There has recently been a bit of debate centered around coconut oil and the broader topic of saturated fat.
Coconut oil peaked in popularity around 2015 with claims from everything to accelerating weight loss to transforming your hair, skin, and teeth (see our previous post on oil-pulling). Since then coconut oil has gotten some backlash.
Last year the AHA (American Heart Association) advised people against consumption of coconut oil due to the high level of saturated fat in it (compared to other oils) stating that saturated fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad one), which increases your risk for cardiovascular disease - which continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide.
In an article originally published in May 2001; Harvard Medical School addresses coconut oil and it’s health claims. Yes coconut oil is 90% saturated fat, which is higher than butter, beef, and lard. Saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol BUT, as the article goes on to say and as I will further explain, coconut oil also raises HDL cholesterol (the good kind) - more than other fats do.
Recently a video went viral where a Harvard professor referenced coconut oil as “pure poison.” Dr. Karen Michels claims that lard is better in comparison and goes on to talk (in German so I relied on articles to summarize what she said) that coconut oil is one of the “worst things you can eat.”
I’m a big “everything in moderation” kind of person myself. I’m very wary of extreme positions on most topics, especially food (and politics). I never drink the kool-aid on the newest buzz “superfood” with claims to cure everything from cancer to obesity if eaten. I’m pro variety and am a fan of - the more natural the better & the less processed the better. Hearing what she said, vilifying coconut oil, had me digging for more answers because - really? I just find it hard to believe that the “worst thing you can eat,” comes from - coconuts!
So what do we know? Well saturated fat is bad, right? Well according to the AHA that is correct. This is a message they have been spreading since the 1960’s when they had people swapping eggs for margarine, that sounds healthy, right? (For those that don’t see the point I’m trying to make with that I’ll spell it out - margarine is rich in trans fat. Trans fats are directly linked to causing heart attacks, upward of 20,000 a year and the FDA just recently banned them from our food supply.) There has not been one conclusive study linking saturated fat with heart disease. There has however been studies done NOT linking saturated fats to an increase risk of heart disease, especially when those saturated fats come from dairy, fish, or plants (ie coconuts)! It may be worth mentioning now that the French (as a people) have a diet rich in dietary cholesterol and saturated fat (from cheese, fish, but have low red meat intake generally speaking) yet have the lowest death rates of coronary heart disease comparatively. But, getting back to the AHA …they are (partly) responsible for the low-fat (high-carb) diet craze of the late 80’s and 90’s, which (one could argue) directly led to an increases in obesity and diabetes - both risk factors for heart disease…interesting. Currently, the AHA recommends the following oils (in no particular order) above Coconut:
Peanut, Olive, Canola, Corn, Safflower, Soybean, Sunflower, and vegetable oils (which are blends of various types of these oils).
Some information about the AHA that I thought was interesting - the AHA in 2014 made 774 million dollars in revenue. They receive most of their funding from pharmaceutical companies and food companies/manufacturers. Another statistic I’ll throw in here is that 65% of the planted land mass in the US is dedicated to corn, wheat, and soy - great for making these oils the AHA recommends. Not sure how much % of our non-tropic climate here in the US is dedicated to coconuts - but I gather it is less than 65%. ($$$)
Some information about cholesterol and saturated fat. Cholesterol is a type of lipid (fat) molecule most think of as coming in 2 forms, the good, HDL - which you want to be HIGH and the bad, LDL - which you want to be LOW. You’ve likely heard of LDL and HDL before - but I want to introduce you to a new one, sdLDL or vLDL (I’ll stick with vLDL from here on in). LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins, HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins, sdLDL or vLDL stand for small-dense lipoproteins or very-low dense lipoproteins respectively.
The AHA stresses the importance of lowering LDL and the importance of eliminating high saturated fat foods (aka coconut oil) to do so. BUT a better indicator of heart health is having HIGH HDL… not in having LOW LDL (like they say). And guess what else? Saturated fats (and exercise) are the ways to increase your HDL! Yes, it’s true that saturated fat also increase LDL cholesterol but conversely, AHA’s diet recommendations (and a lot of statin drugs) that boost claims of reducing LDL cholesterol also reduce HDL -the good kind. And if having high HDL cholesterol is a stronger indicator of cardiovascular health than having low LDL, then isn’t this a bad thing? Anyone else’s head spinning yet?
When I researched more about vLDL I found that this is a MUCH stronger indicator of cardiovascular risk/health than LDL is (you also want vLDL to be LOW). Saturated fats, like coconut oil, that raise HDL (which is a good thing), do not increase vLDL (also a good thing). Guess what things DO increase vLDL - grains and sugar! So those high carb diets would increase vLDL and that corn oil/vegetable oil (from grains) would increase it too (both to recap are things the AHA DOES/DID endorse).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting a diet rich in red meat is now healthy because it has saturated fat (I’m a meat-free eater myself). I’m also not suggesting put coconut oil on everything you eat to prevent a heart attack. I’m just saying I don’t agree it is poison and there is alway more to a headline. Plant oils (ie coconut oil) and plant based sources of saturated fat effect the body differently than animal sources do. Coconut oil is rich in antioxidants and those health benefits cannot be ignored when considering the value it has to our overall health - in moderation of course (along with most things).
What do you guys think of the backlash coconut oil has received? Are you pro or con and why? What are some of your favorite uses of coconut oil? Have you tried oil pulling? Isn’t it weird?
