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Review Article Volume 13 Issue 1
Effects of palm oil and palm-derived bioactives on insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis: a review
Loso Judijanto
Received: June 03, 2026 | Published: June 18, 2026
Citation: Judijanto L. Effects of palm oil and palm-derived bioactives on insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis: a review. J Diabetes Metab Disord Control. 2026;13(1):77-84. DOI: 10.15406/jdmdc.2026.13.00317
Abstract
Insulin resistance and impaired glucose homeostasis are central mechanisms in type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and broader cardiometabolic disease. Palm oil is one of the most widely consumed dietary fats worldwide, while palm-derived bioactives, including tocotrienols, carotenoids, and oil palm phenolics, have been investigated for potential metabolic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. This PRISMA-oriented systematic literature review synthesises published evidence on the relationships of palm oil, palm olein, interesterified palm-derived fats, red palm oil, palm tocotrienol-rich fraction, and oil palm phenolics with insulin resistance and glucose regulation. The review included human intervention studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and relevant mechanistic animal studies reporting fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance, postprandial glucose, insulin secretion, incretin hormones, oxidative stress, or inflammatory biomarkers. Because the included studies differed substantially in intervention type, population, duration, comparator, and outcome assessment, findings were synthesised narratively rather than through a new quantitative meta-analysis. Short-term human trials of refined palm oil or palm olein generally reported neutral effects on fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR compared with other dietary fats; however, most trials enrolled healthy or non-diabetic adults, limiting applicability to individuals with type 2 diabetes or established insulin resistance. Evidence on interesterified palm-derived fats remains limited and inconsistent in humans, although mechanistic animal studies suggest potential adverse effects on glucose tolerance, hepatic insulin signalling, inflammation, and adiposity. Among palm-derived bioactives, the tocotrienol-rich fraction has the strongest clinical evidence, with meta-analytic findings suggesting a modest HbA1c reduction in type 2 diabetes, whereas effects on oxidative stress and inflammation remain inconsistent. Red palm oil and oil palm phenolics are biologically plausible but currently lack sufficient direct human evidence for glycemic efficacy. Overall, current evidence does not support palm oil itself as a strategy to improve glucose homeostasis, although palm-derived tocotrienols may have adjunctive potential pending larger, longer, and better-controlled trials in insulinresistant, prediabetic, and diabetic populations.
Keywords: palm oil, palm olein, tocotrienols, red palm oil, oil palm phenolics, insulin resistance, glucose homeostasis, type 2 diabetes, HOMA-IR, HbA1c
©2026 Judijanto. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.