PALM OIL IS PERFECTLY SAFE FOR BABIES, AND IS USED AS A KEY INGREDIENT IN THE HEALTHIEST ORGANIC FORMULAS ON THE MARKET
Palm oil is an edible oil. It’s derived from the mesocarp, the middle fleshy part, of the palm fruit. There are, in fact, specific palm plants that it’s derived from.
It naturally has a lot of vitamins A & E and a lot of saturated fats. It’s a healthy vegetable fat that’s added to everything from cosmetics to baby formula.
WHY IS IT ADDED TO THE FORMULA?
Breast milk contains about 50% fat. Formulas, attempting to be as close to breast milk as possible, will look to add that much fat as well. Formulas have different kinds of vegetable oils to help meet the fat requirements and the specific nutrition profile in breast milk.
Whole, healthy fats deliver specific fatty acids. Oleic, palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids are vital fatty acids that a baby’s food delivers to its growing body.
PALMITIC ACID
Both breastmilk and palm oil have palmitic acid, an essential fatty acid. While they’re similar, the palmitic acid in palm oil is not as easily digested as that in breast milk. This can lead to “calcium soap” in the baby's stool. Don’t worry. That’s not nearly as ominous as it sounds.
The fatty acid molecules move through the baby’s intestines, looking for something to bind to. When they find calcium in the intestines, they bind together in what's called a soap. It’s not harmful, and it’s eliminated in the baby’s stool.
IS PALM OIL SAFE?
Yes. 100% safe. Palm oil is perfectly safe for babies and is used as a key ingredient in the healthiest organic formulas on the market. Because unabsorbed palmitic oil binds with calcium, it may cause reduced absorption of calcium. However, formula manufacturers compensate for this by increasing the amount of calcium in the formula so that babies can get all of the calcium they need to build strong bones.
THE ENVIRONMENT AND PALM OIL
Many of the concerns related to palm oil are not about its health effects but rather its environmental impact. Palm oil has become a boom in many parts of the world. In tropical regions, this has led to the destruction of old-growth forests to convert it to ground to grow palm on. However, well-respected companies such as HiPP and Holle use sustainable-sourced, socially responsible organic palm oil that has been grown without reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture or the destruction of old-growth forests.
You can feel confident that the palm oil in your baby’s formula, like the rest of the organic ingredients, has been farmed in a way that is pesticide-free and as environmentally-friendly as possible.
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