There are 3.44g of palmitic acid in one 100g serving of hemp seeds. Diets very rich in this can see increased insulin resistance, but that may be due to the body balancing glucose levels. Palmitic has some uses in our body, but it is mainly used as a thickening agent in cooking in such. It doesn’t hurt to add this to your diet by any means, but there is no particular hype surrounding it. Here are a few facts about palmitic acid.

  1. Does not raise cholesterol when combined with linoleum acid. However, when combined with trans fats, LDL rose while HDL decreased.
  2. Antioxidant
  3. Anti-atherosclerosis
  4. The salt form, palmitate, is commonly added to low and fat free milk.
  5. Major component of palm trees, but can be found in meat and dairy.
  6. First fatty acid produced during fatty acid synthesis and is a precursor to longer acids.
  7. Ingredient in detergents and soaps
  8. Aging skin typically only has 1/2 the amount of palmitic acid it did before.
  9. FUN FACT: was used to produce napalm in WWII, which was used as a thickening agent in gasoline and flammable liquids.
  10. Used to treat schizophrenia