More and more Americans are becoming health conscious and also better informed on which foods are healthy and which foods are not. Many Americans are aware that not all dietary fat is bad. In general, unsaturated fats are healthy while saturated and trans fats are not. Cooking oils such as extra virgin olive oil and canola oil are healthy because they contain large amounts of unsaturated fat and low amounts of saturated fat. Coconut oil, however, is touted to be healthy but contains large amounts of saturated fat.
General Information
According to the Coconut Research Center, coconuts contain several types of food sources that you can consume. These include coconut pulp or meat, coconut milk, coconut water and coconut oil. All vary in their nutritional content. The coconut oil that makes it to the shelves of your local health food store is a natural oil that is extracted from fresh coconuts. It does not contain trans fat or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Many Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be a cure for every illness.
Saturated Fat Content
It is true that coconut oil contains large amount of saturated fat, even the extra-virgin and organic forms. A single serving or 1 tbsp. of typical commercially sold brand of extra-virgin coconut oil will contain 120 calories from 14g of fat with 12.5g coming in the form of saturated fat. According to Dr. Jonny Bowden, PH.D. and CNS, author of the book "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth," 92 percent of fats and total calories in coconut oil are from saturated fat. This is greater than butter, which generally contains 66 percent saturated fat. This is alarming to many people who are aware that high saturated fat consumption may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular ailments.
Medium Chain Triglycerides
The saturated fat content listed on the nutrition label does not tell the entire story, however. The saturated fat in coconut oil is in the form of medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. MCTs are a different class of saturated fats that are particularly healthful according to The Ohio State University. Dr. Bowden explains that the predominant MCT in coconut oil is lauric acid. Lauric acid has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral effects. Lauric acid kills "bad" bacteria and spares the "good" bacteria that is essential to your digestive tract. Furthermore, MCTs are digested faster and more easily than long-chain saturated fats. Your body does not tend to store MCTs as fatty tissue as readily as it does regular saturated fat.
Additonal Health Benefits
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, coconut oil can strongly increase your HDL or "good" cholesterol levels. A low HDL cholesterol level is a risk factor for heart disease. Despite the saturated fat content, which mainly consists of MCTs, coconut oil is a heart-healthy cooking oil just like the more popular olive oil. Dr. Jonny Bowden further reports that coconut oil can aid the absorption of calcium, magnesium and amino acids. It also acts as a potent antioxidant and notes that populations that consume coconut as a daily part of their diet are rarely troubled by osteoporosis. Dr. Bowden reiterates that saturated fat in coconut oil is completely different than the saturated fat in fast foods such as French fries and doughnuts, which you should "avoid like the plague."
References
- "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth"; Dr. Jonny Bowden; 2007
- Harvard School of Public Health: Shining the Spotlight on Trans Fats
- The Ohio State University: Chow Line: Coconut oil unlike other saturated fat; Martha Filipic; Dec 9 2007
- VitaCost.com: Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil -- 15 fl oz
- University of California at San Diego: Antimicrobial Property of Lauric Acid Against Propionibacterium Acnes: Its Therapeutic Potential for Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris; Nakatsuji et al.
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