Coconut oil is considered a saturated fat that can raise cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. It can be especially bad if it's been hydrogenated, a chemical process that fats undergo in food processing. However, there's some debate on whether non-hydrogenated coconut oil has the same effect as saturated fats found in animal products because coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid, also known as a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), as opposed to a long chain fatty acid. While it may raise total cholesterol, half of this increase might involve "good" HDL cholesterol levels, according to the "Proceedings on the World Conference on Lauric Oils," by Thomas H. Applewhite.
Weight Loss Benefit
MCTs like coconut oil may actually have a beneficial effect for people who are on weight-loss diets, according to a study published in the 2008 "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." Lead author Marie-Pierre St-Onge of the New York Obesity Research Center also determined that MCTs can be incorporated into such a diet without raising risk of metabolic syndrome. The study compared metabolic risk factors for using MCTs versus olive oil, examining effects on blood pressure, fasting blood-glucose levels and total cholesterol. Some of the study subjects given MCTs who had evidence of metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the study no longer were at risk at the end. "Distinction should be made regarding chain length when it comes to discussing the effects of saturated fats on metabolic risk factors," St-Onge recommends. A second study by St-Onge and Aubrey Bosarge published in the March 2008 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that consuming MCTs led to higher rates of fat mass and weight loss than olive oil.
Hypoglycemia Helper
As a MCT, coconut oil may be beneficial if you are suffering hypoglycemia, meaning low blood-glucose levels. A 2009 study published in the journal "Diabetes" found that consuming MCTs reversed effects of impaired cognitive performance brought on by hypoglycemia. Study subjects took tests including map searching, digit symbol coding and verbal memory recall, according to lead study author Kathleen A. Page. Further, ingesting MCTs preserved brain function without causing hyperglycemia, or blood-glucose levels that are raised too high, the study concludes. "Diabetes" is the journal of the American Diabetes Association.
Intestinal Inflammation Releif
Coconut oil may help you if you suffer from Crohn's or colitis because MCTs can reduce intestinal inflammation, according to a study published in the March 2009 "Journal of Nutrition." The study compared effects of a diet with all sunflower oil with a diet that was half sunflower and half coconut oil on rats with colitis. Lead study author J. Mane concluded the diet with coconut oil decreased incidence of colitis, which he states indicates a possible therapeutic effect in human Crohn's disease, though more research is needed to recommend for or against this use of MCTs like coconut oil in humans.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition;" Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil Consumption as Part of a Weight Loss Diet Does Not Lead to an Adverse Metabolic Profile When Compared to Olive Oil; Marie-Pierre St-Onge et al.; 2008
- "Diabetes:" Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Improve Cognitive Function in Intensively Treated Type 1 Diabetic Patients and Support In Vitro Synaptic Transmission During Acute Hypoglycemia; Kathleen A. Page et al.; 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:" Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil; Marie-Pierre St-Onge and Aubrey Bosarge; March 2008
- PubMed: "Journal of Nutrition:" Partial replacement of dietary (n-6) fatty acids with medium-chain triglycerides decreases the incidence of spontaneous colitis in interleukin-10-deficient mice; J. Mañé; March 2009
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