By Dr Malar Santhi Santherasegapan MD CSMU (Ukr), MBA in Healthcare Management – HONS (UTM), PDAM (IIWAM), IES (London)

In recent years, gut health has emerged as a central focus of wellness, with probiotics, fiber-rich foods and fermented products becoming everyday staples. Amid this attention, one common ingredient in Malaysian kitchens has been largely overlooked: palm oil. New research shows that, when sourced responsibly and used appropriately, especially in its red or unrefined form, palm oil may play a valuable role in supporting gut health, aiding nutrient absorption and contributing to overall wellness.

Nutritional strengths of red palm oil

Red palm oil, or RPO, is nutritionally remarkable because it is rich in fat soluble bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, which convert to vitamin A, as well as the two main forms of vitamin E like tocotrienols and tocopherols, and other antioxidants.

Oil Palm (Photo by Craig/Wikimedia)

According to a 2025 review article, these bioactive compounds, especially tocotrienols, have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage. Another recent review confirms that palm cooking oil, when consumed as part of a balanced diet, can support heart health, protect the brain and improve absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

Beyond its antioxidant and heart health benefits, the nutritional profile of RPO supports essential bodily functions. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision and immune function. Vitamin E protects cells. Fat soluble vitamins in general need dietary fat for optimal absorption, which palm oil can provide.

New evidence red palm olein and the gut microbiome

New evidence from a recent study by the Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) titled Red palm olein biscuit supplementation modulates gut microbiota in vitamin A deficient rural Malaysian schoolchildren: a randomized controlled trial highlights the link between red palm oil and gut health. In this double-blind trial, 328 primary school children aged eight to twelve from rural areas, all vitamin A deficient, were given biscuits enriched with red palm olein over six months, four days per week.

Compared with children receiving control biscuits with regular palm olein, those consuming RPO enriched biscuits had a notable increase in beneficial gut bacteria, including Anaerostipes, UCG 010 and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group.

The researchers also observed improvements in micronutrient status, including higher levels of provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin E and better hematological parameters such as packed cell volume and mean corpuscular volume. Children in the RPO group also showed amore stable and cohesive gut microbial network, indicating improved microbial interactions.

The study concluded that six-month supplementation with RPO-enriched biscuits can positively modulate the gut microbiota of vitamin A deficient children, increase beneficial bacterial populations and improve nutrient and hematological status.

Rebalancing the narrative moderation and context

Palm oil, like any dietary fat, is not a superfood on its own. Concerns about saturated fat remain relevant, especially in diets already high in calories, processed foods or frequent deep frying. Experts agree that red palm oil is most beneficial when consumed as part of a balanced diet.

Much of the negative perception of palm oil comes from outdated assumptions that all saturated fats are harmful, or that the antioxidant rich components in RPO do not matter. Malaysian regulatory and consumer advocacy organizations have publicly countered these stigmas, noting that typical palm oil consumption is not harmful and that it remains trans-fat free and cholesterol free.

A call for sustainable informed consumption and more research

Malaysia continues to lead global research into palm oil nutrition, including its bioactive compounds and health effects. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board and other scientific bodies can help promote an evidence-based understanding of palm oil’s benefits and limitations. For the average Malaysian, whether preparing Nasi Lemak for breakfast, cooking sambal for dinner or frying snacks for guests, red palm oil can be embraced as a nutrient rich and culturally significant oil that, when used as part of a balanced diet, supports gut health, micronutrient sufficiency and general well-being.

There remains a need for more large-scale, long-term clinical studies, especially on gut microbiome modulation in adults, metabolic outcomes and interactions with Malaysian dietary patterns.

In the meantime, it is time to reset the palm oil narrative, not as a threat, but as an under appreciated ally, especially for a Malaysian diet rich in tradition and flavor.

Substances secreted by gut microbes in mice have been found to influence what they choose to eat, providing a sort of explanation into food cravings and associated behaviour. Animals with different compositions of gut microbes do change their preferred diet, said Kevin Kohl, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Pittsburgh.

Kohl and colleagues at the university gave 30 mice that lacked gut microbes a cocktail of microorganisms from three species of wild rodents with very different natural diets, later noticing that the mice chose food rich in different nutrients, according to the molecules produced by the given gut microbes.

Unbeknownst to many, the microbes in the gut can produce some of the same molecules as those from the brain, changing the meaning of the brain-gut message to benefit themselves. One such messenger is tryptophan.

“Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that’s common in turkey but is also produced by gut microbes. When it makes its way to the brain, it’s transformed into serotonin, which is a signal that’s important for feeling satiated after a meal,” said postdoctoral student Brian Trevelline. “Eventually that gets converted into melatonin, and then you feel sleepy.”

In their study, Kohl and Trevelline showed that mice with different microbiomes had different levels of tryptophan in their blood, even before they were given the option to choose different diets; those with more of the molecule in their blood also had more bacteria that could produce it in their gut.

“There are likely dozens of signals that are influencing feeding behaviour on a day-to-day basis. Tryptophan produced by microbes could just be one aspect of that,” Trevelline added.

The study has established a plausible way that microscopic organisms could alter what we want to eat – however, more studies testing the idea in humans are needed before determining diet.

“Humans have way more going on that we ignored in our experiment. But it’s an interesting idea to think about,” said Kohl.

Read: ecently discovered gut protein found to influence constipation

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Researchers from Australia’s Flinders University have identified a touch sensitive protein in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or gut, suspected to help with motility. The protein, Piezo2, is normally found in the skin: in the gut, Piezo2 is expressed in both mouse and human enterochromaffin (EC) cells where it senses and reacts to the presence of food.

“The cells then respond by releasing serotonin to stimulate gut contractions and push the food along,” said Lauren Jones, final year graduate student in the College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University.

The Flinders research team also discovered that a decrease in the levels of Piezo2 in the gut with age reduces gut motility and leads to constipation, as does removal of Piezo2 from EC cells.

“Age-related constipation affects 1 in 2 adults over the age of 80, whilst constipation generally affects almost everyone at some point throughout their life,” said Jones. “It’s extremely important we increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, so that we can find targeted solutions to improve the quality of life of the many people who suffer daily from various gut disorders, including age-related constipation.

“This research provides the building blocks for both further research and the development of highly specific treatments to reduce the impacts of constipation. We now have the potential to create treatments that are taken orally and only directly impact [EC] cells that line the gut, therefore significantly reducing side effects typically seen with many of the current medications.”

The discovery of Piezo2 was the focus of a distinguished award in 2021 – international researchers Ardem Patapoutian and David Julius were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research on receptors responsible for the perception of touch and temperature, including the discovery of Piezo2, known to be responsible for sensing light touch on our skin, and now, for gut motility.

Read: Protein that suppresses inflammation controlled by healthy gut bacteria

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A new “Smart Toilet” technology developed by Duke University could potentially inform about a patient’s gut health by analysing their stool and looking out for irregularities like blood – profiling the contents of faeces could improve understanding of bacteria living inside our gut and highlight signs of conditions like inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.

The Smart Toilet technology is designed to be installed in the pipes of existing toilets and collect images of stools that were flushed through. An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm was trained on more than 3,000 images of unique stools, all of which had been classified by gastroenterologists as loose, normal, constipated, and/or whether there was blood present; the AI algorithm was then able to analyse the images on its own and accurately classify the stool 85% of the time, and accurately detect blood 76% of the time.

“Typically, gastroenterologists have to rely on patient self-reported information about their stool to help determine the cause of their gastrointestinal health issues, which can be very unreliable,” said Dr. Deborah Fisher, associate professor of medicine at Duke University. “Patients often can’t remember what their stool looks like or how often they have a bowel movement, which is part of the standard monitoring process. The Smart Toilet technology will allow us to gather the long-term information needed to make a more accurate and timely diagnosis of chronic gastrointestinal problems.”

Researchers have for years been entertaining the idea of using smart toilets or even smart toilet paper to swiftly analyse our stools; besides this prototype at Duke University, a smart toilet is being developed at Stanford University that analyses both forms of human waste to uncover potential signs of disease.

“We are optimistic about patient willingness to use this technology because it’s something that can be installed in their toilet’s pipes and doesn’t require the patient to do anything other than flush,” added Sonia Grego, founding director of the Duke Smart Toilet Lab. “This could be especially useful for patients who may not be able to report their conditions, such as those who live in a long-term care facility.”

Read: Certain gut-bacteria found to protect from radiation damage