INTRODUCTION 

When most of our life aspects are dependent on something, getting to the facts becomes important. That “something” is food!

You don’t wanna be careless with your food.

In the health industry, one such controversial concern has been gaining speed and rising significance, i.e., which vegetable oil is best for you? Some of us have narrowed the search down to only two oils, that is palm oil and olive oil.

Palm oil is readily available, and virgin olive oil is popularly sold as a cure-all. Clearly, both these oils have a fan base.

Don’t worry, we have the right solution for you. Our solutions and content is carefully researched and based on empirical findings. In the prevailing article, you will get knowledge about vegetable oils- what they are, how many types can they be divided in, which one of them are the most beneficial, what are the merits and demerits, and of course our ultimate question: palm oil or olive oil, which one is better? 

Let’s get started!

What are Vegetable Oils

And more importantly, why do we discuss this now!

Because palm oil and olive oil are both vegetable oils.

As is evident by its name, vegetable oils have their source from parts of fruits or vegetables and their seeds. Vegetable oils are also popularly known as vegetable fats, and these are mixtures of an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids, a monosyllable for which is triglyceride. 

In the usual sense, vegetable oils are always edible. However, the non-edible ones are mainly derived from petroleum and go by the name of mineral oils. 

Now that you know the basics of what calls a vegetable oils, let us understand why do we even have vegetable oils and since when do we know them.

What is the History Behind Vegetable Oils 

Vegetable oils have been a part of our lives since ages

Used for lighting fuel, cooking, medication, and lubrication, vegetable oils derived from sesame seed, linseed, and poppy seed have been in active utilization since the Bronze age. It is believed that Asians were among the first to start using vegetable oil.

Since the time of the industrial revolution, palm oil was widely used and advocated by the masses to cook, lubricate machines, and eventually, to help manufacture soaps. 

Before the historical records can even be traced, the Chinese mainland was deeply into soybean oil. The USA received its stock of soybean oil by the 1930s, and today soybean oil is another synonym for vegetable oil in the States. 

Olive oil, however, originated from Mediterranean lands, which slowly flowed into European cooking. Now, Olive oil is widely used in health-conscious cooking across all continents.

If we compare the usage of olives and palms as oils, history would tell you olive has been in use for a far longer time. Though Palm oil too originated in the same areas nearly, to be specific Africa, it soon flew all around the globe.

Now, let us see, would palm oil and olive fall into the same categories of their broader group.

How are Vegetable Oils Categorized? 

Vegetable oils are not of any one or two kinds, but nature has dispensed us with the glory of numerous vegetable fats. These oils come with amazing nutritive value that can be used in multifarious phases of one’s routine. 

The types of vegetable oils available are innumerable, and thus, it can be difficult to cite each one of them, but what we can do is to mention the basis of their categorization with a few examples of each category. 

Method of Extraction

The type in which vegetable oils are extracted from the plants differ. One way is to place the relevant part of fruit, vegetable, or plant under appropriate pressure and squeeze it to obtain vegetable fats.  Extra virgin olive oil, as you would recall from this article, happens to be cold-pressed. So, it will fall under this category.

Another extraction method is to dissolve the relevant part of the plant, fruit or vegetable into a solvent, or water, separate the obtained solution from the plant part and concentrate it independently. Not entirely, but this is pretty much how you make palm oil. These oils are also known as essential oils, and can also be leached from the solution by the process of distillation.

Liquid-liquid extraction is the last method of extraction in which relevant parts of plants, fruits, or vegetables are infused in the right quantity with other base oils. Oils derived from this extraction method are called macerated oils. 

Source

As mentioned earlier, a major chunk of vegetable oils is derived from the plant fruits or seeds. Oils extracted from similar plants are known as nut oils. 

Now, palm oil and olive oil are different at the very source. Palm fruit seed or palm kernel gives birth to palm oil and olives tip olive oil. So, it’s clear that palm oil is a seed oil, whereas olive oil is a fruit oil.

As we can tell the very extraction method is also different.

Moreover, you should note that apart from red palm oil, the rest of products that originate from the palm kernel are heavily filtered. Luckily, olive oil, even a non-virgin specimen, isn’t that heavily chemicalized. Want to know what does virginity in olive oil mean, read more!

Let us examine what these facts mean!

Which is Better: Palm Oil or Olive Oil

So much debate revolving around the uses of palm oil and olive oil, and about which one is better. Where is the answer? If you are seeking answers too, we assure you to find them here. 

For the purpose of analyzing which one of them is better, let us begin by analyzing the nutritional profile of both the oils in detail. 

Nutrition (1 tablespoon)	Palm Oil	Olive Oil
Calories	120 cal	119 cal
Total Fat	14 g	14 g
Saturated Fat	7 g	1.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat	5 g	10 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.5 g	1.4 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Potassium	0 mg	0.1 mg
Sodium	0 mg	0.3 mg

What can we gain from this nutritional table? Most of the nutritional components in both oils are similar to each other. However, it is worth mentioning that palm oil contains a considerably greater amount of saturated fats than olive oil, which is about the same quantity as butter. 

Another important distinction is how olive oil contains a greater amount of monounsaturated fats, potassium, and sodium than palm oil. It is important because the sodium and potassium present in olive oil helps us keep our systolic and diastolic blood pressure in control. Moreover, monounsaturated fats are not carcinogenic and far healthier than saturated oils.

Talking about the differences in palm oil and olive oil, both of them are produced in very different ways, which adds to their difference in fatty components.

You should also note that above data was for regular olive oil and regular palm oil. Had we gotten a sample of extra virgin olive oil and red palm oil, we would still find a great difference and olive oil would still top.

We pick the regular products because those are the most consumed ones too.

Is Olive Oil Considered Healthier

As a matter of fact, yes, it is considered a healthier alternative to Palm oil. Why? Here are our reasons: 

Blood Cholesterol

In the modern times, a lot of people have been affected by having a bad blood cholesterol level. A direct impact is seen on their hearts, with an increased cholesterol, there is a risk of increasing vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases. 

What is the reason? Ruling out major factors like exercise, sleep, and a healthy lifestyle pattern, we would like to jump straight to the factor of cooking and eating. That’s right, it is impossible to cook, eat, or even imagine our food without vegetable oils. Given its inevitable importance in our food, it is important that we choose the right oil. 

Most people end up using palm oil for cooking their food, because they considered palm oil to add taste and crisp to our meals. It doesn’t hurt our pockets too. Palm oil is one of the cheapest cooking oils out there. However, when people add palm oil to their foods, they also unknowingly invite bad cholesterol levels, and saturated fats to be consumed unknowingly too.

Our bodies become prone to low nutritional environments, creating a breeding place for a lot of diseases. That being said, by including palm oil in your meals, you are increasing your risk of having heart disease dangerously by 6%.

Olive oils, on the other hand, work to improve our heart health and can prevent us from falling prey to cardiovascular diseases. 

Health Considerations

Palm oil and olive oil have different health considerations and can affect our health accordingly. Olive oil is considered healthier because it contains 14% of saturated fat and 75% of monounsaturated oleic acid.

On the contrary, palm oil has 50% of the total composition of saturated fats, which is a major reason for critique of this oil.  Interestingly, after World War II, when palm oil was used in huge quantities to prepare and serve food, the entire United States suffered a ‘heart attack’ epidemic, owing to the use of Palm oil in great quantities. 

Other Benefits

Olive oil, in comparison to palm oil contains Vitamin E, antioxidants, and squalene. The mere absence of these nutrients in palm oil makes olive oil a healthier alternative. 

Squalene is a rare substance that has been tested positive for its effect on human health. Vitamin E, so abundantly present in olive oil, helps prevent skin cancer, and frequently aids the healing of wounds. Moreover, antioxidants received in olive oil help in improving our heart condition and prevent our exposure to cancer causing factors. 

Experts, worldwide, suggest olive oils to be the first choice for cooking. Besides, their use in salads, makes it all the more beneficial. 

Other Beneficial Vegetable Oils 

By now, we know the importance that vegetable oils have on our health. We also know that we cannot leave you on only two vegetable oils for cooking food. So, here we are with some of the best and worst vegetable oils to add to your kitchen knowledge. Olive and palm oil has already been on the list for most part of the articles, so, here, we intend to focus on other specific varieties. 

Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil can also be primarily seen as a more saturated fat. Most people recommend to avoid this oil because of its high fat content and advise to moderate its use, if necessary. Research has produced results both in favor of it and against it, and with such a controversial status, we would advise you to not go overboard with this oil. 

Canola Oil 

Apart from olive oil, canola oil is said to have the least amount of saturated fats and is considered a healthier vegetable oil for cooking, and eating purposes. You can trust this oil with your eyes closed. It is ‘a difficult to find product’, but is equally beneficial.  If you would like to read more on Canola, click here!

Avocado Oil

For stir frying, avocado oil is the best go-to option. It is unrefined and doesn’t leave much of its flavor while cooking. However, great things come at an even greater price, so if you can afford it, then you should not look anywhere else.  

Sunflower Oil 

This is a neither-so-good nor-so-bad vegetable oil. It has an abundance of Vitamin E supplements, but it is also accommodated with higher levels of omega fatty acids. You can consume moderate quantities for best results. 

Peanut Oil 

It tends to overwhelm the food because of its strong flavor. Nonetheless, it has high monounsaturated fat contents and also has a high smoking point, which should be a huge plus while looking for cooking contents. 

Flaxseed Oil 

Flaxseed oil is not ideal for cooking, because of its low heating point. If used, you might end up destroying your meal completely. However, it has great nutritive value, and thus, you can use it for dressing purposes. 

Grapeseed Oil 

Grapeseed oil is a perfect choice for all types of grilling and cooking services. It is considerably low in saturated fats, as compared to other cooking oils and has a high heating point. It is filled with Vitamin E and antioxidants which builds our immune system stronger over time, and keeps our heart healthy. You can switch to grapeseed oil if budget is your concern, and if you want to get a healthy body in no time. 

BOTTOM LINE 

Oils are not a very healthy option to be included in meals. Using them in limitation is very important to maintain great health throughout your life. However, since they are inevitably a part of our cooking regimes, we need to inculcate them carefully. 

Olive oil, in many aspects, is considered to be a better option than palm oil to keep our blood cholesterol levels in check, and maintain a heart-healthy diet. While palm oil has its own benefits, ease of cooking and good taste being the major one, it is slightly beneficial to replace it with virgin olive oil.

If you have raised this question for your lifestyle and health, then why not choose and make an easy change. The results are backed by studies and researches of the present day and age. We hope you find your healthy Palm oil alternative soon!