God made fat. I think it’s important that we start with that understanding. Whether fat is found in the body or in whole plant-based foods, it was designed to exist as part of God’s design. We want to be able to classify fat as bad or good in an effort to simplify this complicated topic, but it’s just not that simple.
Let’s begin by jumping into the deep end of the controversial topic of coconut oil. I use the word controversial because there are widely different perspectives and conclusions on its use. Some see coconut oil as a healthy food and literally drop tablespoons into their coffee to ensure that they get a daily dose. Others encourage people to never consume it. Why such wildly different views? Probably because each of them is looking at different qualities of the coconut in different contexts.
One of the main reasons that discussing dietary fat can be complicated is because there is a lot of variety in this macronutrient category. The two large classes are saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat has an evidenced-based reputation for increasing cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease risk, inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, there are different kinds of saturated fat, each with their own fancy name; and just because they are all saturated does not mean they all behave the same way in the body or have the same effect. Additionally, much smaller amounts of different types of saturated fat are naturally found in many plant-based foods that are very healthy for us, such as nuts, seeds, and avocados. Just because a food contains saturated fat does not mean that it is bad for us—but we do want to be aware of how much and what kinds of fat we eat.
Coconut itself is 30 percent fat. Coconut oil, though, is obviously 100 percent fat, of which about 90 percent is saturated fat. For comparison, lard and the fat of beef are 40 percent saturated fat. Butter is composed of 64 percent saturated fat. One tablespoon (14 grams) of coconut oil contains 12 grams of saturated fat, but the types of saturated fat in coconut are different from the types of saturated fat in animal products. To get more technical, coconut oil contains more lauric and myristic acid (types of saturated fatty acids), whereas animal-based foods contain more palmitic and stearic acid.
Coconuts grow near the equator, where it’s hot. The design of the coconut is perfect for such a climate where the heat and sunshine would rapidly damage other kinds of fats. It is encased in a dark, airtight shell, and its saturated structure protects it from becoming damaged, rancid, or oxidized. In addition, lauric acid inhibits bacteria growth, and the polyphenols found in coconut oil have known antioxidant properties. These nutrients and antioxidants work together to protect the oil from spoilage and rancidity, contributing to coconut oil’s shelf life.
For centuries, the coconut and its oil have been used by populations who live where it grows and consume it as part of their diet. There is evidence of coconut use in present-day India and Pakistan dating back to 2500 B.C. It’s interesting that historically, in many parts of the world where coconut and coconut oil are staples in indigenous diets, rates of chronic disease, including coronary artery disease, were low. This reality seems to be tied to the larger context of their diet, which consisted of unprocessed high-fiber plant foods, including whole coconut, tubers, fruits, nuts, leaves, and fish. Sadly, we’ve witnessed the results of the dietary shift to a more processed, Western-style diet laden with white flour, sugar, and fatty animal products plus coconut oil in these people groups. Disease and obesity have dramatically increased.
Studies have associated coconut oil intake with increased blood cholesterol levels, both LDL and HDL types; yet there is evidence demonstrating reduced levels of inflammatory markers from coconut oil.1 Rats who consumed additional coconut oil along with a high-fat diet experienced increased LDL cholesterol, weight gain, and fatty liver.2 There’s a small study showing that coconut oil compared to peanut oil improves insulin sensitivity.3 But, there are other studies that link chronic coconut oil use to insulin resistance.4 In mice, lard was observed to cause gut dysbiosis, where the beneficial bacteria in the gut were reduced.5 On the other hand, when coconut oil was fed to pigs, it improved their gut microbiome.6 Malaysian women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer experienced improved functional status and quality of life after consuming 10 mL of coconut oil twice a day.7 Pigs experienced increased leaky gut and endotoxin infiltration into the blood after eating porridge in which coconut oil had been added compared with water, vegetable oil, or omega-3 fat added to the porridge.8 These are studies using coconut oil. It’s interesting to note a study in which individuals were fed coconut fiber from coconut flakes for 14 days and experienced a reduction in serum cholesterol comparable to that achieved with oat bran. In other words, the whole coconut or other parts of it may not have the same effects on cholesterol or overall health as coconut oil.9 “Epidemiological evidence from populations who consume substantial amounts of coconut is frequently cited as evidence that coconut oil does not have negative effects on cardiovascular health. It is important to note, however, that most indigenous populations have consumed either coconut flesh or squeezed coconut cream.”10
Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective qualities, it is my position at present that the coconut has a place in a healthy diet. How much coconut you should consume in your diet, though, depends on a number of factors. One’s general health status, weight, health risks and vulnerabilities, and overall dietary pattern need to be considered. We have not looked at all the chemistry of coconut oil and its MCT (medium chain triglyceride) content. We can save this for an advanced investigation of coconut oil. The overall fat composition of the diet is also important, and I have a hunch that the amount of omega-3 fats in the diet affects the impact of coconut fat on our overall health. Virgin coconut oil is said to be preferred since it contains a variety of protective phytochemicals which are largely eliminated through the refining process.
Based on the research I have seen up to this point, I would advise modest, balanced inclusion of coconut products—not just the oil—for healthy young adults. For the elderly man or woman with cardiovascular disease, however, I would suggest caution, and to ensure a healthy balance of total fat intake.
Don’t forget, God made the coconut.
1. Neelakantan, N., Seah, J. Y. H., & van Dam, R. M. (2019b). The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043052
Hewlings, S. (2020). Coconuts and health: Different chain lengths of saturated fats require
different consideration. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease, 7(4), 59.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd7040059
2. Ströher, D. J., De Oliveira, M. F., Martinez-Oliveira, P., Pilar, B. C., Cattelan, M. D. P., Rodrigues, E., Bertolin, K., Gonçalves, P. B. D., Da Costa Escobar Piccoli, J., & Manfredini, V. (2020). Virgin Coconut Oil Associated with High-Fat Diet Induces Metabolic Dysfunctions, Adipose Inflammation, and Hepatic Lipid Accumulation. Journal of Medicinal Food, 23(7), 689–698. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2019.0172
3. Korrapati, D., Jeyakumar, S. M., Putcha, U. K., Mendu, V. R., Ponday, L. R., Acharya, V., Koppala, S. R., & Vajreswari, A. (2019). Coconut oil consumption improves fat-free mass, plasma HDL-cholesterol and insulin sensitivity in healthy men with normal BMI compared to peanut oil. Clinical Nutrition, 38(6), 2889–2899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.12.026
4. Dhanasekara, C. S., Nelson, A., Spradley, M., Wynn, A., Robohm-Leavitt, C., Shen, C., & Kahathuduwa, C. N. (2022). Effects of consumption of coconut oil or coconut on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional trials. Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 32(1), 53–68.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2021.09.014
5. Bojková, B., Winklewski, P. J., & Wszedybyl-Winklewska, M. (2020). Dietary Fat and Cancer—Which is good, which is bad, and the body of evidence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(11), 4114. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21114114
6. López-Colom, P., Castillejos, L., Rodríguez-Sorrento, A., Puyalto, M., Mallo, J. J., & Martín-Orúe, S. M. (2019). Efficacy of medium-chain fatty acid salts distilled from coconut oil against two enteric pathogen challenges in weanling piglets. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 10(1).https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0393-y
7. Law, K. S., Azman, N., Omar, E. A., Musa, M. Y., Yusoff, N. M., Sulaiman, S. A., & Hussain, N. H. N. (2014). The effects of virgin coconut oil (VCO) as supplementation on quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients. Lipids in Health and Disease, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-511x-13-139
8. Mani, V., Hollis, J. H., & Gabler, N. K. (2013). Dietary oil composition differentially modulates intestinal endotoxin transport and postprandial endotoxemia. Nutrition & Metabolism, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-10-6
9. Trinidad, T. P., Loyola, A. S., Mallillin, A. C., Valdez, D. H., Askali, F. C., Castillo, J. C., Resaba, R. L., & Masa, D. B. (2004). The Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of Coconut Flakes in Humans with Moderately Raised Serum Cholesterol. Journal of Medicinal Food, 7(2), 136–
140. https://doi.org/10.1089/1096620041224148
10. Eyres, L., Eyres, M. F., Chisholm, A., & Brown, R. C. (2016). Coconut oil consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in humans. Nutrition Reviews, 74(4), 267–280. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuw002
