Impact of Palm Oil versus Other Oils on Weight Changes: A Systematic Review

Objective: The present review aimed to determine the effect of palm oil versus other oils on changes in body weight or Body Mass Index (BMI). Design: A systematic review was conducted. Studies were identified by database searching (EMBASE, PUBMED, CENTRAL, SCOPUS, PROQUEST, Web of Science [ISI Web of Knowledge], Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Library (CINAHL Plus), LILAC and ClinicalTrials.gov. Searching, selecting and reporting were done according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement. Setting: Palm oil vs other oils intervention study on weight or BMI changes. Subjects: Individuals participating in palm oil vs other oil intervention study. Results: A total of 182 studies were screened for eligibility, five studies were finally included. Three studies compared the effect of palm oil vs sunflower oil on weight changes and BMI. One study examined the effect of hybrid palm oil vs extra virgin olive oil on weight changes. The last study examined the effect of palm oil vs olive oil vs lard on weight changes. Out of 292 participants in five studies, only one study (Iggman, 2014) had a low risk of bias. In this study, there was no significant difference between the group that received sunflower oil and palm oil (SMD: 0.04, 95% CI: -0.59 to 0.66). Other four studies had unclear risk of bias. Conclusions: Based on the review, there is insufficient evidence to suggest the impact of palm oil intake on weight changes or BMI.