Palmitate


 * Palmitate:** An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the major fatty acid found in palm oil. The palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, called retinol, to make vitamin A stable in milk. The name "palmitate" comes from the French "palmitique" from palmite, the pith of the palm tree.


 * History of Vitamin A Palmitate**

o Vitamin A Palmitate was not discovered until the 20th century. In 1830 the yellow coloration of carrots was isolated and named carotene. It took another 89 years for scientists to discover the link between carotene and Vitamin A Palmitate. Vitamin A Palmitate is a fat-soluble vitamin which supports the formation of the cells of the skin and is utilized in the process of vision. It is involved in the viability of the reproductive system, in particular fetal growth. Vitamin A Palmitate also supports the differentiation of epithelial cells. The entire body is covered with epithelial linings – skin and mucosas – that consist of mucas-secreting cells and keratinizing cells, which form hard and scaly surfaces. Both of these originate from basal cells. In the absence of Vitamin A Palmitate, only the keratinizing cells are formed. The protective mucus secreting cells are impaired, leading to damage of the cornea and a high susceptibility to infection.

o Good sources of Vitamin A Palmitate are eggs, milk, cheese, butter, liver and fish as well as vegetables that are dark green, like spinach, or orange like carrots. Foods of a plant origin do not contain Vitamin A Palmitate but are rich in sources of provitamin A, a class of compounds called carotenoids, which are involved in photosynthesis. B-Carotene is the most important of these compounds.