There has been a lot of controversy going on as to which oil is healthier than the other. Traditional people and the elderly even say for a fact that Palm oil is better for our health than Groundnut oil which might just be false due to researches that have been conducted. Oils are made up of fat and these fats are made up of blocks of fatty acids. Fatty acids are of 3 types; we have saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and lastly the polyunsaturated fatty acid. Palm oil falls under the saturated
fatty acid group while our Groundnut oil falls under the monounsaturated fatty acid group. Going into the main reasons why Groundnut oil is better than Palm oil, we have;
*Palm oil increases LDL-cholesterol level: Saturated fatty acids have their fatty acid molecule completely filled with hydrogen atoms and they increase LDL-cholesterol (Low-Density Lipoprotein) which is very bad for our health. The LDL-cholesterol builds up in the walls of our blood vessels causing
the risk of health problems.
*Palm oil increases the risk of Heart-related diseases: Saturated fatty acids also increase blood cholesterol which gives rise to atherosclerosis (clogging of arteries caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits, usual cholesterol) and thrombosis (formation of a blood clot in the blood vessels causing
obstruction of circulation), both of which are the basis of heart attacks, various heart diseases and strokes.
*Groundnut oil increases HDL-cholesterol and lowers LDL-cholesterol: Monounsaturated fatty acids have one area of their fatty acid molecule not filled with the hydrogen atom, so they help to increase HDL-cholesterol (High-Density Lipoprotein) which is good for our health and to lower LDL-cholesterol levels.
*Groundnut oil reduces the risk of heart diseases: HDL-cholesterol(good cholesterol) reduces the risk of heart disease. The HDL-cholesterol takes the LDL-cholesterol to the liver where it is flushed out of the system.
We now see for a fact, why Groundnut oil is better for our health than Palm oil; therefore we should make sure to cut down on our intake of saturated oils (palm oil) and substitute it with more of monounsaturated oils (groundnut oil).
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