Functional foods, super foods, gluten free foods, anything-with-kale-in-it foods, etc. are all hot nutrition topics lately. Fats, particularly oils, are right up there, as well. To be more specific, coconut oil is probably at the top of this topic list. Nutritionists seem to be amused at watching some of these nutrition trends. They watch how fast these products flood the market and how fast they die down. As with the rest of our nation, you probably have noticed the rise of the popular coconut oil. The health claims of this product seem endless. Up to this point I have stood at arm’s length from talking all that much about coconut oil to its fervent followers. Although I have had reservations about the coconut rage, I waited for more research results.
First, coconut oil has a high medium-chain triglyceride percentage, which is good. These fats are more likely to be burned as fuel and less likely to go through the body and enter fat tissue. It also does not go rancid easily due to its very high saturated fat percentage. Coconut oil has no cholesterol, but still contains more saturated fat than butter. You know, the type of fat that is the main nutritional cause for clogging arteries and raising blood cholesterol. There have been studies that show coconut oil can raise LDL, the bad cholesterol, and can cause heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 16 grams of saturated fat a day (based on a 2000 calories diet). If you have 1 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil, you have exceeded that recommendation. A large amount of coconut oil’s saturated fats are not the good MCT’s. About 40% of them are long chain saturated fats, the ones that clog your arteries.
Unfortunately, the hype about coconut oil helping with losing weight just does not have the research and proof to back it up. We can hope that more high quality studies will be done in this area. Remember that fat is fat and coconut oil is very high in calories, which can put on the pounds quickly.
According to The Journal of Clinical Lipidology, there have been quite a few studies that have shown when people suddenly increase their intake of saturated fat, such as coconut oil, their blood lipid levels increase dramatically. One woman, who ate coconut oil daily, had a total cholesterol count of 303 with LDL’s at 178 and HDL’s at 106, Triglycerides at 94, and Non-HDL-C at 197. After she stopped the coconut oil her lipids dropped dramatically. Total cholesterol -201, LDL – 127, HDL – 58, Triglycerides – 77, and Non-HDL-C 143. Points to consider are that total LDL’s seem to predict CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk the best. Non- HDL-C is also a good measurement for CVD risk.
It appears that the added coconut oil increased her heart disease risk. Many doctors, including Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, have seen many similar examples of what appears to be the effect of adding saturated fat to the diet, such as coconut oil. Of course, as in most health related subjects, there is a genetic component. Some people may be able to consume high amounts of saturated fat without it affecting their CVD risk. These points are all important to consider with one’s own diet, particularly those who follow high fat diets.