Cooking oils and fats · IFCT 2017
Palm oil: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, palm oil carries 44.98 g saturated fat, 43.53 g monounsaturated fat and 11.49 g polyunsaturated fat, according to IFCT 2017. It is almost half saturated, more than any vegetable oil in the tables except coconut, and it holds 300 mg of plant omega-3, 9th of the 10 oils with a value. It is also the oil India uses most.
About palm oil
Palm oil is pressed from the orange fruit of the oil palm. Most of what India uses is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia, and India is one of the largest buyers in the world, though plantations are expanding in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram and the North-East. It has no traditional Indian name in IFCT 2017, and few households buy it knowingly.
It reaches the plate mostly unseen. The liquid part, palmolein, is sold cheaply and has been distributed through ration shops in some states. The bulk goes into packaged namkeen, biscuits, instant noodles, bakery fats, sweets from commercial kitchens, street frying and many blended oils and vanaspati, because it is cheap, keeps for months and stands up to repeated frying.
Refined palm oil is pale and neutral. Unrefined red palm oil keeps the fruit's orange carotenoids, which the body can turn into vitamin A, but IFCT 2017 does not list those, and red palm oil is rarely sold in Indian shops. The figures on this page are for ordinary palm oil, and the label words vegetable oil or edible vegetable fat on a snack pack often mean palm.
What palm oil brings to a meal
- 01
Nearly half saturated
Palm oil has 44.98 g saturated fat per 100 g; among the 14 oils and fats in IFCT 2017, only coconut oil, ghee and vanaspati carry more. Most of it is palmitic acid.
- 02
A large monounsaturated share
It also carries 43.53 g monounsaturated fat per 100 g, close to rice bran and gingelly oil, so palm oil is not all saturated.
- 03
Low polyunsaturated fat
At 11.49 g polyunsaturated fat per 100 g, palm oil has little of the fat that breaks down in heat, which is why fryers and snack makers favour it.
- 04
A little plant omega-3
Palm oil holds 300 mg of alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g, 27th of 203 foods and 9th of the 10 oils with a value.
Palm oil nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 884 kcal | 42% | 53% |
| Protein | 0 g | ||
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 100 g | ||
| Water | 0 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 44.98 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 43.53 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 11.49 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 300 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero. IFCT 2017 reports no energy value for fats and oils, so the energy shown is calculated from the fat content at 37 kJ per gram.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Palm oil: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/oils-and-fats/palm-oil/
Where palm oil sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 cooking oils and fats and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In cooking oils and fats | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 884 kcal | 7th of 14 | 7th of 257 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 300 mg | 9th of 10 | 27th of 202 |
How palm oil is eaten
- Commercial frying: namkeen, bhujia, chips and samosas from shops and factories are often fried in palmolein.
- Biscuits and bakery: palm fat gives crunch and shelf life to biscuits, rusks and puff pastry.
- Blended oils and vanaspati: palm is a common base, so read the ingredient list on the pack.
- Ration shop palmolein: used in some homes for everyday tadka and frying when it is the affordable choice.
- Sweets from halwai shops: some use palm-based fats in place of ghee to cut cost.
Before you plan around it
Palm oil's saturated fat, 44.98 g per 100 g, is the main concern: diets high in palmitic acid raise LDL cholesterol more than diets based on mustard, groundnut or soyabean oil. Most people eat palm oil through packaged and fried snacks rather than their own cooking, so cutting back on those is the easiest way to cut palm oil. The 884 kcal per 100 g shown here is calculated from palm oil's fat, because IFCT 2017 leaves energy unreported for fats; 100 g would supply about 42 per cent of a man's daily energy. People with high cholesterol should discuss their choice of cooking fat with their doctor or dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about palm oil
Is palm oil bad for health?
Palm oil is not toxic, but it is 44.98 g saturated fat per 100 g in IFCT 2017, which raises LDL cholesterol more than most other vegetable oils. Using it sparingly, and eating fewer packaged fried snacks, keeps intake down. It is fine in small amounts within a balanced diet.
How do I know if a product contains palm oil?
Read the ingredient list. Palm oil, palmolein, edible vegetable fat, vegetable oil and interesterified fat often point to palm. Namkeen, biscuits, instant noodles and bakery products are the most common sources.
Why is palm oil used so much in India?
It is the cheapest major oil, keeps for a long time, and stays stable through repeated frying. That makes it the first choice for snack makers, restaurants and bakeries, and an affordable cooking oil for many families.
Is red palm oil different?
Yes. Red palm oil is unrefined and keeps the fruit's orange carotenoids, which the body can convert to vitamin A. Its fatty acid profile is similar to ordinary palm oil. It is rarely sold in Indian shops.
Related foods and tables
Vanaspati
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Coconut oil
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cotton seed oil
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rice bran oil
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Sunflower oil
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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