1. Overview

For thousands of years West Africans have used pure red Palm Fruit Oil in their cooking. Palm Fruit Oil is extracted from the flesh of the fruit of the palm tree and is completely different in it’s composition and properties to palm kernel oil which is used mainly in the fast food industry: only used by West Africans for skin & hair care and rituals!

Palm Fruit Oil contains many valuable vitamins that are essential for the maintenance of human health such as high levels of Vitamin E & Vitamin A (15 times more than carrots!) essential for good vision and boosting the immunity. In addition, carotenes have strong antioxidant properties - they remove damaging oxygen-free radicals, prevent certain forms of cancer and delay the aging process.

2. Extract from Science in Africa - online Magazine
September 2005

Vitamin E: tocopherols and tocotrienols Palm Fruit Oil has high levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are two forms of the strong antioxidant Vitamin E. They remove damaging oxygen-free radicals from the body. Among all vegetable oils, Palm Fruit Oil has the highest level of naturally occurring tocotrienols. Tocotrienols have been reported in scientific literature to prevent cardiovascular diseases, lower the serum cholesterol level, decrease platlet aggregation, inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells, protect the skin against UV ratdiation offer some protection to nerve cells.

Red Palm Fruit Oil - Protective for the Heart

In 2010 we were very pleased to have a visit from Prof Johan Esterhuyse PHD Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences, Cape Town University in South Africa to our shop at the Queen Victoria Market. Professor Esterhuyse has studied Red Palm Fruit Oil and has many of his studies published including this one looking at the protective factors Palm Fruit Oil has on the heart.

Health benefits of a natural carotenoid rich oil: a proposed mechanism of protection against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008;17 (S1):316-319.

3. Health Alert
Tribal Tastes is concerned about adulterated product in the market. This is Palm Kernel Oil which has been deoderised and coloured with food dye.  Ensure that African Food is purchased from registerd food premises and is labelled.

The following are characteristics of adulterated product.
1. When 100% Pure Palm Fruit Oil is congealed and cold the colour resembles egg yolk - NOT between carrot Juice & blood orange
2. Smell should be fruity and bearly detectable. It should NOT be offensive
3. Ensure that product is labelled as Pure Palm Fruit Oil - NOT crude Palm Oil
4. Beware of product sold unlabelled and in plastic juice bottles
5. 100% Pure Palm Fruit Oil has no sediment on the bottom of the bottle