Balancing Risks and Benefits: A Review of Palm Oil Consumption and Cardiovascular Health Outcomes

This research is motivated by the global debate regarding the impact of palm oil consumption on cardiovascular health, given its high saturated fat content and variations in processing methods. The study aims to systematically evaluate the latest scientific evidence on the effects of palm oil consumption on lipid profiles, inflammation, and heart disease risk. The method used is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on PRISMA guidelines of 29 open-access articles from the period 2021–2025 from ScienceDirect. The results indicate that the impact is contextual: moderate consumption of red palm oil tends to be neutral or beneficial due to its tocotrienol content, while excessive consumption of refined palm oil may increase LDL and inflammatory response. The implication is that nutritional recommendations need to consider the type, dosage, and consumption patterns, rather than merely categorizing saturated fats in general.