Coconut Oil: Devilishly Dangerous or Superfood?
For many years the coconut—and especially its oil— had an almost unanimously bad name in the health arena. Comprised of about 90% saturated fat, which is higher than butter, beef fat or lard , coconut oil was thought to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But as we’ll soon see, there’s a lot more to the story.
What’s wrong with saturated fat?
Studies have shown that overindulging in foods containing saturated fat has been linked to higher levels of cholesterol in the blood, especially LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. This is the type of cholesterol which collects in the walls of blood vessels and causes blockages, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. For some people, consuming saturated fat also increases their risk of obesity. Since coconut oil is high in saturated fat and was once added to many processed products, it became a major source of concern.
However, upon closer investigation, coconut oil may not be as bad as it seems. Unlike the saturated fat found in factory-farmed butter, lard, or palm kernel oil, which are mostly composed of the higher-risk ‘palmitic acid’ and the controversial ‘myristic acid,’ the almost half of the fat in coconut oil is ‘lauric acid,’ which has been shown to increase HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol, which is protective of circulatory and heart health .
The benefits of lauric acid are not limited to cholesterol. When the oil is digested, a monoglyceride called monolaurin is formed. Monolaurin has been shown to be capable of killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi, including the yeast Candida albicans, which is a common source of human yeast infections, as well as the common and often unrecognized virus .
The saturated fats contained in coconut oil are not the same as saturated fats found in foods such as cheese and meat, which contain long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil, instead, contains medium-chain fatty acids, which more closely resemble carbohydrates than fat, and are easily digested to be used as energy. Medium-chain fatty acids have even been used medically in patients with digestive system disorders, as well as to treat seizures. Researchers are continuing to study medium-chain fatty acids to treat other brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease .
This is good news – especially for those in the Far East and South Pacific where the majority of coconut oil studies finding positive results were conducted.
But before we all rush out to stock up on coconut oil, there are still a few issues to consider:
- In parts of the world where coconut oil is very popular, people’s bodies may be used to the effects of this unique saturated fat, and may react differently from people in western countries.
- While low rates of chronic disease have been observed among people consuming large amounts of coconut fat, this could be due to the age and levels of physical activity of the participants.
- Other studies have shown the benefits of coconut fat to be mostly short-term. So we still don’t know what the long-term effects of consuming coconut oil may be.
- Other studies have linked saturated fats (including from coconut oil) to cardiovascular disease risks.
Does that mean coconut oil is bad for us?
Not necessarily. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans published in 1977, which blamed chronic disease on saturated fat, was found to have serious methodological flaws. The report left out relevant science, inaccurately interpreted literature and drew conclusions that failed to address the limitations or controversies in the science. Meanwhile, research continues to investigate how the effects of saturated fat may be influenced by a person’s individual genetics. With scientific research increasingly poking holes in the risks while revealing additional benefits of coconut oil, this one shunned food is becoming increasingly popular.
All things considered, these factors provide ample reason to proceed with caution – but to proceed nonetheless!
Should Coconut Oil be on THIS list?
References
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS). National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28. Full Report (All Nutrients): 04047, Oil, coconut. Software v.2.3.2. The National Agricultural Library. Accessed October 24, 2015.
- WebMD. LDL Cholesterol: The Bad Cholesterol. Accessed October 29, 2015.
- Farhikhtah A, Grahn E. Does coconut fat have beneficial effects on blood cholesterol in healthy adults? – a systematic review. Sahlgrenska akademin. 23 May 2013.
- Babu AS, Veluswamy SK, Arena R, Guazzi M, Lavie CJ. Virgin coconut oil and its potential cardioprotective effects. Postgrad Med. 2014 Nov;126(7):76-83.
- Esquenazi D, Wigg MD, Miranda MM, Rodrigues HM, Tostes JB, Rozental S, da Silva AJ, Alviano CS. Antimicrobial and antiviral activities of polyphenolics from Cocos nucifera Linn. (Palmae) husk fiber extract. Res Microbiol. 2002 Dec;153(10):647-52.
- Rego Costa AC, Rosado EL, Soares-Mota M. Influence of the dietary intake of medium chain triglycerides on body composition, energy expenditure and satiety: a systematic review. Nutr Hosp. 2012 Jan-Feb;27(1):103-8.
- Chen FM, Wang JY, Sun LC, Juang RF, Huang TJ, Hsieh JS. Efficacy of medium-chain triglycerides compared with long-chain triglycerides in total parenteral nutrition in patients with digestive tract cancer undergoing surgery. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2005 Nov;21(11):487-94.
- Wibisono C, Rowe N, Beavis E, Kepreotes H, Mackie FE, Lawson JA, Cardamone M. Ten-year single-center experience of the ketogenic diet: factors influencing efficacy, tolerability, and compliance. J Pediatr. 2015 Apr;166(4):1030-6.e1.
- Fernando WM, Martins IJ, Goozee KG, Brennan CS, Jayasena V, Martins RN. The role of dietary coconut for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: potential mechanisms of action. Br J Nutr. 2015 Jul 14;114(1):1-14.
- Henderson ST, Vogel JL, Barr LJ, Garvin F, Jones JJ & Costantini LC. Study of the ketogenic agent AC-1202 in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2009;6(31). Strandberg KL, Peterson ML, Lin YC, Pack MC, Chase DJ, Schlievert PM. Glycerol monolaurate inhibits Candida and Gardnerella vaginalis in vitro and in vivo but not Lactobacillus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010 Feb;54(2):597-601.
- Reiser R, Probstfield JL, Silvers A, Scott LW, Shorney ML, Wood RD, O’Brien BC, Gotto AM Jr, Insull W Jr. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein response of humans to beef fat, coconut oil and safflower oil. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Aug;42(2):190-7.
- Hite AH, Feinman RD, Guzman GE, Satin M, Schoenfeld PA, Wood RJ. In the face of contradictory evidence: report of the Dietary Guidelines for American Committee. Nutrition. 2010;26(10):915-24.
- Basiri MG, Sotoudeh G, Alvandi E, Djalali M, Eshraghian MR, Noorshahi N, Koohdani F. APOA2 -256T>C polymorphism interacts with saturated fatty acids intake to affect anthropometric and hormonal variables in type 2 diabetic patients. Genes Nutr. 2015 May;10(3):464.
- Medical News Today (MNT). Coconut Oil: Health Benefits, Nutritional Breakdown, Risks. 2015 Aug 11. Accessed Oct 25, 2015.
WebMD. Coconut Oil. Accessed October 24, 2015.
Comments 4
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Why is it not on the meal planner list
Hi, cward. Coconut oil is under the “Fats” category in the Menu Planner lists, between “Chia Seed Oil” and “Flaxseed Oil.”
HI, just to ask…. what does Coconut oil looks like in the shops?
Hi, katbuc10. It is usually pearly white paste in a jar if the shop is at ambient temperatures. At warmer temperatures, it will look like cloudy oil (as in the photo) in a jar.