Coconut Oil....healthy or harmful?

We hear lots of things at the moment about coconut oil, from Dr Oz and other people who want you to spend money on their coconut oil. I have investigated the science behind this food product to determine if it is safe and if it meets the claims that are made about it.

Claim: Coconut oil is good for you! (WRONG)

Coconut oil is a saturated fat, just like butter, lard, bacon fat, pork rinds etc. A portion of coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid called Lauric acid, that some small studies show may not be as bad for us as others, however, ultimately it is still a saturated fat. We know from years of sound science that unsaturated fats (like the Omega 3s in tuna and salmon) are better for us and and may be protective against cardiac disease. We do not have the same body of sound evidence for any form of saturated fat.

Claim: Coconut oil is antiviral, antifungal and will prevent HIV, Hep C, the flu, mononucleosis, pneumonia, dental cavities, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia.... (WRONG)

No one food item could ever live up to this reputation, nor will any one food item protect you from disease. Human bodies require a variety of nutrients to perform at their best, not just coconut oil. If this was true, would HIV infection never happen in the Carribean? Would food poisoning never happen in Fiji?

Claim: Coconut oil is the "low fat" fat that is really metabolized like a carbohydrate (WRONG)

One small piece of the structure of the coconut oil fat is a medium chain fatty acid. Some medium and short chain fatty acids can be absorbed directly through the intestine and therefore may not have to be metabolized by the liver. For people with liver disease and subsequent fat malabsorption, this might be helpful. For the rest of us with normal metabolisms, this is irrelevant. And this does NOT make it a carbohydrate!

Claim: Coconut oil is a natural antioxidant, supports immune function and protects us from a variety of cancers. (WRONG)

There is no known antioxidant quality that can be formed from a saturated fatty acid chain. Structurally, it's impossible, because the fat chain is already fully saturated so there is no place for free radicals to attach.

BOTTOM LINE: If you are using small amounts of coconut oil instead of other saturated fats like butter or lard, it's really no different. IF, on the other hand, you use coconut oil in place of mono and poly-unsaturated fats like olive and canola oil,nuts and fish....or worse, you've added gobs of it to your diet thinking it's a healthful fat, you are not doing yourself any favors. Many years of sound science show an association between lower heart disease risk and intake of UNsaturated fats. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, like any other, and therefore should be eaten sparingly only.