Diet Tip

Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fats, yet somehow people think it is a healthy oil. In fact, 3 out of 4 Americans rated it as healthy. Even 1 out of 3 dietitians rate coconut oil as healthy. The last time we posted about coconut oil was 3 years ago. We wrote that emerging evidence about the makeup of saturated fats in coconut oil may render it "less unhealthy" than other saturated fats such as butter or lard. Our recommendation was limited consumption.

A recent meta-study published in Circulation, and endorsed by the American Heart Association, has determined that coconut oil consumption is unhealthy. This is due to the fact that it increases levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. As a reminder, increased LDL levels are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

According to the authors, in 7 out of 7 studies comparing coconut oil to vegetable oils (mostly unsaturated fats), the former raised LDL levels, but the latter did not. In 6 of the studies, LDL levels rose significantly.

Detractors of the study claim that it does not differentiate between different types of LDL bad cholesterol, each with different levels of risk associated with it.

We continue to advise the Fooducate community: limit your consumption of foods high in saturated fat, including coconut oil.

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Source: Sacks, et al - Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association - Circulation, June 2017