2015/09/18 by Annamaria Mancini, Esther Imperlini, Ersilia Nigro +4 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Nursing · #Coconut Research and Applications #Fatty Acid Research and Health #Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
paper · pdf · doi:10.3390/molecules200917339
openalex publication_date 2015/09/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
A growing body of evidence highlights the close association between nutrition and human health. Fat is an essential macronutrient, and vegetable oils, such as palm oil, are widely used in the food industry and highly represented in the human diet. Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid, is the principal constituent of refined palm oil. In the last few decades, controversial studies have reported potential unhealthy effects of palm oil due to the high palmitic acid content. In this review we provide a concise and comprehensive update on the functional role of palm oil and palmitic acid in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The atherogenic potential of palmitic acid and its stereospecific position in triacylglycerols are also discussed.