Palm Oil Has Great Advantage for Athletes

PALM oil has been linked to several health benefits, including protecting brain function, reducing heart disease risk factors and improving vitamin A status. It goes without saying if many people prefer to consume food made with palm oil.

Palm Oil Has Great Advantage for Athletes

PALM oil has been linked to several health benefits, including protecting brain function, reducing heart disease risk factors and improving vitamin A status. It goes without saying if many people prefer to consume food made with palm oil. Pieter-Jan Hannes, a Belgian sportsman is one of athlete who believes that palm oil gives him an added advantage on the running track. According to Hannes, who competed at 2016 Olympics in Brazil, palm oil makes up a crucial component of his diet, which he believes gives him an added advantage on the running track. “Palm oil is a natural fat, which is a great product, though not very well-known in Belgium. It was recommended to me by my nutritionist, and turned out to be the perfect solution to optimise my diet,” said Hannes. Hannes, who studies chemistry at University of Leuven, Belgium explained that the balance of saturated and unsaturated fats in palm oil is a perfect source of energy as well as vitamins. Stressing that a balanced, nutritious diet is absolutely vital to his conditioning and training regime, Hannes said that typical Belgian diet were not exactly athlete friendly. He said, “Belgians love to eat and drink, and we have some famous food and drinks here – we are especially well-known for our beer, fries, chocolate and waffles. Instead, Hannes sticks to eating meats with healthy servings of vegetables and some form of carbohydrates, such as potato, rice or pasta. However, sometimes, the all-inclusive meal of fats, protein and carbohydrate could be heavy on the stomach to digest and this is where palm oil has greatly helped Hannes. “With plenty of energy and vitamins coming from palm oil, I do not need to combine everything in one meal anymore. “This is a great advantage for an athlete,” Hannes said, adding that not having to digest everything at once also saves him the energy – crucial for his refueling and recovery process, before and after intensive training sessions. *** (Article quoted from New Straits Times)