The secret to a healthier living with the right balance of oil
By Siti Salihah
Oils and fats often find themselves on the receiving end of negative headlines, linked to everything from weight gain to chronic health issues. But the truth is, these essential nutrients are far more complex and beneficial than many realise. The key isn’t avoiding them entirely, but understanding which ones to choose and how they can positively impact your health. From providing energy to supporting vital bodily functions, oils and fats are crucial.
At the Oil and Fats International Congress (OFIC) 2024, held at the KLCC Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, industry experts gathered to discuss the importance of palm oil and its role in the circular economy. One of the key speakers at the event was Professor Sun Guiju, a respected scholar in Nutrition and Food Safety from Southeast University in China.
With a wealth of experience spanning over three decades, Prof. Sun shared her expertise on tocotrienol-rich palm oil and its proven benefits in reducing inflammation and helping to prevent chronic diseases.
1Twenty80: How soon can dietary changes, like using the right oils, reduce inflammation and show health benefits?
PROFESSOR SUN GUIJU: Antioxidants, particularly Vitamin E tocotrienols, play a crucial role in supporting health. These can be found in Malaysian palm oil, which offers benefits for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like type 2 diabetes. While dietary practices, including consuming oils rich in tocotrienols, can help slow down inflammation and its effects, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Based on years of research and experimentation, while these nutrients can support overall health and management of conditions like diabetes, they’re not a 100% cure. My greater concern with type 2 diabetes is its complications—most patients don’t die from diabetes itself but from its related complications. That’s why managing inflammation and supporting overall health through balanced dietary choices is so vital.
1Twenty80: How do tocotrienols’ anti-inflammatory properties improve heart health and lower chronic disease risks?
PROF. SUN: Tocotrienols, particularly gamma tocotrienols found in palm oil, are gaining global recognition for their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. My team and I are part of this global effort to study their effects, especially on conditions like pulmonary fibrosis. Initially, we wanted to focus on lung cancer, but since developing a lung cancer model takes years, we shifted our attention to pulmonary fibrosis—a condition believed to be a precursor to lung cancer. By understanding pulmonary fibrosis, we’re effectively shortening the path to insights into lung cancer.
Our research shows that gamma tocotrienols are highly effective in reducing inflammation, as demonstrated by comparisons with drug treatments. While we don’t yet have direct studies linking tocotrienols to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), many NCDs, like obesity, are now understood to involve inflammatory processes. Based on our findings, I believe tocotrienols have significant potential to reduce inflammation, slow the progression of NCDs, and support overall health.
1Twenty80: Do cooking methods—such as frying versus baking—affect oils’ nutrition and anti-inflammatory benefits?
PROF. SUN: Cooking methods, especially those involving high temperatures like deep frying, can degrade the nutritional properties of oils, including their fatty acids and active compounds such as tocotrienols. When oils are exposed to very high heat, they break down into substances that can be harmful to the human body. Even healthy oils, like palm oil, can lose their benefits under extreme temperatures. That’s why deep frying is not recommended, even if you’re using a good quality oil.
Personally, I recommend cooking methods like steaming, which uses lower temperatures and preserves the oil’s nutrients. Stir frying is also a good option, but it’s important to keep the temperature moderate. You often see celebrity chefs using high flames while stir frying, but this extreme heat can degrade the oil and the food. A quick stir fry at lower temperatures can help maintain the oil’s quality and nutritional benefits.
1Twenty80: What should consumers consider when choosing tocotrienol-rich oils for health?
PROF. SUN: When it comes to cooking oils, the key isn’t just about choosing the ‘best’ oil, like olive oil or palm oil—it’s also about how much you consume. Even the healthiest oils can lead to weight gain or obesity if consumed in excess. That’s why it’s important to follow dietary guidelines for oil intake. For example, in mainland China, it’s recommended to limit oil consumption to 15 to 30 grams per day, and similar guidelines exist in Malaysia as well.
As for selecting oils, each type has unique benefits. It’s not ideal to rely on just one oil exclusively, like only using olive oil, because that could lead to nutrient imbalances, such as a lack of omega-3 fatty acids. A balanced diet should include a variety of oils to ensure you’re getting a range of nutrients.
When it comes to tocotrienols—a form of Vitamin E with strong anti-inflammatory properties—red palm oil stands out as the richest source. While other cooking oils may contain Vitamin E, it’s often in the form of tocopherols, not tocotrienols. Red palm oil, in particular, has the highest concentration of tocotrienols compared to any other oil.
1Twenty80: How does the omega-6 to omega-3 balance in oils affect health?
PROF. SUN: The balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is crucial for health. Many diets, including those in nations like Malaysia and China, rely heavily on oils like soybean, peanut, or corn oil, which are high in omega-6. This imbalance—where omega-6 significantly outweighs omega-3—can lead to inflammation.
In China, for example, studies have shown that the typical omega-6 to omega-3 ratio ranges from 8:1 to 10:1, which is considered high. However, healthier populations in China tend to have a lower, more balanced ratio. The key takeaway is that increasing omega-3 intake can help bring this ratio closer to an ideal balance, reducing the risk of inflammation.
For achieving this, oils like flaxseed oil are great options, as they are rich in omega-3. In Malaysia, palm oil is commonly used, and while it has a more balanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio compared to some other oils, it’s still beneficial to incorporate omega-3-rich oils or supplements like fish oil into the diet. This strategy can help counteract the imbalance and promote better overall health.
