Rethinking Coconut Oil - The Not-So-Healthy-Anymore Oil?

For years now people have been talking about the alleged health benefits of eating coconut oil. It's been the headline in many mainstream news reports, both on television and in print online and in newspapers. The alternative media was talking about it in droves, turning coconut oil and other things coconut into a big hype.

I don't know if it's still a thing, but I recall a few years ago that coconut water was the big rage in Hollywood that many other people started emulating into their social spheres.

Coconut oil does have health benefits compared to other oils, but it is still an oil with fats that have harmful health effects. Coconut oil is healthier than other oils, but that doesn't actually make it healthy in itself. Something healthy in itself doesn't have negative effects. Different fats can contribute different levels of heart disease risk. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death on the planet, with 17.3 million each year. Knowing what we are eating and how it effects our bodies can save our lives.

Most people don't even know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat. But even though some people do, they still think unsaturated fat is actually a "healthy food". The American Heart Association did a survey where 72% of the American public think coconut oil is a healthy food, while only 37% of nutritionists consider it a healthy food. It's not "healthy", it's just less bad for your health, more healthy than less healthy. Stealing someone's bike is less wrong and more good than murdering someone, but stealing the bike still isn't a good thing.

Mass-marketing has heavily influenced the public consciousness to accept coconut oil as some form of weight loss, to help in digestion issues, and even to boost your metabolism. Do people fail to recognize that coconut oil is 80% saturated fat? That's saturated fat, not poly or monounsaturated fat. Even if coconut oil has more of the "healthier" unsaturated fat compared to other foods, it still is 80% saturated fat.

Saturated fat is associated with the increase in blood cholesterol and the waxy cholesterol buildup in the arteries. There is good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol though. Things like butter, lard, cakes, processed food, chips and other junk food are high in saturated fat (LDL), while unsaturated fat (HDL) is found in plant sources like olive oil, nuts and seeds. Coconut oil has both saturated and unsaturated fat, and raises both HDL and LDL blood cholesterol levels.

The important thing is the LDL that raises your blood cholesterol in a bad way, because changes in HDL cholesterol don't appear to be directly linked to changes in cardiovascular disease. The focus needs to be on the negative LDL and removing it from our bodies, as mixing the two doesn't work to eliminate cardiovascular disease threats.

This is why a recent review by the American Heart Association has advised to avoid eating coconut oil because there is still the risk present. The media again ran this story about coconut oil, but some have changed the story tell people to eat other saturated fats instead of coconut oil, which isn't the right thing to do. The AHA is trying to clear up some misunderstanding with some evidence-based advice to the public. Switching out saturated fats for unsaturated fats is still a good thing to do as it decreases the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 30%.

So for anyone who thought of coconut oil as something "healthy" as opposed to something "healthier" than other fats, needs to reevaluate their eating habits. Coconut oil can still be used in a diet but should be considered more of a treat like other fats in order to keep consumption levels down. The good news is you can still put it in your hair if you used it for that or any other external purpose and it won't affect your heart's health.

Some people use coconut oil to fry things instead of the standard oils, and think they are "eating healthy"...

None of the information is new for the science of coconut oil. Getting the information for the first time might be new to some though.

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Thank you for your time and attention! I appreciate the knowledge reaching more people. Take care. Peace.

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References:

• New Study Confirms That Coconut Oil Is Alarmingly High In Saturated Fat
• Coconut oil is ‘as bad for you as beef dripping and butter’ heart experts warn
• Here's What You Really Need to Know About Coconut Oil
• Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association, Frank M. Sacks, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Jason H.Y. Wu, Lawrence J. Appel, Mark A. Creager, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Michael Miller, Eric B. Rimm, Lawrence L. Rudel, Jennifer G. Robinson, Neil J. Stone, Linda V. Van Horn and On behalf of the American Heart Association. CIR.0000000000000510, originally published June 15, 2017

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