These groups do not eat processed coconut oil, but the whole coconut as coconut meat or pressed coconut cream, along with an indigenous diet of foods rich in fiber and low in processed and sugary foods. Overall their diets were similar: coconut flesh and milk, fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish. Studies found that those who ate higher amounts of coconut oil had increased beneficial HDL cholesterol levels but also increased total cholesterol and triglycerides.
Eight small short-term clinical trials lasting from weeks with a range of participants were examined with an intervention of a coconut oil diet. When compared with a butter or unsaturated fat olive or safflower oil diet, coconut oil raised total cholesterol, HDL, and harmful LDL levels more than unsaturated oils, but not more than butter.
Coconut oil was also found to raise total and LDL cholesterol to a greater or similar degree as other saturated fats like beef fat and palm oil. In a meta-analysis of 16 clinical trials, coconut oil was found to increase both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels in participants, compared with nontropical vegetable oils e. Coconut oil also increased these values when compared with another tropical oil, palm oil: total cholesterol increased by about 25 points, LDL by 20 points, and HDL by 3 points.
The analysis did not find that coconut oil versus other vegetable oils had any significant effect on body weight, waist circumference, or body fat percentage. The American Heart Association AHA issued a scientific advisory statement in to replace saturated fats including coconut and other tropical oils with unsaturated fats. Based on a review of seven controlled trials, coconut oil was found to raise harmful LDL cholesterol levels.
The AHA advised against the use of coconut oil, and suggested limiting all saturated fat. One tablespoon of coconut oil comes close to that limit at about 12 grams of saturated fat. Coconut oil has a unique flavor and is best used in small amounts as a periodic alternative to other oils in baking and cooking, in context of a healthy eating pattern.
Purchase and Storage Coconut oil is made by pressing fresh coconut meat or dried coconut meat called copra. The milk is separated from the oil by fermentation, enzymes, or centrifuge machines. You may also see the following terms on labels of coconut oil: Expeller-pressed —A machine presses the oil from coconut flesh, often with the use of steam or heat.
Cold-pressed —The oil is pressed without use of heat. The temperature remains below degrees F; this is believed to help retain more nutrients. Refined : The copra is machine-pressed to release the oil. Sometimes chemical solvents such as hexane may be used to extract oil from the copra. The resulting oil has a higher smoke point at about degrees F, and is flavorless and odorless. Partially Hydrogenated : The small amount of unsaturated fats in coconut oil is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated to extend shelf life and help maintain its solid texture in warm temperatures.
This process creates trans fats , which should be avoided. Unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil , and avocados 6 , 7. That said, as long as you moderate your intake of coconut oil, you can definitely enjoy it as part of a healthy diet. Coconut oil is high in saturated fats and should be treated like any other fat or oil.
This makes it less ideal for salad dressings or sauces but an excellent choice for stove-top cooking or baking 9. Be sure to let cold ingredients like eggs or milk come to room temperature before blending it in, so it mixes in smoothly instead of clumping. Another way to take this oil is in coffee or tea. Aim for a small amount — about a teaspoon or two. Below is a quick tea recipe featuring coconut oil. To make this, pour boiling water over the tea bag and let it steep for 2—3 minutes.
Remove the tea bag, add the remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. During the colder months or if stored in the refrigerator, it may become very solid and difficult to scoop out of the container. This can be remedied by whipping it with an electric mixer or in a blender. Coconut oil can be used for medium-heat cooking, in recipes, and to add delicious richness to hot beverages. Coconut oil is a popular yet controversial ingredient. Advocates say it has numerous health benefits, while skeptics say the science suggests otherwise.
Regardless, coconut oil is widely used in many cultural dishes and can be part of a healthy diet. It should be stored at room temperature in the cupboard to keep it pliable.
Coconut oil may have a few health benefits and has shown promising evidence, but many claims are yet to be comprehensively proven. With up to per cent saturated fat, hesitation at labelling it 'healthy' is understandable. This fat content is what turns the oil solid at room temperature, but not all saturated fats are bad and coconut oil may actually encourage your body to burn fat and raise good cholesterol HDL. On the flipside, it also raises bad cholesterol LDL , which steers the oil away from being good for the heart, according to the Australian Heart Foundation, which suggests there are superior heart-protective oils and fats to consume or use in your cooking, such as olive oil, nut butters and avocado.
Coconut oil does have some antioxidant properties, potentially because of plant nutrients called phenolic compounds. Studies on animals have shown that when applied to inflamed areas, coconut oil has an anti-inflammatory effect, giving it plausibility in beauty products.
It also shows evidence of being a great skin moisturiser when applied topically. Coconut oil is an unusual blend of short- and medium-chain fatty acids MCTs not seen in other saturated fats, there's evidence these MCTs may offer some health benefits when consumed, such as fat-burning.
However, research is yet to confirm this. The high amount of MCTs found in coconut oil may reduce hunger, which could aid weight loss.
However, studies on this have been short, small and inconclusive. While further studies are needed there is some early evidence that MCTs can increase blood levels of ketones, which in turn, may help to dampen symptoms.
These studies haven't been done on the MCTs produced specifically from consuming coconut oil however. There has been some evidence to suggest using coconut oil may help reduce oral infections when used as a mouthwash due to the antibacterial properties of … acid found in the oil.
But it's important to note, this is far from proven and the evidence is scant. Of all the claims around coconut oil, there is one indisputable fact: all coconut oil, whether virgin or refined, is high in saturated fat higher than butter , so it is considered a solid fat. One tablespoon of coconut oil provides kJ calories , One of the main concerns is the type of fat in coconut oil — saturated fat.
The fatty acids found in coconut oil raise LDL the bad cholesterol just like other saturated fats, such as butter.
And while coconut oil may also raise HDL cholesterol the good one this is negligible in comparison. Although coconut oil doesn't contain cholesterol, it also doesn't stack up against most other plant-based oils. Canola, corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, flaxseed, grape seed and extra virgin olive oil all contain significantly less saturated fat.
While many Asian diets have included coconut oil for generations with potentially protective benefits, the fact that coconut oil is so high in saturated fat needs to be considered in the context of a Western diet, which is typically already high in fat compared with an Asian diet.
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