects linked to its composition of fatty acids: its consumption is not correlated to risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in young people with a normal weight and cholesterol level; the elderly and patients with dyslipidaemia or previous cardiovascular events or hypertension are at a greater risk. Therefore, the matter is not palm oil itself but the fatty-acid-rich food group to which it belongs. The most important thing is to consume no more than 10% of saturated fatty acids, regardless of their origin and regardless of one’s age. Correct information based on a careful analysis of the scientific evidence, rather than a focus on a singular presumed culprit substance, should encourage better lifestyles.

Palm Oil in Myanmar: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Effects of Industrial Farming on Biodiversity Loss.

Palm oil consumption is potentially deleterious to human health, and its production has resulted in 11 million hectares of deforestation globally. Importing roughly 394,000 metric tons of palm oil in 2012 alone, the Burmese government has recently pushed for intensive oil palm development to sate domestic demand for consumption and become international market players. Given well-studied linkages between biodiversity loss and ecosystem instability, this study aims to characterize the nature of deforestation for oil palm production in Myanmar, its relationship to increased biodiversity loss, and contextualize the potential impacts of this loss on diets and human health in rural Myanmar. First, a GIS land suitability analysis overlaying spatial data on rainfall, elevation, and slope was conducted in order to identify areas of Myanmar best suited to oil palm tree growth. Second, after narrowing the geographic range, vegetation indices using varying spectral band models in ENVI (Environment for Visualizing Images) allowed a more granular examination of changes in vegetation phenology from 1975 to 2015. Lastly, ground truthing permitted an in-person verification of GIS and ENVI results and provided contextual understanding of oil palm development in Myanmar. GIS analysis revealed that the Tanintharyi Region, one of the most biodiverse regions in Myanmar, is highly suitable for oil palm growth. Next, vegetation indices revealed a progressive shift from smallholder farming, with little observable deforestation between 1975 and 1990, to industrial oil palm plantations all throughout Tanintharyi starting around 2000-a shift concomitant with biodiversity loss of primary forestland. Ground truthing indicated that plantation development has advanced rapidly, though not without barriers to growth. If these trends of Burmese oil palm intensification continue, 4 key outcomes may follow: (1) even higher levels of biodiversity loss, (2) increased access and affordability of edible palm oil, (3) decreased importing of palm oil, and (4) large profits made from selling excess palm oil on the international market. Although the first 2 outcomes may adversely affect low-income Burmese populations, the latter 2 may bode well for the domestic economy and international trade partners, thus encouraging competing interests. This increased domestic access and affordability of palm oil may increase consumption and cause increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Finally, this biodiversity loss concurrent with industrial deforestation may disproportionately impact vulnerable, rural communities.

Systematic review of palm oil consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

BackgroundThe high amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) coupled with the rising availability and consumption of palm oil have lead to the assumption that palm oil contributes to the increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. We aimed at systematically synthesising the association of palm oil consumption with cardiovascular disease risk and cardiovascular disease-specific mortality.MethodsWe systematically searched Central, Medline and Embase databases up to June 2017 without restriction on setting or language. We performed separate searches based on the outcomes: coronary heart disease and stroke, using keywords related to these outcomes and palm oil. We searched for published interventional and observational studies in adults (Age: >18 years old). Two investigators extracted data and a consensus was reached with involvement of a third. Only narrative synthesis was performed for all of the studies, as the data could not be pooled.ResultsOur search retrieved 2,738 citations for stroke with one included study and 1,777 citations for coronary heart disease (CHD) with four included studies. Palmitic acid was reported to be associated with risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 2.76; 95%CI = 1.39–5.47). Total SFA intake was reported to be not significant for risk of MI. Varying intake of fried foods, highest contributor to total SFA with 36% of households using palm oil for frying, showed no significant associations to risk of MI. Odds of developing first non-fatal acute MI was higher in palm oil compared to soybean oil with 5% trans-fat (OR = 1.33; 95%CI = 1.09–1.62) than palm oil compared to soybean oil with 22% trans-fat (OR = 1.16; 95%CI = 0.86–1.56). Nevertheless, these risk estimates were non-significant and imprecise. The trend amongst those taking staple pattern diet (characterised by higher palm oil, red meat and added sugar consumption) was inconsistent across the factor score quintiles. During the years of 1980 and 1997, for every additional kilogram of palm oil consumed per-capita annually, CHD mortality risk was 68 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI = 21–115) in developing countries and 17 deaths per 100,000 (95%CI = 5.3–29) in high-income countries, whereas stroke was associated with 19 deaths per 100,000 (95%CI = -12–49) and 5.1 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI: -1.2–11) respectively.The evidence for the outcomes of this review were all graded as very low. The findings of this review should be interpreted with some caution, owing to the lack of a pooled effect estimate of the association, significant bias in selection criteria and confounding factors, inclusion of other food items together with palm oil, and the possible out-dated trend in the ecological study.ConclusionIn view of the abundance of palm oil in the market, quantifying its true association with CVD outcomes is challenging. The present review could not establish strong evidence for or against palm oil consumption relating to cardiovascular disease risk and cardiovascular disease-specific mortality. Further studies are needed to establish the association of palm oil with CVD. A healthy overall diet should still be prioritised for good cardiometabolic health.

Global biomass trade for energy— Part 2: Production and trade streams of wood pellets, liquid biofuels, charcoal, industrial roundwood and emerging energy biomass

AbstractMany countries have limited low‐cost biomass resources to satisfy their own demand for bioenergy; consequently, international trade in biomass in various liquid and solid forms is increasing. The aim of this study is to present a quantitative overview of the development of international biomass trade for energy purposes. This paper focuses on the main biomass producing and consuming countries, as well as exporters and importers of liquid and solid biofuels, such as wood pellets, biodiesel, and bio‐ethanol, and biomass products, for example industrial roundwood. The study discusses changes in trends that have occurred over the past decade, and investigates emerging energy biomass trade streams. Due to increased demand for wood pellets from the heating and industrial sectors, global wood pellet markets and international trade have increased significantly in the past decade. The United States and Brazil remain leaders in bio‐ethanol production with about 45 Mt and 24 Mt respectively. In recent years, Asian markets such as China (industrial roundwood), South Korea (wood pellets), Malaysia, and Indonesia (palm oil) have developed considerably. In the EU‐28, more than 60% of total palm oil consumption is used for energy purposes. The EU is the global leader in biomass for energy utilization and also the main importer of most biomass products, particularly wood pellets. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd

Dietary supplementation with hybrid palm oil alters liver function in the common Marmoset

Hybrid palm oil, which contains higher levels of oleic acid and lower saturated fatty acids in comparison with African palm oil, has been proposed to be somehow equivalent to extra virgin olive oil. However, the biological effects of its consumption are poorly described. Here we have explored the effects of its overconsumption on lipid metabolism in a non-human primate model, the common marmoset. Dietary supplementation of marmoset with hyperlipidic diet containing hybrid palm oil for 3 months did not modify plasma lipids levels, but increased glucose levels as compared to the supplementation with African palm oil. Liver volume was unexpectedly found to be more increased in marmosets consuming hybrid palm oil than in those consuming African palm oil. Hepatic total lipid content and circulating transaminases were dramatically increased in animals consuming hybrid palm oil, as well as an increased degree of fibrosis. Analysis of liver miRNAs showed a selective modulation of certain miRNAs by hybrid palm oil, some of which were predicted to target genes involved in cell adhesion molecules and peroxisomal pathways. Our data suggest that consumption of hybrid palm oil should be monitored carefully, as its overconsumption compared to that of African palm oil could involve important alterations to hepatic metabolism.

Palm Oil Consumption and Risk of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Quality of Evidence Analysis

Palm Oil Consumption and Risk of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Quality of Evidence Analysis

OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

It was reported in 2013 that all African countries were net importers of vegetable oils. Imports of palm oil and soybean oil alone represented 123 per cent of the continent’s total production of oils and fats and were forecasted to grow. Since the last decade, countries from the African oil palm belt have been firmly determined to raise Africa’s production of palm oil not only to ensure a sufficiency of oils and fats for its populations, but also to regain its share in the world market for vegetable oils. Data on the areas planted with oil palm show an average increase of 26 per cent in 2016 compared to 2013 resulting from an increase of 39 per cent in the areas of smallholdings and 8 per cent in those of industrial plantations. The minimum fresh fruit bunch (FFB) processing capacity has risen to 6 368 880 tonnes per year, not including that of the widespread local low-performing palm oil mills. The most threatening of the new challenges facing oil palm development is the unfair anti-palm oil label "No Palm Oil" on products imported from Europe whose lifestyle and civilisation are models and targets for populations of underdeveloped and developing African countries. Prospects - for rural development and poverty alleviation, for birth of entrepreneurial plantations, for increase in consumption of palm oil in the European Union, for distinguishing environment and social considerations from anti-palm oil propaganda, for control and prevention of civil unrest, to name a few - are assets with great promise for oil palm development in Africa. Keywords: Industrial plantations, smallholdings, planted areas, FFB processing capacity, anti-palm oil label, entrepreneurial plantations, Africa.

Risk factors of stroke in coastal villages of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India: a case control study

Background: The prevalence of stroke was reportedly higher in four coastal villages as compared to the neighbouring villages. Hence the study was conducted to identify the risk factors for stroke cases in the four villages of Mavinakurve Gram Panchayath, Bhatkal Taluk, Karnataka, India. Methods: 53 stroke patients were compared with 106 age and locality matched controls. Data was obtained using a predesigned, pretested questionnaire for socio-demographic variables, sources of water, palm oil and milk powder consumption, smoking and alcohol usage, stress score, history of hypertension, BMI and Waist Hip ratio. The data was entered in the SPSS version 15.0 and analysed. Results were expressed as proportions. Associations were analyzed using Chi-square test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Most of the cases (53%) and controls (45%) belonged to the age group of 60-69 years. 62.2% of the cases were males and 37.8% were females. 45.3% of the cases and 34.0% of the controls were involved in fishing. 15% of the cases and 2.8% of the controls had high stress. Statistically significant association was found between high stress and stroke. 86.8% of cases and 72.6% of controls were hypertensive (p value of 0.04). Conclusions: The prevalence of stroke in this area is higher than the state/national average. Hypertension and stress are important risk factors for stroke. Periodic screening for early detection of hypertension, health education, appropriate lifestyle modification and prompt treatment for hypertension are very important.

Effects of Palm Oil Consumption on Lipid Profile among Rural Ivorian Youth

As palm oil has been qualified as atherogen, we have studied the impact of its consumption on changes of lipid and lipoprotein profiles of young Ivorian healthy subjects living in rural areas. It is a descriptive cross-sectional analytical study of about 120 Ivorian subjects aged 18 to 30 years, including 65 regular consumers of palm oil and 55 subjects consuming that oil periodically as control subjects. Serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL cholesterols and lipoprotein (a) were measured by enzyme conventional methods. The TC serum varied not significantly in both subjects’ groups as the triglycerides and HDL-C did. In addition, 58.46% of palm oil consumers had hypoLDLemia. The serum concentration of lipoprotein (a) was not significantly elevated (p&gt; 0.05) with consumers compared to controls: 33.85% versus 29.09%, p = 0.55. The percentage of subjects with normal serum concentrations is higher in all the studied parameters, with both that is the consumers and the controls, except LDL cholesterol, of which the percentage of subjects with a lower value is the highest (58.46% for consumers and 52.73% for controls). This study has shown that the consumption of palm oil did not alter the lipid and lipoprotein profile of the consumer, on the contrary, this consumption revealed a decrease in cholesterol levels with these subjects.