A recent survey found that 72 percent of people think coconut oil is good for you. That’s not surprising with all the internet hype touting an array of coconut oil benefits. But is it really healthy?
The main concern with coconut oil is that it’s roughly 90 percent full of saturated fat. It’s higher than butter, beef and lard. Saturated fats can raise your LDL, the bad cholesterol which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Because of this, the American Heart Association issued a warning against using coconut oil, stating there are “no known offsetting favorable effects.”
Coconut oil is high in lauric acid which may be the reason why this tropical oil does a good job of raising HDL, your good cholesterol. It sounds confusing, but coconut oil raises both good and bad cholesterol.
But when it comes to your heart and preventing or reversing heart disease, there’s not enough data to support long-term benefits.
However, I don’t want you to think of coconut oil as good or bad or being off-limits. Here are my prescriptions:
Partha’s RX
1. Use coconut oil sparingly. One tablespoon has roughly 13 grams of saturated fat, which is the daily amount the American Heart Association recommends.
2. For day-to-day use, use olive, canola or soybean oil. Unsaturated fat vegetable oils raise your good cholesterol while lowering your bad cholesterol.
3. When baking or cooking, try using cholesterol-free coconut oil instead of lard or butter. Products labeled Virgin means it’ll have no added chemicals and more tropical flavor.
4. Aim to get most of your fat from unsaturated sources which include avocado, nuts, and seed. Don’t forget to eat a healthy diet full of fruits, veggies, lean protein and whole grains.
Coconut oil contains MCTs, medium-chain triglycerides, which may prompt your body to burn off calories instead of storing them as fat. But coconut oil is high in calories, roughly 120 calories per one tablespoon. So, if you include it in your diet, you’ll likely need to reduce calories elsewhere if you want to lose weight.
