Coconut Oil – Good, Bad or Ugly?

As with many oils, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding coconut oil. And just as with canola oil, the big question is, ‘is coconut oil healthy?’

What exactly does coconut oil consist of?

Coconut oil is made up of around 90% saturated fat, 6% monounsaturated fat, and 2% polyunsaturated fat. Differing from other highly saturated fats however, coconut oil is mostly made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs).

Why does that matter? Well, MCFAs are more easily digested and absorbed in the body than other fats, and for this reason they are often used in enteral feeding formula for critically ill patients.

Due to the MCFA makeup of coconut oil, some suggest it is therefore different from other saturated fats, and as a result it doesn’t have the same ‘unhealthy’ effects associated with regular saturated fats.

Note: You might be interested in my series on Cooking Oils which looks at olive oil, canola oil, rice bran oil, and others.

So, is coconut oil healthy?

Whether it is healthy, or a product to be avoided at all costs, appears to be a matter of great contention!

Government recommendations advise against the intake of any saturated fat. However, you will find numerous websites promoting its health benefits, saying coconut oil is good for you.

So, what should you believe? This a very difficult question, and doesn’t appear to have a clear black or white answer.

• The American Heart Association advise that individuals reduce their consumption of saturated fats, including those found in coconut oil, to less than 7% of their calorie intake.
• Similarly the WHO, and the FDA recommend the reduced consumption of saturated fat, including that from coconut oil, suggesting this will positively affect health, and reduce the prevalence of heart attacks.
• In the UK the FSA also recommend cutting back on saturated fats including that found in coconut oil, coconut cream, and palm oil.

Coconut oil, good or bad? A look at the research…

A study was carried out in Australia (2006) to look at the effect of a highly saturated fat (coconut oil), or a polyunsaturated fat (safflower oil) meal upon participants.

Researchers concluded that, “Consumption of a saturated fat reduces the anti-inflammatory potential of HDL (good cholesterol), and impairs arterial endothelial function. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory activity of HDL improves after consumption of polyunsaturated fat.”

Basically this means that coconut oil may be associated with the formation of plaques in the coronary arteries, therefore increasing the risk of heart disease.

First and foremost, the size of this study is an immediate drawback for me, and there are many who feel that the conclusions drawn by the researchers were flawed. I’m not sure. Nevertheless, I don’t think we can realistically draw definitive conclusions from a study involving merely 14 participants.

However, in the 1980s studies were conducted on the Polynesian islands, where the inhabitants had a very high intake of saturated fat. Researchers found them to be healthy, with vascular disease being uncommon.

Again, I think we need to be cautious. Can we apply such findings to our first world living? Definitely not – such findings could be attributed to their lack of a “westernised” culture, rather than their diets being “protective.”

Furthermore, more conflicting evidence with other studies suggesting that diets high in saturated fats were a strong predictor for coronary heart disease. This particular study involved 12,763 men, from seven different countries, and they found that, “Of the individual saturated fatty acids, the average population intake of lauric and myristic acid was most strongly related to the average serum cholesterol level.”

With approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil being lauric acid, doesn’t this suggest that it maybe isn’t such a healthy oil after all?

Craig Hassel writing for University of Minnesota says, “Part of the confusion rests with what you are removing from the diet when you add in coconut oil, and how much coconut oil you add. Whether coconut oil is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for you is a function of your genetics, your current diet, your current health, how extensively you might choose to use coconut oil, and how you are living. Science has a very difficult time dealing with all of these factors, so don’t look for nutrition science to resolve the “good” vs “bad” debate anytime soon.”

So, is coconut oil bad for you?

I feel that more research is necessary to study the effects of adding coconut oil into our westernised diets, before strong claims can be made for, or against the use of coconut oil.

As with all foods, moderation is the key; personally I don’t believe coconut oil is bad per se, however I also don’t believe that it’s the miracle food it has been made out to be either!

What are your thought on this debate? Am I wrong? I’d love to hear your views!

If you’re interested in finding out more on how coconut oil is produced check out Wikipedia.