Coconut has been a staple food for many Asians and Pacific islanders for thousands of years. Although coconut is known to be considerably high in saturated fats, these populations have had very low rates of heart diseases and other chronic diseases until modern foods were introduced to their diets.
Nutrition Facts
Coconut is a tropical food that is high in fat. For example, 1 tbsp. of coconut oil provides 13.6 g of fat, of which 11.8 g are saturated, and 1 oz. of dried and unsweetened coconut meat contains 18.3 g of total fat, of which 16.2 g are saturated. The meat obtained from a quarter of a medium coconut contains 33.2 g of fat and 29.5 g of saturated fat, while 1/2 cup of canned coconut milk provides 24.1 g of fat and 21.4 g of saturated fat.
Saturated Fats
Coconuts and foods made from coconuts are high in saturated fats. For decades, saturated fats have been described as the bad fat that needed to be reduced in the American diet to prevent heart disease. However, a meta-analysis, which compiled data from 21 studies and 347,747 participants followed for a period ranging between five and 23 years, revealed that the consumption of saturated fat was not associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular or coronary heart diseases, as published in January 2010 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Cholesterol Levels
The major type of saturated fat present in coconut oil is called lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid with 12 carbons, which makes the fat of coconut very neutral for your blood cholesterol levels. A study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in 2001 compared the impact of a diet rich in saturated fat, which provided over 22 percent of the calories and of which one-third was lauric acid, against a diet rich in trans fat for alternating periods of four weeks each. The results showed that HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the high saturated fat group, at 73.1 mg/dL, compared to 56.5 mg/dL in the high trans fat group. LDL cholesterol levels did not differ between the groups studied.
Clotting
Fats can increase your platelet stickiness, making them more likely to form a clot, obstruct your blood vessels and cause problems to your heart. However, omega-3 fats, which are mainly found in cold-water fatty fish, and medium-chain fatty acids, which are abundant in coconut, are exceptions. The medium-chain fatty acids of coconut do not go through the same metabolic route as other fats, and they are more likely to be used immediately by your body to be burned for energy, decreasing your risk of blood clotting and heart disease.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Consumption of a Solid Fat Rich in Lauric Acid Results in a More Favorable Serum Lipid Profile in Healthy Men and Women Than Consumption of a Solid Fat Rich in Trans-Fatty Acids; Nicole M. de Roos, et al.; 2001
- "The Coconut Oil Miracle"; Bruce Fife; 2004
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- Coconut Research Center: Coconut (Cocos Nucifera): The Tree of Life
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies Evaluating the Association of Saturated Fat With Cardiovascular Disease; Patty W. Siri-Tarino, et al.; January 2010
