The medical community has stressed avoiding saturated fats--fats solid at room temperature--because of the link to heart disease. All saturated fats are thought to raise bad LDL cholesterol levels and lower good HDL cholesterol levels. The fats found in coconut oil are saturated and could be more beneficial than harmful to your health.
Our Bodies and Coconut Oil
The fat in coconut oil supplements is a medium chain triglyceride, MCT, meaning it is shorter in length than fats like olive, safflower, canola, flaxseed, and other vegetable oils. MCT oils are used by your cells faster and more efficiently because they go straight to the liver for use. In addition, MCT oils do not form cholesterol with essential fatty acids, help prevent muscle breakdown and are not stored as body fat according to Jon J. Kabara, Ph.D. in "Health Oils from the Tree of Life."
Bacteria and Viruses
Your body makes lauric acid or monolaurin, a monoglyceride of lauric acid from the saturated fat in coconuts. Jon Kabara found in his research that bacteria, viruses, yeast, and fungi could be killed by the monolaurin. These antimicrobial properties of coconut oil lead to monolaurin being added to cosmetics and mouthwash.
Body Fat
According to Conrado Dayrit, M.D. in "Coconut Oil: Atherogenic or Not?" coconut oil doesn't form fat deposits and contribute to body fat accumulation. The potential for coconut oil to increase feelings of fullness after a meal may be a possible reason why there is a change in body fat composition. When the stomach feels full, the brain isn't signaled for hunger, therefore you don't eat. This can lead to fewer calories being eaten and leading to weight or fat loss.
Cardiovascular Health
Saturated fats from animals were proven to raise cholesterol levels that promoted heart disease. The medical community promoted all saturated fats, including plant saturated fats acted like animal saturated fats in promoting heart disease. The absorption of coconut oil differs from long chain fats like animal fat, corn, safflower or soybean oil. Coconut oil is directly absorb by the vascular system after ingestion and are rapidly converted into energy. Conrado Dayrit states that coconut oil doesn't lead to cholesterol intermediates that ultimately become LDL--bad--cholesterol that lead to an increase in fatty streaks in arteries that is seen with some vegetable oils when eaten in abundance.
Immunity
Eating coconut oil or taking supplements could possibly help your body produce less proinflammatory, histamine releasing immune responses that are typically seen with diets high in omega-6 fats. Coconut oil stimulates the same immune factors like fish, flaxseed and olive oils according to Mary Enig, Ph.D. in "Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century."
References
- "Health Oils from the Tree of Life"; Jon Kabara, Ph.D.; April 2004
- Coconut Research Center: Coconut
- "Coconut Oil: Atherogenic or Not?"; Conrado Dayrit, M.D.; Philippine Journal Of Cardiology; July-Sept 2003
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