Coconut Oil: Good Or Bad?
A couple weeks ago, some of you brought up the coconut oil controversy — with many praising this high-fat oil as a healthy choice. Eager to know more about the latest studies, I investigated more. Here’s what I found.
Saturated Fat Basics
Ever since restaurants started banning trans fats, tropical oils like coconut started making a comeback. With its high smoke, it is ideal for high-heat cooking methods like frying.
Coconut oil is one of the only plant-based sources of saturated fat (others include palm and palm kernel oils). Animal sources of saturated fat include butter, whole dairy products, beef and poultry skin. According to the American Heart Association, American Medical Association and USDA, we should limit our saturated fat to 7-10% of our daily calorie intake — this includes eating tropical oils such as coconut, which contains 92% saturated fat (one of the highest sources of saturated fats around).
According to the American Dietetics Association, 20-35% of daily calories should come from fat. They promote replacing most saturated and trans fats (e.g. margarine) with unsaturated fats such as olive, walnut and peanut oils.
The Controversies
Most old-school nutrition experts slam coconut oil because of its sat-fat content. Pro-coconut oil advocates, meanwhile, argue that the oil is easily absorbed because it’s a medium-chained triglyceride (I won’t go on about the science). However, there’s strong evidence that suggests the various fatty acids found in coconut oil, including lauric, palmitic and myristic acid (all medium-chained triglycerides), raise both LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol and total cholesterol.
Then there’s the argument that tropical regions use coconut oil as a staple, but they don’t have a higher heart disease rates when compared to areas that primarily use olive oil. Thing is, these tropical regions also don’t eat as many packaged processed and fatty fried foods as Americans! Plus, Americans like to eat out, and coconut oil is replacing the cooking oils used in restaurants these days (note that restaurant coconut oil isn’t the extra virgin coconut oil that pro-coconut folks advocate).
What the Studies Show
Studies released over the past 25 years show an overall pattern that coconut oil increases the risk for heart disease (check out this summary of studies for yourself). Just because a handful of studies show slightly different results doesn’t mean it’s a green light to throw years of research out the window.
The Recommendations
Since coconut oil is already in many packaged and restaurant foods, you shouldn’t use it as your cooking oil, too — especially if you have heart disease or it runs in the family. Stick to unsaturated oils such as olive, canola, peanut or walnut. But even use those sparingly (remember: all oils have about 120 calories per tablespoon). Save coconut oil for special dishes that you love to cook once in a while. If you still want to use it, replace other highly saturated fat foods such as butter and whole milk with extra virgin coconut oil, and be mindful to not go over 10% of your total calories. Avoid refined and hydrogenated versions, which have trans fats.
TELL US: Where do you stand in the coconut oil debate?
This may date me, but I remember back in the 80’s it was coconut oil and palm oil that got a bad reputation, and a lot of packaged snack foods boasted claims on their labels that they contained “no tropical oils!” Well as we know now, those items didn’t contain tropical oils because they contained partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil… which we now recognize as being really bad for you, and now we’re back to the tropical oils. Bottom line is, you can’t win. Cheap snack foods will always require cheap ingredients, and banning trans-fats is not going to all of a sudden make a company start using butter. It just shifts to another ingredient that’s just as bad for you. Incidentally, our new over-reliance on palm oil has begun to devastate the environment as forests are mowed down to make room for palm-fruit plantations, but that’s another story…
I have learned thru a nutritionist, MCT oil or Coconut Oil move thru the digestive system faster, aids in weight loss, and since is a medium chain triglyceride, moves out of your system faster than say Olive or Peanut oils..do. I have been using it for about 2 mos now, my pre-diabetes is gone, as is about 25 lbs if not more.
I noticed the recommendation that you should “Stick to unsaturated oils such as olive, canola, peanut or walnut.” I’d agree if you took out the canola oil. That is a plant oil and not a vegtable oil. Don’t use it!
i like olive oil because it is healthy for you.
I read an article in Women’s World magazine 5 yrs ago about the benefits of coconut oil and how it aids in weight loss. I then tried to purchase some, but it was sold out every where because apparently everyone else read the same thing. So now we still don’t have a definitive answer on it…
My philosophy: everything in moderation! Living in Jamaica where we produce this great oil and other products like coconut water which is a cure all for stomach ailments and always recommended for rehydration we are missing out on this fantastic flavor to our foods. Just a spoonful added to sauces and other cooking is delightful! Remember-moderation!
Don’t forget that coconut oil has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties both internally and topically. I love to mix 1 part quality coconut oil to 2 parts Eucerin Creme (not lotion, but heavy creme) for an excellent treatment for extremely dry, cracked winter skin. Most anything else makes my girl’s hands sting. I also had results with weight loss using coconut oil, and also just generally felt better. I am convinced it helped my brain chemistry and mood. I combined this with moderate exercise and good diet, and felt great.
If we are worried about fat, one option is to just eat more coconut in the diet. Bob’s brand natural flaked unsweetened coconut is excellent, or I have let the kids have the fun of cracking a fresh coconut open, breaking off the shell, and shaving off the rind to eat the yummy coconut flesh. Good eats.
The important issue not touched on here is COOKING with oil. Cooking any of the so called “good” oils like olive, canola, etc. heats them to a point where they are not benficial. Those oils are best used cold, such as in salad dressing or dipping. Coconut oil has a higher temp tolerance and cooking with it it by far a healthier choice overall.
it is so sad there cannot be a definitive answer to these questions. I just cut back on fatty foods as much as possible and pray that whatever decisions i make are the best available at the time j
How about pumpkin seed oil?
The use of coconut oils are recomended by the experts for children with Autism for the gfcf diet. I have used it for my son and it definatly helps with his clarity.
As a nutrition counselor I recommend using raw, organic virgin coconut oil because it helps the thyroid, can balance blood sugar, provides energy, easy to digest for many people, it’s also anti viral/anti bacterial, and it’s delicious!
I think we have become so fearful of fats in our culture, and as a result we have scores of people on “lowfat diets” which means they are on high sugar diets- contributing to osteoporosis, weight gain, and feeling constantly hungry. We have much to learn from indiginous cultures who believe in the importance of fats. And I agree with the person who wrote about Canola oil- it is a terrible oil to use!
yes, i wish there was a yes or no on coconut oil…I prefer rice bran oil-very good.
I am totally and severly allergic to both palm and coconut oil!!
I get a sudden and severe raw rash, severe and prolonged diarrhea, severe headache, and sometimes can’t breath very well. Ironically, I LOVE coconut and used to scarf down Almond Joys, etc. like crazy. We discovered several years ago that Girl Scout cookies apparently changed their recipes to use coconut oil – so there THOSE went!!
The author was playing it safe: “Old studies say this – newer studies say that – so be careful.” Not too much research done. A fairly lame article overall.
Put some coconut oil on the bottom of your chair legs and push away from the table.
Calories in and calories out. That’s all there is to it.
Fat people eat to much and don’t move enough. Period!
I had a discoloration on my eye at nineteen that was diagnosed as Archis Senilis. They said at that time that because I was only nineteen that it probably was nothing more than getting a freckle on your skin and that when persons of 40+ have it, it often indicates hardening of the arteries.
I researched the subject myself and for many of the last 35 years I have been taking niacin, lecithin and rutin. Several years ago I had a full body CT scan that indicated that I had 0 (zero) occlusion and calcificaton in my arteries.
I believe that natural, organic cold pressed coconut oil has a positive effect on the system and most recently is purported to increase the HDL more than it’s effect on other blood elements.
I believe that this needs to be researched more and confirmed.
Natural poison doesn’t make you better, it is still poison.
My herbal doctor told me to rub down in coconut oil that it would help to thicken your skin,. Also on the one that said she gave to a child that had autism. I have a grandson that has it so how much coconut oil is that what she give him
I was very intrigued by your article and research. I hear so many different things that it gets confusing. I believe that the comments from Munsono hits it just right. Moderation is the key. I went to a cafe that has changed over to Soy Oil. They claimed it had no fat. I’m curious about that. Two days later I had my Cholesterol check and it was at an all time low. I would like to hear from anyone that knows about this alternative.
I am going to purchase some coconut oil. I to am interested about how the lady with the child that has autism gave it to her child. The comment about fat people pushing away from the table is crazy. It seems that the person making the comment does not know that all over weight people over eat. Sad you need to get the facts!!!Don’t send out trash and anger.
Someone told me that the studies that claim harm from tropical oils all used partially or fully hydrogenated versions. Can you verify this?
About where I stand, I would want to support your investigation that the raw coconut oil in tropical foods may not be the same as those restaurateurs claim to have in their food. There are any ways to create an aroma of coconut oil – one way is by artificial flavors. Yes, like you rightly pointed out, it may have high level of fat but we must differentiate between types of coconut oil.If you have a cardiac history or your family has one, substitutes will serve you well.
I believe the point that is being missed is this: it is not the sat fat that is the problem but rather he over-indulgence in fried foods.
I’ve been using Canola for several years now because I thought it it was the “lesser of the fat evils” several post say don’t use it, maybe I just shouldnt read this!
I just read an article claiming that coconut oit has been shown to reverse the cognitive defecits of Alzheimers disease. The Alzheimers patients were given 1 tbs per day. The oil was virgin cold pressed and organic.
People need to practice temperance. Western Society over uses and abuses everything… including “good things” which vave adverse reactions in the body. We should learn to use those things which are good for us in moderation and abstain from the bad!
If coconut help’s us too lose weight and keep our brains,I say folk’s we all need to get to drinking,cooking,and rubbing coconut oil all over and in us!We all want to stay young and healthy.Good luck world I know it work’s on the skin.I used the oil on my body while I was preg with my two children and I only have one stretch mark,and I must show you in order for you to notice it,so lady’s I say rub your body’s down and eat and drink up the coconut in moderation!
i make a lotion for my daughter who has a severe excema it contains virgin organic coconut oil in and it has done wonders for her and my dad who also has it to, plus if you rub a little around your eyes it will help with those little line around the eyes and your not using any more chemicals than you have to.
I agree with one of the comments of how sat fat is not the problem but rather the over indulgence of fried foods in America. I use “vigin” raw coconut oil, about 1 Tbs mix in my daily smoothies made up of organic vegetables and fruits. So far I’ve lost 4lbs and improved my digestion system. The point is I don’t use it to fry food. About Canola Oil i would not recommend it, it is derived from the mustard family and it is a poisonuos weed, it is itself an insecticide and if insects don’t go near it why should we. (Common sense). The info was taken from the book ‘Conquering any Disease’ by Jeff Primack.
In the l940s, farmers attempted to use cheap coconut oil for fattening their animals, but they found that it made them lean, active and hungry. For a few years, an antithyroid drug was found to make the livestock get fat while eating less food, but then it was found to be a strong carcinogen, and it also probably produced hypothyroidism in the people who ate the meat.
By the late l940s, it was found that the same antithyroid effect, causing animals to get fat without eating much food, could be achieved by using soy beans and corn as feed.
So, we shun coconut oil as being a sat-fat, but embrace soybean and corn oils … what’s wrong with this picture?
This is one of those things no one will agree on and changes with time. One day it is good for you and next day it is not. My rule of thumb is variety and everything in moderation. I have had two children. I have a healthy body weight and I am medically healthy too. I am enjoying coconut now. Everyday, no. I wouldn’t suggest using it to cure anything unless you have discussed it with your doctor. Oh yeah, and don’t believe everything you hear.
I discovered coconut oil about 1 year ago. Having recently become vegan, I was looking for a ‘good fat’ replacement to cheese, dairy, butter. After its high recommendation from the guy at the vitamins counter as an alternative to sun block, I decided to try it out. To my surprise, it worked like a miracle and I immediately fell in love with. It improves hair and skin- although can cause break outs, and also add a thickness to skin which is exactly what a skinny vegan like me needed. This is not to say it makes you fat! On the contrary it has actually aided in weight loss! There is no question that coconut oil has had positive effects on my health- which leads me to this. I’ve recently been suffering from breathing problems which is not ordinary for me. I google searched coconut oil and found various useful commentaries and found that refined coconut oil seems to have negative effects on health–the hydrogenation process seems to severely change the way the fat is broken down by the body. It can increase blood cholestoral and possibly cause heart disease. I had been using refined oil since it was a lot cheaper– now I know why!! I would strongly suggest to anyone to spend the extra few bucks for the UNREFINED extra virgin organic coconut oil and to use it sparringly- no more than a few tablespoons per day.
I like the post.. Coconut oil is good for hair.. But i prefer olive oil for good health.. It is nice for skin care also.. Thanks
People will do well never to comsume vegatable oils, such as soy bean, canola, and corn oil which are three of the worst ones out there for this reason: 1) These oils are highly unstable which means they break down quickly producing what are called (free radicals). They are so unstable that the oils begin to break down even at the time of processing them. The break down continues when these oils sit on shelves and are exposed to lighting, and the final insulat is when high heat or temperature is applied to them. Now as for the reason your cholesterol went down; when we consume too much of these oils they will cause damage to the vessel walls.
When this happens, the bodies first line of defense is to pull cholesterol out of the blood and to drive it into the vessel wall to shore up the damage being done by the vegetable oils. That is why it appears to be a good thing when your cholesterol goes down. Yet, in actuality, it is not what you think, it is in fact a bad thing. What we need to do is know the body chemistry better.
I would recommend the book "Modern Nutritional Diseases" by Alice and Fred Ottoboni.
I just bought extra virgin coconut oil at walmart
I also think this is a lame article. Can't believe someone would recommend canola oil. Obviously this person does no research at all. Depending on how the coconut oil is processed , cold pressed and organic etc., is dependant on how it will affect the body, and how nutritious it is for human consumption. Please, do your research and don't rely on these people that spout without knowledge and research. Don't believe anything until you verify, that's my motto. Mitch
i have been using coconit virgin oil for more than 5 years and i take it everyday. i always visit my doctor and check my blood especially my cholesterol level but all are normal. i was working in a call center and had no enough sleep but because of virgin coconut oil i was so healthy. i believe the power of coconut virgin oil.
WELL i HAVE LOST 75 POUNDS USING IT!!! i FRY MY SALMON AND VEGES IN IT!! DELICIOUS!!
lmao!!!!!
coconut oil is the healthiest oil on the planet. The next healthiest is palm kernel oil from Africa. polynesians who still eat there native diet dont get heart disease, the dont have diabetes or many of the other diseases found in people who eat western diets. You must believe that coconut oil is good for you, but you must eat organic not hydrogenated. The vegetable oil companies ran a smeer campiagn to try and get people to stop eating coconut oil but the truth is is that it is exceedingly healthy. Polynesians who eat their native diet have a beautiful complexion and look very strong and healthy and coconuts are part of 50% of their diet. When adventurers got malaria ,polynesians would heal them with a coconut based diet. Careful what you read and continue to eat this wonderful oil with confidence!