Palmitic acid form of caustic soda or lye), which causes hydrolysis of the ester groups, yielding glycerol and sodium palmitate. Because it is inexpensive and adds texture and "mouth feel" to processed foods (convenience food), palmitic acid and its sodium salt find wide use in foodstuffs. Sodium palmitate is permitted as a natural additive in organic products. The aluminium salt is used as a thickening agent of napalm used in military actions. Hydrogenation of palmitic acid yields cetyl alcohol, which is used to produce detergents and cosmetics. Recently, a long-acting antipsychotic medication, paliperidone palmitate (marketed as INVEGA Sustenna), used in the treatment
Palmitic acid soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Karukas contain 44.90% palmitic acid. The cetyl ester of palmitic acid (cetyl palmitate) occurs in spermaceti. Excess carbohydrates in the body are converted to palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is the first fatty acid produced during fatty acid synthesis and is the precursor to longer fatty acids. As a consequence, palmitic acid is a major body component of animals. In humans, one analysis found it to make up 21–30% (molar) of human depot fat, and it is a major, but highly variable, lipid component of human breast milk. Palmitate negatively feeds back on acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC),