Palm olein in infant formula and nutrient absorption
What it found
Infants fed formula without palm olein absorbed more fat, palmitic acid and calcium, and had higher bone mass, than infants fed formula with palm olein.
The findings come from nine published studies in infants.
What they found
Studies in people
Fat absorption
Infants fed formula without palm olein absorbed more fat from their gut than infants fed formula with palm olein. This difference was consistent across the studies.
Palmitic acid absorption
Infants fed formula without palm olein absorbed more palmitic acid than those fed formula with palm olein. The difference was at least 0.6 SD.
Calcium absorption
Infants fed formula without palm olein absorbed more calcium than those fed formula with palm olein. The difference was at least 0.6 SD.
Bone mass
Total body bone mineral content was higher in infants fed formula without palm olein, by at least 0.3 SD.
What the authors conclude
“The use of PO in infant formulas to match the human milk content of palmitic acid has unintended physiological consequences including diminished intestinal absorption of fat, palmitic acid and calcium and lower bone mass.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that using palm olein in infant formulas to match the human milk content of palmitic acid has unintended physiological consequences, including diminished intestinal absorption of fat, palmitic acid and calcium and lower bone mass.
- They advise that avoiding palm olein or substituting it with synthetic triacylglyceride in infant formulas can prevent this detrimental effect.
How it was done
The authors wanted to evaluate the published clinical data on the body effects of using palm oil and its low melting fraction, palm olein, as a main fat source in infant formulas.
They searched Medline and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for studies comparing infants who received formula containing palm olein with infants who received formula without it or with synthetic triacylglyceride as the source of palmitic acid. Nine publications were found, covering infants born between 28 and 42 weeks of gestation, with ages from birth to 192 days at the start of each study.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The studies looked at infants, so the results may not apply to older children or adults.
- The studies compared formulas, so they cannot show what would happen with palm olein eaten in other foods.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Detroit Medical Center, USA
The paper
- Title
- Palm olein in the fat blend of infant formulas: effect on the intestinal absorption of calcium and fat, and bone mineralization
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Koo WW, Hockman EM, Dow M (2006). Palm olein in the fat blend of infant formulas: effect on the intestinal absorption of calcium and fat, and bone mineralization. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. doi:10.1080/07315724.2006.10719521PubMed 16582027DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error