My grandparents in Ntigha cooked with red palm oil every day, and nobody there ever spoke of cholesterol. Today, the link between palm oil and cholesterol is one of the most searched questions about this oil. Researchers have run many trials on it, and their answers depend on what palm oil replaces.
Palm oil contains no cholesterol of its own, yet it can still change the cholesterol in your blood.
That effect comes from its saturated fat, and its size depends on which fat palm oil replaces in the diet.
Here is a quick walkthrough of what controlled trials and large reviews have found, comparison by comparison.
It covers LDL and HDL cholesterol, red and refined palm oil, tocotrienols, palm kernel oil and heart disease itself.
It also explains why studies on this question can seem to disagree sharply. My family’s long use of the oil is a cultural fact, not evidence either way.
If red palm oil is part of your diet, make sure it is fresh, pure and free of dyes. You can buy red oil from one family farm on the shop page today.
Table of Contents
Does Palm Oil Raise Cholesterol? The Short Answer
Palm oil holds no cholesterol, because cholesterol comes only from animal foods.
Its saturated fat, mainly palmitic acid, can raise LDL cholesterol in the blood compared with oils rich in unsaturated fats such as olive or soybean oil.
Against butter, lard or partially hydrogenated oils, the picture changes, and palm oil compares more favorably on several markers.
Palm oil also tends to raise HDL cholesterol in the blood alongside LDL.
The effect of those blood changes on heart disease risk remains unresolved, because few studies have followed actual heart outcomes.
The fat it replaces, the amount eaten and the overall diet decide the result.
Why the Fat Palm Oil Replaces Matters
Cholesterol studies rarely test palm oil on its own, without any comparison fat. They swap it for another fat and compare the blood results, so the answer always depends on that second fat.
A 2014 meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition pooled trials comparing palm oil with other dietary fats. Its findings show clearly how much the choice of comparison fat matters.
| Palm oil compared with | LDL cholesterol | HDL cholesterol | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oils rich in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat | Higher with palm oil | Higher with palm oil | 2014 meta-analysis |
| Fats rich in stearic acid | Higher with palm oil | Higher with palm oil | 2014 meta-analysis |
| Fats rich in myristic and lauric acids | Most markers lower with palm oil | Mixed | 2014 meta-analysis |
| Partially hydrogenated oils with trans fats | Changes favored palm oil | Higher with palm oil | 2014 meta-analysis |
The authors concluded that replacing trans fats with palm oil produced only favorable changes in risk markers. Replacing other common fats gave a mix of favorable and unfavorable changes.
What the Major Meta-Analyses Found
Several large reviews have pooled the trial evidence, and they agree on the main direction. Palm oil raises LDL cholesterol compared with liquid vegetable oils low in saturated fat.
A 2015 meta-analysis in the Journal of Nutrition reported this result in its title, after pooling clinical trials on palm oil and blood lipids. It found an LDL rise when palm oil replaced vegetable oils low in saturated fat.
A 2021 umbrella review in Nutrients then combined nine meta-analyses on tropical oils.
It confirmed that palm oil raised total, LDL and HDL cholesterol compared with oils rich in unsaturated fats.
| Review | What it pooled | Main cholesterol finding |
|---|---|---|
| 2014, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Trials of palm oil against other fats | Effects depend on the fat replaced |
| 2015, Journal of Nutrition | Clinical trials of palm oil | LDL higher than with vegetable oils low in saturated fat |
| 2021, Nutrients | Nine meta-analyses of tropical oils | Total, LDL and HDL higher than with unsaturated oils |
Palm Olein Trials in Healthy Adults
Palm olein, the liquid fraction sold as cooking oil, has its own body of trials. One well-known Danish trial tested it directly against olive oil and lard.
The 2011 trial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition fed 32 healthy men diets with 17 percent of calories from palm olein, olive oil or lard.
Palm olein and lard both raised total and LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent compared with olive oil.
The trial found no difference between the three oils in HDL cholesterol. Palm olein also gave lower blood triglycerides than olive oil, so not every marker moved the same way.
The title of the trial describes the rise as moderate, which fits the wider evidence. Palm olein behaves much like other fats high in saturated fat, not like liquid oils.
Red Palm Oil and Cholesterol
Red palm oil has the same fatty acids as refined palm oil, so it carries the same saturated fat. What sets it apart is its carotenoids and vitamin E, which refining removes.
A 2024 randomized trial in the European Journal of Nutrition compared red palm olein, extra virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. It studied adults carrying extra weight around the waist for 12 weeks.
The authors reported statistically similar effects on cardiometabolic risk markers across the three oils. Red palm olein did raise blood carotene, reflecting the nutrients the oil carries.
Claims that red palm oil lowers cholesterol or reliably raises HDL go beyond this evidence. The carotenoids and vitamin E it does hold are covered in palm oil nutrients in full.
Do Tocotrienols Lower Cholesterol?
Palm oil is rich in tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E, and some studies have tested them against cholesterol. The results from those human studies so far point in different directions.
A 2016 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that some trials in people with high cholesterol saw falls in total and LDL cholesterol.
Other trials in similar groups of people found no meaningful effect at all.
The reviewers suggested that doses too low in some trials may explain the gap. Those trials used concentrated tocotrienol supplements, far above what a spoonful of red oil supplies.
The review’s authors also worked for the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, which promotes palm tocotrienols. Any cholesterol benefit from the tocotrienols in everyday cooking oil remains unproven.
Refined Palm Oil and Cholesterol
Most cholesterol trials on palm oil used refined oil or refined palm olein, the forms sold most widely. The meta-analyses above therefore describe the effects of refined palm oil best.
Refining removes carotenoids and part of the vitamin E, but it barely changes the fatty acids. Its effect on blood cholesterol should therefore sit close to that of red oil.
Why food factories favor refined palm oil is covered in why food makers choose palm oil.
How refined and red oil differ in color, nutrients and use is set out in red oil versus refined oil.
Palm Kernel Oil and Cholesterol
Palm kernel oil is a different fat, rich in lauric and myristic acids rather than palmitic acid. It is also far more saturated, at roughly four-fifths of its fat.
The 2014 meta-analysis found most cholesterol markers lower with palm oil than with fats rich in myristic and lauric acids.
That suggests kernel oil and coconut oil raise blood cholesterol more than palm fruit oil does.
Research on palm kernel oil itself is limited, as covered in kernel oil and blood fats.
Palm Oil and Heart Health
LDL cholesterol is a marker of heart disease risk, not heart disease itself. Most palm oil trials measured blood fats over a few weeks, rather than heart attacks or deaths over years.
The 2021 umbrella review found that the effect of plant saturated fats, such as palm oil, on heart disease remains inconclusive. It called for longer studies that follow heart disease and death directly.
Palm oil also raises HDL cholesterol, which complicates simple conclusions drawn from LDL alone.
Health bodies still advise limiting saturated fat overall, as set out in every palm oil health concern.
| Question | What research shows |
|---|---|
| Does palm oil contain cholesterol? | No, plant oils contain none |
| Does it raise LDL? | Yes, compared with unsaturated oils |
| Does it raise HDL? | Yes, alongside LDL in many trials |
| Is it better than trans fats? | Markers favored palm oil in trials |
| Does it cause heart disease? | Not shown, and the evidence is inconclusive |
Why Studies Seem to Disagree
Headlines swing between palm oil as a heart danger and palm oil as harmless, partly because studies ask different questions. Five factors explain most of the apparent disagreement between the published studies.
| Factor | Why it changes the result |
|---|---|
| The fat palm oil replaces | Swapping olive oil for palm raises LDL, while swapping trans fats for palm improves markers |
| The dose | Small amounts in a varied diet behave differently from large daily amounts |
| The people studied | Healthy young men, people with high cholesterol and people with obesity respond differently |
| The length of the trial | Short trials measure blood fats, not heart disease |
| Who funded the work | Some reviews come from authors linked to the palm oil industry |
Comparisons with olive, soybean and other oils are set out in palm oil beside other cooking oils.
What Research Shows About Palm Oil and Cholesterol
Research on palm oil and cholesterol centers on controlled diet trials that swap one fat for another. Six sources stand out for anyone weighing the evidence on this question.
The 2014 meta-analysis found effects depend on the fat replaced, with only favorable changes when palm oil replaced trans fats.
The 2015 meta-analysis found palm oil raised LDL compared with vegetable oils low in saturated fat.
The 2021 umbrella review confirmed higher total, LDL and HDL cholesterol than with unsaturated oils. It also found the effects on heart disease itself to be inconclusive so far.
The 2011 Danish trial found palm olein raised LDL about 5 percent compared with olive oil.
The 2024 trial found red palm olein similar to coconut and olive oil on cardiometabolic markers.
These findings have clear limits worth stating plainly for every single reader. Most trials were short and small, few followed heart disease, and some authors had ties to the palm oil industry.
Conclusion
Palm oil contains no cholesterol, yet its saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol compared with olive, soybean, and other liquid oils.
Against butter or trans fats, it compares more favorably, and it raises HDL as well.
Red palm oil shares the same fats, so its carotenoids do not cancel that effect. Any effect of these blood changes on heart disease risk remains unproven.
If cholesterol is a concern for you, discuss your choice of cooking oils with a qualified health professional before making any change to your diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does palm oil contain cholesterol?
No, palm oil contains no cholesterol at all, since cholesterol comes only from animal foods. Its saturated fat can still raise blood LDL cholesterol compared with unsaturated oils.
Is palm oil worse for cholesterol than butter?
Trials suggest palm oil compares more favorably than butter and similar animal fats on several markers. It still raises LDL compared with olive, soybean and other liquid oils.
Does red palm oil lower cholesterol?
No trial has yet shown that red palm oil lowers blood cholesterol. A 2024 trial found its cardiometabolic effects similar to coconut and olive oil in obese adults.
Is palm oil better than trans fats for cholesterol?
Yes, a 2014 meta-analysis found that replacing trans fats with palm oil produced only favorable changes. That is one reason manufacturers used it to replace partially hydrogenated oils.
Sources for this article were last reviewed by the author in October 2026.
Disclaimer. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or nutritional advice. The author is not a registered dietitian or medical professional. Where the research on health effects is mixed or contested, this is stated clearly in the article. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.
Chimeremeze Emeh is a tropical crop farmer and chemical engineer from Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Abia State, Eastern Nigeria, specializing in palm oil and cassava, with over 30 years of hands-on experience growing, harvesting, and processing red palm oil. He runs community engagement workshops for rural farmers in Ntigha focused on palm tree care, and operates Palm Oil Pathway as a registered agribusiness and sells red palm oil in 1L, 2L, 3L, and 25L packaging. Built around red palm oil production. He is also the founder of Cassava Pathway, a CAMA-registered agribusiness founded in 2024, where he applies the same tropical farming expertise to cassava flour and starch production.