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palm kernel is the edible seed of the palm tree. The palm kernel is an oil plant that is used in the production of Palm oil, Palm kernel oil and Palm kernel cake.
Just as the name implies, Palm kernel oil is the oil extracted from the kernel of palm fruit while Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil which is used as a raw material in both food and non-food industries. Palm Kernel oil and Palm oil are both gotten from the palm fruit but have differences. Palm oil is gotten from the fleshy portion of the palm fruit (The Mesocarp) while Palm kernel oil is gotten from the seed (kernel) of the fruit. After extracting the palm oil from the Mesocarp of the palm fruit, we then have a black hard kernel. Palm kernel oil is extracted from this kernel and has a black colour with a nice taste.
Palm oil is reddish in colour due to its high amount of Beta-carotene. It is used for Cooking, Making soaps, Detergents, Shampoos and in the manufacture of food items such as; Margarine, Crackers, Baking ingredients, breakfast cereals, Instant noodles, etc. Palm kernel oil, coconut oil and Palm oil are all categorized as vegetable oil.
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that contains high saturated fats and doesn’t contain cholesterol. This makes it easy to flow on human blood vessels. In Africa and some other countries, it is mostly used as a cooking ingredient in the preparation of various food types.
Palm kernel oil is similar to coconut oil (which is extracted from the coconut kernel) as they are highly saturated. It is more saturated than palm oil and thus is semi-solid at room temperature. It flows easier on the human arteries than palm oil because it is more saturated. Nigeria is one of the major exporters of Palm Kernel oil.
Palm Kernel oil contains some percentage of fatty acid such as; Lauric acid, Myristic acid, Palmitic acid, Capric acid, Caprylic acid, Stearic acid, Oleic acid and Linoleic acid. It is used in making hair and body cream, soap making, manufacture of Margarine, Cosmetics, Coffee creamer/whitener, Biscuit cream, etc.
It also has some health benefits such as curing of convulsion attacks and reducing the effect of epilepsy. It is used by those who experience pain while using the toilet (excretion) and also used to treat cough, heart diseases and stroke.