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Does Coconut Milk Help With Weight Loss?

May 7, 2011 | By Jan Millehan
Does Coconut Milk Help With Weight Loss?
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Although it is considered by many to be a fattening source of saturated fat, coconut proponents and some researchers believe that the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut milk, oil and other coconut products can help you lose weight. The fatty acids in coconut milk are rapidly absorbed by the body and burned as fuel instead of being stored as fat, according to nutritional expert and medical doctor Ward Dean.

Classification

Dietary fats can be classified based on their saturation -- saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids -- as well as by the size of their molecules, or the length of their carbon chains. Fats grouped according to their chain size are called short-chain fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids. Three fatty acids joined together form short, medium and long-chain triglycerides. Ninety-eight to 100 percent of the fats you eat contain long-chain triglycerides, according to naturopathic physician and nutritionist Bruce Fife, director of the nonprofit Coconut Research Center. However, coconut milk primarily contains medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT, that may help you lose weight.

Process

Your body processes the MCTs in coconut milk differently than it processes other fats. The body breaks down most fats into lipoproteins -- small bundles of fat and protein that are sent directly into the bloodstream and deposited into fat cells. However, your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to the liver for conversion into energy for the organs and muscles. MCTs act metabolically similar to carbohydrates in your body, according to Dean. So instead of being stored as fat, the calories in MCTs provide energy for increased metabolism.

Thermogenesis

The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut milk may increase thermogenesis, or the process in which your body metabolizes fats, according to doctor of biology and physiology specialist Ray Peat. Research published in the December 2002 edition of the "Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology" observed the effects of diet-induced thermogenesis on the accumulation of body fat in rats fed a diet of MCTs or LCTs. Based on two experiments, rats receiving MCTs experienced significantly larger diet-induced thermogenesis and had significantly lower carcass and intra-abdominal fat than those consuming LCTs. Researchers concluded that diet-induced thermogenesis was a main factor in suppressing body fat accumulation in rats fed MCTs when compared to rats fed LCTs.

Calories and Appetite Control

Consuming coconut milk in a variety of dishes, including butterscotch pudding, may reduce the number of calories you consume and help control your appetite, as well. The MCTs -- found in coconut products -- generally contain 10 percent fewer calories than long-chain triglycerides due to the small size of their carbon chains, according to Dean. In the online newsletter "Nutrition Review," Dean cites research that observed the effects of medium-chain triglycerides on appetite control. This 14-day study involved six healthy male volunteers who were given unlimited access to either a diet containing low MCTs, medium MCTs or high MCTs. Researchers determined that caloric consumption was significantly lower in participants who consumed the high MCTs diet and noted that substituting MCTs for other fats in a high-fat, energy-dense diet can reduce caloric intake and weight gain.

References

Article reviewed by Eric Lochridge Last updated on: May 7, 2011

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