Last week I wrote about coconut water. I’m curious — how many of you drink coconut water, or have at least tried it? As I mentioned in my posting, I’m not a big fan of it. But unless you’re guzzling down glass after glass of this tropical beverage, there are really no major harmful ramifications. But what about coconut oil?
Controversial Coconut Oil
Many nutrition topics are murky, and the issue of whether coconut oil is a “good” fat or a “bad” fat is a prime example. A lot of people swear by coconut oil for various reasons. Those who enjoy baking like coconut oil because it makes a mean flaky pie crust and lends a unique, rich flavor to pastries and other goodies. Others use coconut oil for everyday cooking, claiming that it adds great flavor to vegetables, oatmeal, and even popcorn. Coconut oil is used extensively in Thai and Indian dishes, which, of course, is partly why these dishes are so tasty.
And then, there are those who swear by coconut oil for its supposed numerous health benefits, such as promoting weight loss, improving blood glucose control, and helping to treat heart disease. Can a tropical oil really live up to all these claims?
A Bit of Background
The use of coconut oil for cooking is nothing new in tropical regions. In the early 1900’s, this oil was actually used in the US as a cooking oil, but it gradually fell out of favor in the 1960’s when scientists began to examine coconut oil’s possible role in heart disease.
The link between coconut oil and heart disease stems from the fact that coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat (92% of the fatty acids in this oil are saturated). And, for the most part, saturated fat, or the “bad” fat, is linked with promoting heart disease. But the tricky thing about saturated fats is that not all of them are created equally. The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are different than, say, those found in animal fats, like lard or beef fat. By the way, the use of the word “oil” when discussing coconut is a bit of a misnomer, as coconut oil is solid at room temperature (it becomes a liquid at temps above 75°F).
About half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is a medium-chain fatty acid (and different than the long-chain fatty acids found in animal fats). The body uses medium-chain fatty acids differently than long-chain fatty acids; it may be that these medium-chain fatty acids are less harmful and possibly beneficial. Of note, a special type of oil, called MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil is available as a medical supplement for people who have difficulty processing regular fat as a result of certain medical conditions.
Lauric acid, surprisingly, may increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol, but may also boost LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, as well. Yet, it doesn’t seem to affect the ratio of the two in a bad way. Lauric acid may have other health benefits, including anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, fighting acne, and boosting metabolism. Some of these benefits are unproven, however.
Is Coconut Oil OK to Use?
Back to coconut oil. Is it good or bad? Coconut oil got a bad rap, in part, because it was used in animal studies in a partially hydrogenated form. Virgin coconut oil, on the other hand, isn’t hydrogenated. And even though coconut oil still is high in saturated fat, some newer studies suggest that saturated fat may not quite be the villain it’s been made out to be.
Coconut oil may actually have some real health benefits. In one study, women given coconut oil as a supplement (along with a low-calorie diet) had a higher HDL cholesterol, a lower LDL:HDL ratio, and a decreased waist circumference compared to women given a soybean oil supplement. Another study, also with women, showed improved lipid levels with MCT oil compared with beef tallow. However, both of these studies were small, and at this time, there isn’t enough research to wholly recommend the use of coconut oil.
In terms of diabetes, a study published in 2009 in the journal Diabetes showed that mice fed coconut oil had less insulin resistance (their insulin worked better) and had less body fat than mice fed lard. The downside, though, was that the mice given coconut oil had higher insulin resistance in the liver, as well as greater fat build-up in the liver.
The bottom line? Using small amounts of virgin coconut oil is probably OK (avoid using partially hydrogenated coconut oil because it contains trans fat). Remember that coconut oil is still a fat: one tablespoon contains 117 calories and 14 grams of fat (and there’s not much evidence that swigging coconut oil will cause you to magically shed extra pounds).
Good try Amy. Squirm, squirm. Caveats etc.
Posted by jim snell | Dec 12, 2011 at 2:23 pmUnfortunately I have to disagree with this article and have to say it makes me squirm as well! Visit Robb Wolf’s web site and read up on the Paleo Life style. Unfortunately Dr’s and Nutritionists have convinced everyone that eating low fat whole grain diets are a good thing. When in reality by eating good fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and so on you fill yourself up and feel full. Getting rid of the grains and gluten out of your system is an excellent way to stabilize your BG and to get to rid of the huge swings. Robb Wolf says it better than me so see below!
Saturated fat has been demonized by our health authorities and media. What is the basis for this position on Saturated fat? Are current recommendations for VERY low saturated fat intake justified? How much saturated fat (and what types), if any should one eat? Without a historical and scientific perspective this questions can be nearly impossible to answer. In this paper Prof. Cordain looks at the amounts and types of saturated fats found in the ancestral diet: Saturated fat consumption in ancestral human diets: implications for contemporary intakes.
Posted by Dave Wendel | Dec 12, 2011 at 4:35 pmOne of the greatest deviations away from our ancestral diet is the amounts and types of fat found in modern grain feed animals vs. the amounts and types of fats found in grass fed or wild meat, fowl and fish. What we observe is wild meat is remarkably lean, and has relatively low amounts of saturated fats, while supplying significant amounts of beneficial omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA. In this paper Prof. Cordain and his team analyze the complete fatty acid profile from several species of wild deer and elk. The take home message is that free range meat is far healthier than conventional meat: Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: Evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease.
Unless you have a solid background in physiology and biochemistry, understanding the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease can be daunting. Simply understanding what is being discussed in a paper can take s significant amount of time and effort. This paper is a remarkably straight forward discussion of ALL the factors related to CVD and dietary fat intake. The bottom line: Saturated fat has some influence, but it is secondary to issues such as systemic inflammation caused by trans fats, high carbohydrate intake and a skewing of our ancestral omega-3/omega-6 fats: Dietary fat quality and coronary heart disease prevention: a unified theory based on evolutionary, historical, global and modern perspectives.
Interesting article and comment following. during the time I have been in medical practice, I have seen fads come and go. About 30 years ago when I was practicing, people were encouraged to lower their fat intake in order to control their weight. This lead to more intake of either protein or carbohydrates. Because carbohydrates taste better and are cheaper, people often shifted to carbohydrates. I wonder if these recommendations have contributed to our epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Nowadays, people get on the internet, and then change their diet based on a few articles without verifying the site, the knowledge of the author of either the site or the article. I appreciate the critical thought in both your comments on the article as well as the above comment. We need to verify though carefully planned studies before making widespread recommendations that influence may influence several generations of people.
Posted by Diabetic Survival Kit | Dec 12, 2011 at 8:37 pmGreat Response Dave. Regarding the grains, I do whole heartedly agree. I have to watch those like a hawk or shoot up my BG bad. Even worse than sugars.
Breads, grains are a tough hoe. Thanks for the extensive detailed data and response.
Posted by jim snell | Dec 13, 2011 at 12:14 amthank you to Diabetic Survival kit for excellent introspective comments and thoughts.
Posted by jim snell | Dec 13, 2011 at 10:37 amHi Dave,
Thanks for your response. I’m not exactly on clear as to who Robb Wolf is and why he is considered an expert. However, based on what I’ve read on coconut oil, my view is to take a cautionary stance until we learn more. Note that I didn’t say one needs to avoid coconut oil (except for the hydrogenated version); just to use with some caution. I agree that we need a better understanding of just how saturated fat really works. We do know that not all saturated fatty acids are alike and some appear to be healthier than others. So let’s hope we learn more very soon.
Posted by acampbell | Dec 14, 2011 at 8:30 amUnfortunately the majority of coconut oil consumed in the US is of the hydrogenated form as an ingredient in or used in the processing of snack foods. Commercially prepared popcorn, for example, is commonly popped in hydrogenated coconut oil.
Posted by Joe | Dec 14, 2011 at 1:18 pmCan’t win em all.
Posted by jim snell | Dec 14, 2011 at 6:23 pmAll this, and to think my mother aunts Grandmother and many more were raised on lard and Bacon fat for cooking all their lives and let me see mother died at age 88 dad at 92 aunts and cousins one 99 and aunt 102. They should have all died in their 30s and 40s??????????
Posted by Jim | Dec 14, 2011 at 6:56 pmWell my HDL was 30% higher on a high saturated fat diet including coconut fat, cheese, butter with the LDL unchanged compared to a higher carb diet including all the healthy whole wheat grains. My blood sugars are way better on a low carb diet.
Carbs are the problem ?
Posted by calgarydiabetic | Dec 14, 2011 at 9:01 pmI attended a class about keeping my blood glucose level under control at Nutritional Weight and Wellness a couple of years ago. Virgin coconut oil was listed as one of the good fats. They also recommended the use of lard. Using these fats and following a low carb diet got my A1c down to 5.8 so far. My HDL is up and my LDL is down. Low carb got rid of my indigestion.
Posted by Beverly | Dec 15, 2011 at 2:51 pmI tried taking coconut oil daily and found it had a laxative effect. I told my grown son about my problem, and he laughed. He reminded me of the scene in the movie “Castaway” in which the protaganist was living on coconuts and coconut oil and got the trots, which was so severe that he thought he was going to die. After that I cut back on my use of coconut oil.
Posted by Priscilla | Dec 16, 2011 at 12:21 amI read the article and comments all are nice.But for me is good to avoid coconut oil bcos of fat nd go for whole grain and vegetables.These will normalize nd control you BG.
Posted by Nasiru Abubakar | Dec 16, 2011 at 1:16 pmi couldn’t help not to post after I saw Jim’s comment that his relatives died at an old age of 88 and higher. I have to wonder how farm natural that lard and bacon were compared to the highly processed foods that we eat today. Its been said that any plant or nut based food in its closest form is the most beneficial to our diets. Take a look at avocados - high in fats but great for the balance between the HDL and LDL. eating coconut or using coconut oil one or twice or even three times a month isn’t where any damage will occur but considering we aren’t getting any better in our health, i do have to wonder where the experts reside. see if you ever hear any of them say corn oil is bad
Posted by anabela | Dec 27, 2011 at 11:40 pm