The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a tropical tree in the Arecaceae family that has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. The flesh of the fruit (pericarp) of the palm tree is used to produce palm oil, which is currently the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. It is the widespread consumption of this oil that makes it the target of many half-truths and misleading information. An example of this is the claim that ‘palm oil contains no beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, but only dangerous saturated ones’. For details on the true fatty acid content of palm oil and a summary of other myths, see our new Coffee Beans.
