People may be concerned that palm oil’s saturated fat content can have adverse health effects. A 13.6-gram (g) tablespoon of palm oil contains 13.6 g of fat, of which 6.7 g is saturated fat.

The oil palm tree produces fruit bunches made up of numerous oil palm fruitlets. Each fruitlet yields two types of oil: palm oil, extracted from the flesh, and palm kernel oil, obtained from the seed.

Per the WWF, palm oil is found in foods like instant noodles, margarine, ice cream and peanut butter, and beauty products like shampoos and lipsticks. It’s used to improve texture and taste ...