Palm Oil Beyond the Package Rethinking Its Nutritional Role and Value in Modern Diets

Let's move beyond food fears and embrace evidence-based nutrition for healthier, more sustainable lives

- By Dr Dharini Krishnan Consultant Dietician

Modern diets have undergone significant change due to globalisation, urban living and the fast food industry, which thrives on convenience. Unfortunately, this shift has also brought on mass consumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods that negatively affect health. Fast foods, processed snacks and refined food items dominate food choices in both developed and developing nations. These foods are rich in sugars, trans fatty acids, sodium and preservatives, but poor in micronutrients, proteins, fibre and vitamins. Their overconsumption has led to the rise of obesity, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and even certain cancers in many populations. Too often, these conditions are wrongly attributed solely to fats, rather than to overall poor dietary quality.

Know Your Food and Nutrients