The coconut has been a primary dietary component of many island cultures for thousands of years. Because of its high fat content, it has often been regarded as unhealthy food. The type of fats it contains, however, are forms of saturated fat that have very different properties than those found in animal products. Expanding research in the West is discovering it might offer a number of important health benefits. If you decide to add coconut to your diet, you must make sure to compensate by cutting back on other types of fats and continue to consume the amount of calories appropriate for your energy needs.
Medium Chain Triglycerides
Fats are comprised of a number of carbon atoms that link together in a kind of chain. Long-chain triglycerides comprise the majority of fats in the average Western diet. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT's. Because of their shorter chain composition, the body burns them up faster and they are primarily used as an immediate source of energy rather than being stored as body fat, explains nutritionist Jonny Bowden. Gram for gram, these fats also have slightly less calories -- 8.3 vs. 9 for long-chain fats. This unique composition suggests this form of fat, though saturated, does not pose similar risks as more dangerous types of fat, whose buildup in the body triggers numerous health problems.
Lauric Acid
Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, another type of saturated fat. When consumed, your body converts it to monolaurin, a substance that fights off bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes. This action makes it potentially useful for boosting the immune system.
Heart Health
When it comes to heart health, saturated fat is often seen as enemy No. 1, but the saturated fats in coconut oil appear to offer protection against heart disease. Alternative medicine expert Dr. Joseph Mercola reports numerous studies looking at levels of heart disease in Pacific island nations -- where 30 to 60 percent of their total calories comes from the saturated fat of coconut oil -- have found levels to be "nearly nonexistent."
Dr. Ward Dean, writing for "Nutrition Review" reports research has shown MCT's have exhibited the ability to reduce blood clotting, lower cholesterol levels in the blood and in the liver and fight free radical damage.
Weight Loss and Appetite Control
Besides your body does not tend to store the fats in coconut oil as body fat, they also appear to increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat, Dean says. He notes a study where men ate either a diet low, medium or high in MCT's, which found the subjects consuming the most of these fats ate the least calories. Ward, Mercola and Bowden all note that research has shown consuming the fats in coconut oil led to a greater increase in the amount of fat burned for energy and a faster metabolism when consumed as a primary type of fat. This means that you should not just add coconut oil to your current diet -- you must reduce your intake of other types of fats for optimal benefit and follow the basic tenets of healthy eating.
Consumption Tips
Consuming large amounts of coconut oil at once if you have never used it before could lead to nausea and general stomach upset. Ward recommends starting off with a quarter teaspoon a few times a day and gradually increasing the dosage. No exact guidelines exist on how much you should take, but standard nutrition guidelines suggest keeping fats to about 35 percent of your total calories. Heating it beyond 160 degrees F will cause the beneficial components to break down.
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