Why palm oil in breads, cakes and noodles may be blocking your arteries: PGI study has the answers

“The country depends heavily on imports, particularly on low-cost palm oil, which comprises 59 per cent of all imports. This is high in saturated fats, linked to heart disease and is used extensively in vegetable oil, shortening and margarine, which are used extensively in bakeries, college hostels and canteens,” says Prof Thakur.

Why palm oil is the key ingredient in processed and packaged foods

Many processed and packaged foods contain palm oil as it makes products last longer. It remains semi-solid at room temperature and is, therefore, used in many spreads. Street vendors mix it with other oils for frying. Also, cheaper palm kernel oil is almost 85 per cent saturated fat and is used in coffee creamers, sweets and cheese products.

“The visible fat intake limits,” adds Dr Thakur, “are based on activity levels, ranging from 25 gms to 40 gms a day per person. The effort must be to use locally produced oil, like mustard, available in this part of the country. Read labels to know the oil used in packaged snacks. Remember most bakeries use 60% vanaspati (hydrogenated vegetable oil) for their products.”

Excessive oil and salt usage in Indian food is a health risk

Industrially produced trans-fats, commonly found in partially hydrogenated oils, and processed and fried foods, raise the risk of heart disease. Dr Yutaro Setoya, Team Lead, NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) and Comorbidities, WHO India, explains how “artificial trans-fat is a toxin as it hides in coronary arteries. Trans-fat is the tobacco of nutrition. Anything you replace with trans-fat is healthy,” he says.

Dr Sonu Goel, professor, Department of Community Medicine, says that trans-fats, made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil that solidifies it at room temperature, should be taken no more than 2.2 gms a day for a 2,000-calorie diet. “Pakoras, samosas, cakes, biscuits, spreads, frozen pizzas, coffee creamers, spreads, dips, have trans-fats. While buying commercial products, read labels and avoid those with partially hydrogenated oils or shortening,” he advises.

Rotate oils for health benefits

Edible oils provide essential fatty acids that cannot be produced in the human body. “India’s regional preferences for edible oils historically depended on local availability, with groundnut oil common in the South and West, mustard/rapeseed oil in the East and North, and coconut and sesame oil in parts of the South. We need to consume local oils that are healthier,” says Dr Thakur. That’s why nutrition experts advocate rotating different oils to ensure a balanced intake of fatty acids.