Coconut Oil – Health or Hazard?
For several years now, Coconut Oil has been marketed as the new “wonder oil”, a “cure all” with health benefits ranging from anti-microbial (fighting viruses and bacteria including HIV), to anti-cancer (supports our immune system), to anti-heart disease (reduces cholesterol and benefits our arteries), to promoting weight loss, to treating hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid). Its uses are also varied from a cooking/baking oil; to an ingredient in many packaged foods; to a component used in bio-diesel fuel, soaps, and skin products.
So, what’s the scoop? Well, it is true that Coconut Oil contains some medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which are less readily absorbed compared to longer chain fatty acids. And these MCFAs have been shown to have less of an effect on LDL (bad cholesterol). But is that not similar to saying that burning your hand with a 300 degree flame has less of an effect on your skin than burning your hand with a 400 degree flame?
I have read that MCFA’s are absorbed directly into the liver and as a result have the potential for weight loss. Even if true, as this was just theoretical in the study, this reductionist view misses the point that people don’t eat MCFA’s, rather they eat coconut oil. Half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is not MCFAs. At over 90% saturated fat, taking away the portion of MCFAs in coconut oil (which still requires us to make the huge leap of an assumption that the MCFAs are ALL good and can be negated) then you are still left with 45% of the saturated fat that is pure badness. So even subtracting all of the theoretical goodness of MCFAs from the total, coconut oil is still worse than lard (lard is 43% saturated fat total). And we all know lard is not a health food. In many cases the minimal amount of beneficial MCFAs in coconut oil are isolated and removed from the oil to be used medicinally or in beauty products. So, we are risking our hearts and our lives and not even getting the little benefit we thought we were getting!
Yes, it is true that some of these MCFAs (like lauric and capric acid) have been shown to have antifungal and antiviral properties. But we don’t eat foods because of their antimicrobial properties. We eat foods to provide healthy fuels, which as a result strengthens things like our immune system, which then fights microbes. Our food doesn’t fight infection rather our immune system does. More importantly, we shouldn’t approve of a food just because one part of it has a specific property we like. This reductionist view is sort of like saying that cigarettes are great because they found some antioxidants in the tobacco. The take home message is that the whole food serves no purpose and poses serious risk. There are no omega 3 fats (the essential fats people care about) in coconut oil. Furthermore, if someone on an oil-free, low fat, plant based diet added coconut oil to their diet the fat load on the vessels will cause serious damage. Inflammation and blood vessel flow decrease when exposed to any fat, including coconut oil, and overall health takes a beating. When looking at that whole package the numbers just don’t lie:
Take a look at the nutritional content of one tablespoon of coconut oil:
Calories: 116 (Calories from fat = 116)
Total Fat: 14 grams
Saturated Fat: 12 grams
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.8 grams
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 0
Protein: 0
Vitamins A,C,E,B6,B12: 0
Vitamin K: 0.1 microgram (one Romaine lettuce leaf has about 30 micrograms)
Calcium: 0
Iron: 0
Magnesium: 0
Potassium: 0
Sodium: 0
Zinc: 0
Are we sensing a theme here? The bottom line is that Coconut Oil is devoid of vitamins, minerals, and most other nutrients. It is pure FAT…and worse than that it is over 90% saturated fat! The same saturated fat that raises our cholesterol, clogs our arteries, and contributes to our heart attacks! In the 1980’s, the American Heart Association recognized coconut oil’s high saturated fat content as overall destructive to heart health as well as specifically promoting heart damage and disease. As a result, they continue to advise the reduction of all saturated fats (including coconut oil) to less than 7% of dietary calories. This opinion is shared by the World Health Organization and the FDA – both recommending decreasing intake of saturated fats as the reduction of saturated fat (including coconut oil) has been shown to benefit our overall health.
In light of this information, coconut oil seems better served in our cars and on our skin and should really NEVER be used in our food. Having said that, if you enjoy the taste of coconut, a natural plant food, then go ahead and indulge…but as a treat – small amounts, of the whole plant food (NOT the oil)… once in a generous while!
REFERENCES:
Blackburn GL. Nutrition and inflammatory events: highly unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 vs omega-6) in surgical injury. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1992 Jun;200(2):183-8.
Christensen JØ, Schultz K, Mollgaard B, Kristensen HG, Mullertz A. Solubilisation of poorly water-soluble drugs during in vitro lipolysis of medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2004 Nov;23(3):287-96.
Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases: report of a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation
Nicholls et al. Consumption of Saturated Fat Impairs the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of High-Density Lipoproteins and Endothelial Function J Am Coll Cardiol, 2006; 48:715-720.
Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Aug;34(8):1552-61.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
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