Coconut Oil Uses in Food

Coconut oil is an edible, tropical plant oil that is derived from the coconut palm, a tree crop that is native to the tropics. For numerous centuries, it has been a traditional dietary staple of populations living in Asia, Africa and the Pacific islands. Today, its uses in food have been adopted by people all across the world. However, before incorporating coconut oil into your diet, it is important to keep in mind that research on the health effects of coconut oil are still ongoing.

Dietary Fat

Coconut oil can be taken as a source of dietary fats. Jon J. Kabara, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan recommends using coconut oil as a healthy culinary alternative to animal fats. This is because the fats in coconut oil are in the form of medium-chain fatty acids, which are beneficial to your health. Animal fats, on the other hand, are in the form of long-chain fatty acids, which tend to raise cholesterol levels and cause heart disease.

Baby Formula

In his book “The Coconut Miracle,” Bruce Fife, Ph.D., notes that coconut oil is added to most baby formulas. This is because of its high lauric acid content. He reports that lauric acid is an essential component of mother’s milk, and serves to improve nutrient absorption, aid digestive function, help regulate blood sugar levels and functions as an antimicrobial and anti-parasitic agent to protect the baby from infection. The lauric acid in coconut oil serves the same purpose when added to baby formula.

Culinary Uses

Coconut oil is widely used in tropical regions as a cooking oil. Fife writes that this oil is a healthy choice for cooking and frying because it has a relatively high smoke point of 360°F. As such, unlike other cooking oils, it can be heated to high temperatures without forming trans-fats. Furthermore, since it is slow to oxidize, it is resistant to rancidity and has a much longer shelf life of up to two years.

Functional Food

Coconut oil is considered to be a functional food because incorporating it into your diet provides more than just nutritional benefits. In a monogram on coconut oil, Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., notes that coconut oil contains a number of physiologically functional components that have non-dietary, health-supporting functions. One such component is lauric acid. She cites recent research studies showing that lauric acid has unique properties in food use that are related to its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-protozoal functions. Capric acid is another one of the fatty acids found in coconut oil, which has been shown to have antimicrobial properties.