More than Colour: The Science and Solutions Inside Red Palm Oil

Vitamin A Deficiency

“Why can’t I see anything?”

In January 2025, Malaysia was shocked by a tragic case involving a Standard 2 student who lost her sight. The child’s vision loss was due to a severe vitamin A deficiency, diagnosed after multiple medical tests. A medical examination revealed that it resulted from prolonged consumption of processed foods. This alarming and entirely preventable case in Malaysia underscores the broader issue of vitamin A deficiency, a significant public health challenge nationally and globally (TheSun 2025; MStar 2025; Fong 2025).

Improvements in Dietary Intake

The chart showed the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children. Despite WHO’s efforts in combatting this issue, disparities in economic conditions, healthcare access and access to nutritious food continue to hinder progress in addressing this preventable condition.

Hamer and Keusch (2015) summarised that improving dietary intake of foods rich in vitamin A (e.g., animal products) or beta-carotene is a sustainable solution in combating or alleviating vitamin A deficiency.

The following are some possible strategies:

• Central fortification of processed foods (Especially beneficial to the urban population)
• Adding vitamin A sprinkles to food in homes, day-care centres and schools
• Promotion of beta-carotene-rich foods
• Developing genetically high beta-carotene levels-engineered crops

Interestingly, red palm oil has emerged as another effective strategy due to its high content of carotenoids, which can complement these efforts by providing a natural and sustainable source of vitamin A precursors.

Red Palm Oil

In Malaysia, the high content of carotenoids and tocotrienols in red palm oil is well documented. Red palm oil retains its carotenoids and vitamin E because it bypasses certain refining processes that typically degrade these nutrients. Its distinctive red appearance is attributed to its high carotenoid content and low free fatty acid levels (Tan et al., 2021). Red palm oil may help treat and prevent vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition. Research studies have revealed that red palm oil can increase provitamin A activity, improve immune function and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (Oguntibeju et al., 2009). Additionally, it alleviates ocular problems due to vitamin A insufficiency among youngsters and pregnant women (Loganathan et al., 2017).

Palm oil contains a-, B- and y-carotenes, where the provitamin A compound, beta-carotene, in red palm oil has good bioavailability and is readily converted into vitamin A (retinol) only when the body needs it, preventing excessive accumulation. These carotenoids help prevent night blindness. Moderate amounts of palm oil should be incorporated into meals to ensure adequate vitamin A intake, especially in developing countries where vitamin A deficiency is a major problem among adults and children (Boateng, 2016).

Red palm oil may help treat and prevent vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition.

Recently, red palm oil has garnered attention as a fortification tool (Dong, 2017). Red palm oil's stability during food preparation and its ability to retain nutrients like carotenoids and tocotrienols make it ideal for fortification options. It has been successfully used as a cost-effective way to improve vitamin A intake through fortified oils and other food products. The oxidative stability provided by its antioxidants extends the shelf life of fortified foods, ensuring nutritional quality over time. As one of the most productive vegetable oil crops globally, its high yield per hectare ensures efficient land use, making it a sustainable option for large-scale nutrition initiatives aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to end hunger, ensure food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture (Tan et al., 2021).

Red palm oil is a great option to combat global nutrition challenges as it can help reduce micronutrient deficiency while supporting sustainable agriculture practices.

In the next issue, the innovative developments of red palm oil in food and nutraceutical applications will be explored further.