Natural Palm Oil from
Tropical Traditions

What is Natural Palm Oil?

Natural Palm oil is a minimally processed palm oil that maintains the natural nutrients of  Vitamin E and Vitamin A. Typical RBD (Refined, Deodorized, and Bleached) palm oil has these nutrients stripped from them resulting in a clear oil. Tropical Traditions Natural Palm Oil is processed with no solvent extracts or bleaching at low temperatures. We are the first ones in the Philippines to develop this unique process.

In its natural state, palm oil is red in color due to a high concentration of carotenes and tocols. It is a traditional oil used for more than 5000 years in Asian and African countries. In non-tropical climates in cooler temperatures the oil tends to be orange, like a carrot.

Advantages of Natural Palm Oil

High Stability To Oxidation

Oils and fats generally are susceptible to attack by atmospheric oxygen, resulting in rancidity. Natural Palm Oil contains a high level of the tocols (Vitamin E) which are powerful natural antioxidants. It contains a very low concentration of linolenic acid and only a moderate proportion of linoleic acid, the most readily oxidized components of oils. Therefore, it has exceptional resistance to rancidity. 

Natural Palm Oil is known for its excellent stability at high temperatures. The low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which confers resistance to rancidity, also makes it less prone to oxidative polymerization. The formation of polymeric materials is responsible for the increase in viscosity and for the foaming tendency of a heated oil.

Vitamin E - The Tocotrienols: Super Anti-oxidants

Vitamin E is one of the most important phytonutrients in edible oils. It consists of eight naturally occurring isomers, a family of four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) homologues. While most Vitamin E supplements on the market today are composed of the more common tocopherols, tocotrienols are believed to be a  much more potent antioxidant than tocopherols. Tocotrienols are naturally present in most plants, however they are found most abundantly in palm oil extracted from palm fruits. Other sources are rice, wheat germ, oat and barley. It has been shown by published research that alpha-tocotrienol is 40-60 times more potent than alpha-tocopherol in the prevention of lipid peroxidation. Since tocotrienols are a form of Vitamin E found less abundantly in nature than tocopherols, the research on this super anti-oxidant is still recent and ongoing. It is predicted that tocotrienols will become recognized as the new super anti-oxidant in the very near future.

Vitamin A - Carotenes from Natural Palm Oil is Nature's Most Abundant Source

In nature, there are approximately 600 known carotenoids, ranging from yellow orange to red hues and some 50 of these pigments possess vitamin A activity of varying degrees. Red palm oil is one of the richest natural plant sources of carotenoids with concentration of 500-700 ppm. It has 15 times more retinol-equivalent than carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes. No other vegetable oil contains carotenoids in significant quantities. Analysis shows that alpha and beta carotenes constitute approximately 90% of the total carotenoid content.

Read More Published Research on Palm Oil

Tropical Traditions Natural Palm Oil

Tropical Traditions supplies both a Natural Palm Oil and a Natural Palm Butter. Regular Palm oil is about 50% saturated fat and 50% unsaturated fat, with the unsaturated fat being mostly monounsaturated fat. Our Natural Palm Oil is a bit higher in the unsaturated oil and is liquid at room temperature. Our Natural Palm Butter is higher in the saturated fats and is more solid at room temperature.