Info. for Lacto Vegs

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Stand-In Vitamin

By C. CLAIBORNE RAY

 

 

Question: New skim milk and low-fat milk and cream products contain

something called palmitate. What is it? Is it safe? Does it help you lose

weight?

 

Answer: A vitamin A compound called retinyl palmitate is added to all

low-fat and fat-free milks to replace vitamin content that is lost through

the removal of milk fat, said Dr. Sheldon Saul Hendler, co-editor of The PDR

for Nutritional Supplements.

 

Retinyl palmitate contains palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid,

which is the major fatty acid found in palm oil, Dr. Hendler explained. The

palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, called retinol,

to make the vitamin A stable in milk.

 

The name derives from the French palmitique, from palmite, the pith of the

palm tree, Dr. Hendler said.

 

While there is no evidence that the compound helps people to lose weight, it

is a safe product, if consumed in moderate amounts, he added.

 

The amount of palmitic acid added to low-fat milk products is insignificant,

about two milligrams per quart, Dr. Hendler said.

 

In whole milk, however, it is one of the more abundant fatty acids, so the

addition of vitamin A to whole milk is unnecessary.

 

Another compound, vitamin C palmitate, is used in some cosmetics but not in

milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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