Products Used In The Study
VCO was produced by Siam Paradise Health Products Co. Ltd. The oil contained lauric acid 50.4%, myristic acid 17.5%, caprylic acid 9.0%, palmitic acid 7.9%, capric acid 7.0%, oleic acid 5.9%, stearic acid 1.6%, and linoleic acid 0.9%. The control regimen was 2% CMC solution, produced by the Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University. A 2% CMC solution was chosen as the control regimen instead of other types of oil in order to avoid any effects of other oils on the lipid profiles.
Ask The Doctor: Coconut Oil And Health
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Q. I have started noticing more coconut oil at the grocery store and have heard it is better for you than a lot of other oils. Is that true?
A. I’ve also noticed that coconut oil seems to be catching on these days. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter , beef fat , or even lard . Too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. So it would seem that coconut oil would be bad news for our hearts.
But what’s interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives “good” HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether it’s saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so.
Coconut is a wonderful flavor and there’s no problem using coconut oil occasionally. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so cooks are experimenting with using it instead of butter or vegetable shortening to make pie crust and other baked goods that require a solid source of fat. And if you’re preparing a Thai dish, cooking with coconut oil may be essential.
Why Saturated Fat Matters
Ignore headlines like Butter is Back and claims that saturated fat isnt as bad as researchers once thought. Some of those headlines were triggered by studies with serious flaws.
The evidence that saturated fat causes atherosclerosis and heart disease is compelling, says Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and head of the heart association panel. Its consistent across randomized trials, large observational epidemiologic studies, and animal studies.
Thats because saturated fat increases LDLor low-density lipoproteincholesterol . LDL cholesterol is a cause of heart disease, Sacks explains. Its not a risk factor. Its a direct, absolute cause.
Several lines of evidence have nailed LDL as a culprit.
We know that LDL is the main carrier of cholesterol in the blood, and it enters into the walls of major arteries and deposits cholesterol there, says Sacks. And that sets off a chronic inflammatory reaction, which helps lead plaque to build up in arteries.
Also, people who inherit genes that raise their LDL have a higher risk of heart disease. And pretty much any class of drugs that reduces LDLlike statins, ezetimibe, PCSK-9 inhibitors, or resins like cholestyraminealso reduces heart disease.
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Coconut Oil And The Boost In Hdl Good Cholesterol
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on January 28th, 2021
The effects of coconut oil were compared to butter and tallow. Even if virgin coconut oil and other saturated fats raise LDL bad cholesterol, isnt that countered by the increase in HDL good cholesterol?
According to the experience and wisdom of 200 of the countrys leading experts in cardiovascular diseases, in a report representing 29 national medical organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, weve known for nearly half a century that coconut oil is one of the most potent agents for elevating serum cholesterol level. As I discuss in my video Coconut Oil and the Boost in HDL Good Cholesterol,studies showing coconut oil elevates cholesterol date back to 1955, when it was first shown experimentally that switching someone from coconut oil to soybean oil could drop cholesterol from around 200 down to 150, as you can see at 0:39 in my video.
Coconut oil can significantly raise cholesterol levels within hours of consumption. In fact, a significant increase in blood cholesterol was found within hours of eating a slice of cake made from either coconut oil , but not from the same cake made from flaxseed oil.
I love topics that give me an excuse to talk about scientific concepts more generally, like various study designs in my video Prostate Cancer and Organic Milk vs. Almond Milk or my discussion of direct versus indirect risk factors in this one.
Goat’s Milk: High In Saturated Fat And Cholesterol
Goat’s milk is a good option if you want a beverage with a similar nutritional profile to whole cows milk but you have trouble digesting lactose. On the downside, a 1-cup serving of goat’s milk is high in calories and saturated fat , and it also contains 27 mg of cholesterol.
According to the Mayo Clinic, limiting saturated fats in your diet can help reduce your blood cholesterol levels and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can lead to the plaque buildup in your arteries, called atherosclerosis a condition that increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.
Butuza notes that it’s difficult to find a low-fat version of goat’s milk, and that it has fewer essential vitamins and minerals than cow’s milk. Theres a lot less folate and B12 vitamin in goat milk, Butuza says. And if its raw, she says, “Theres a risk of foodborne illness unless you have a goat in your backyard.
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Whats The Bottom Line
While coconut oil shouldnt be considered off-limits, it doesnt quite live up to the hype, either.
This is another case of it if sounds too good to be true, it probably is, Young says. Its fine to add small amounts to your diet. But keep the focus on healthier fat sources along with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
If you want a product with the most flavor, look for jars labeled virgin. That means its made with a process that will help it keep more of its tropical taste.
Coconut Oil Bad For Ldl Cholesterol
But other long-chain saturated fatty acids, like the ones that make up most of the saturated fat in coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils , do in fact raise LDL cholesterol considerably. These saturated fats are called palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids. They also make up most of the saturated fatty acids in meat, poultry, and dairy fats like milk, butter, and cheese.
Other saturated fats that have little impact on LDL cholesterol levels include medium-chain varieties like caproic, caprylic, and capric acids. A small percentage of the saturated fat in coconut oil, about 10%, is made up of these less harmful saturated fatty acids, but virtually all the rest of coconut oils saturated fat is made up of the long-chain varieties that send LDL soaring.
And coconut oil is full of these artery-busting long-chain varieties by the sheer fact that theres such a huge percentage of saturated fat, 92%, packed into coconut oil to begin with.
Ounce for ounce, coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter, beef tallow, or lard.So coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol as much or more than animal fats, cautions Dr. Kenney.
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Does Coconut Increase Cholesterol Levels
Coconut is interesting in that it loosely fits the classification requirements of a fruit, a nut and a seed. According to the Library of Congress, however, a coconut is technically a drupe, or a pitted fruit that features a hard stone middle encasing a single seed. In raw form, a coconut has three layers that include the outer exocarp, the middle mesocarp and the inner endocarp layer. Although coconut has a high nutritional value, misconceptions concerning its saturated fat content may lead you to believe it can increase cholesterol levels.
The Good And The Bad: Hdl Vs Ldl Cholesterol
Two different types of lipoproteins transport cholesterol around the body:
- High-density lipoproteins, or HDL, are considered healthy.
- And low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, are the problematic ones that can drop cholesterol right into the bloodstream, which then makes its way to develop plaque on artery walls.
Why is LDL so problematic? The plaque that they form on arteries builds up over time and eventually narrows the pathways, making blood flow more difficult over time. Ultimately, that pressure can make artery walls rupture, leading to blood clots that can block blood flow, partially or entirely.
Blocked arteries are the primary cause of heart attacks and strokes, depending on where the blood blockage exists.
Sometimes, your LDL may be in the normal range and still be problematic for your body. Thats because not only do overall levels matter, but so do the balance of the two. If you dont have too much LDL in the body, but your good cholesterol levels are too low, it can cause an unhealthy imbalance.
The best time to start caring for your cholesterol levels is before they become a problem its never too early to begin monitoring your cholesterol and keeping your overall intake low.
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Raw Cows Milk And Foodborne Illness
Thinking about switching to raw cows milk, also known as unpasteurized milk? It has about the same amount of calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol as regular dairy milk, and some claim it has even more nutrients. But pregnant women and children should avoid drinking raw milk and eating dairy products such as cheese made from raw milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since raw milk doesn’t go through the process of pasteurization that kills potentially harmful bacteria like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of getting foodborne illness from it, though it has the potential to sicken anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unpasteurized milk is 150 times more likely to contain bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses than pasteurized dairy products.
So What Does It Taste Like
For many people coconut is an acquired taste. If you have grown up enjoying coconut, odds are youll like the slightly bittersweet flavor. Given that there are dozens of different flavors added to coconut water, this suggests its not a taste that everyone loves. Tropical juices are the common flavorings for coconut water. Some bottlers add sugar, which defeats some of coconut waters claims.
Eating fresh coconut is better for you than drinking its water. Like most fruits, you get much greater benefit from eating the whole fruit than drinking its juice there is far more fiber in the fruit than its liquid. As far as that highly regaled potassium content goes, you can get ample potassium to meet daily nutritional requirements by eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, and they have dozens of extra benefits, too!
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Saturated Fat And Ldl
In its Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease Presidential Advisory, the American Heart Association noted that 72 percent of Americans consider coconut oil to be a healthy food.
But in reviewing more than 100 studies, including data showing that coconut oil increased LDL cholesterol, researchers saw no difference between coconut oil and other saturated fats like butter, fatty meat and palm oil.
Furthermore, the American Heart Association has advised against the use of coconut oil because of its ability to increase LDL cholesterol.
Saturated Fat In Coconuts
The majority of coconut fat content is saturated fat. If you have 1/2 cup of raw, shredded coconut meat, you’ll get nearly 12 grams of saturated fat, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Even a small 1-tablespoon serving of coconut oil has around 12 grams. That’s more than half of your saturated fat allowance for the day, based on 2,000 calories. You’ll get more than double that amount from 1/2 cup of coconut milk, making you go overboard on your saturated fat limit. Coconut water is the lightest variety, giving you less than 0.5 gram per cup.
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Is Shredded Coconut High In Cholesterol
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Coconut meat is the white flesh of coconuts and is edible fresh or dried. Rich in fiber and MCTs, it may offer a number of benefits, including improved heart health, weight loss, and digestion. Yet, it’s high in calories and saturated fat, so you should eat it in moderation.
One may also ask, is coconut milk healthy for high cholesterol? Coconut Milk Beverage: No Cholesterol, High in Saturated FatOne cup of unsweetened coconut milk beverage contains 4 g of saturated fat, but most of it is made up of medium-chain fatty acids, which may have some health advantages. Some populations eat a lot of coconut and don’t get heart disease, Day says.
Similarly, it is asked, is coconut cream bad for cholesterol?
Research has linked diets rich in saturated fat with high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. Some people may not consider coconut milk to be heart-healthy, because of its high fat content. While coconut oil may not raise levels of LDL cholesterol, coconut-based products are high in fat and calories.
What can I use shredded coconut for?
Here are several clever ways to use the shredded or flaked kind, from our archives:
Coconut Milk Nutrition Facts
Many supermarkets stock different types of coconut milk. Canned, long-life products tend to have larger amounts of coconut and may even resemble coconut cream. Beverages sold in cartons are likely to be more similar to skim milk in consistency but typically have low amounts of coconut milk.
- 25 percent of the daily value for copper
- 18 percent of the DV for iron
- 11 percent of the DV for magnesium
- 33 percent of the DV for manganese
- 8 percent of the DV for phosphorus
- 5 percent of the DV for potassium
- 5 percent of the DV for zinc
Coconut milk also contains small amounts of other nutrients like calcium, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and choline. You can obtain 2 grams of protein, 2.8 grams of carbohydrates and 21.3 grams of fat in every 100 grams of coconut milk. Most of this fat is saturated.
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How Does Coconut Oil Affect Cholesterol
Will the saturated fats in coconut oil raise your cholesterol? More to the point, does this matter? Nutrition Diva gives us an update on the latest research.
Scientific American presents Nutrition Diva by Quick & Dirty Tips. Scientific American and Quick & Dirty Tips are both Macmillan companies.
A while back, I dedicated an episode to the benefits of coconut oil. Despite breathless reports of “miraculous” powers, I found scant evidence that coconut oil will melt off the pounds, balance your hormones, boost your immune system, or raise your IQ.
On the other hand, coconut oil is a very stable oil. It doesn’t easily oxidize, spoil, or go rancid. It has a high smoke point and does not produce harmful chemicals when heated. This is because coconut oil is a highly saturated fat–which, in some circles, is considered a bad thing. Saturated fat, after all, is said to raise cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.
Proponents of coconut oil argue that the saturated fats in coconut oil are not harmful to your heart. And at the time of my original article, there was very little research one way or the other. Lately, several of you have asked whether any newer research has come along to settle the question. This week’s show takes a closer look at what we’ve learned about the fats in coconut oil.
Continue reading on QuickAndDirtyTips.com.
Coconut Milks Fat Content
Most people following a standard 2,000-calorie diet should only consume 65 grams of fat each day. No more than 20 grams should come from saturated fat. This means that a third of your DV for fat could come from a single 100-gram serving of coconut milk. The high saturated fat content of coconut milk means that you’ve basically met your daily limit of this type of fat as well.
The American Heart Association recommends that people avoid saturated fats because they can increase your cholesterol, which can affect the health of your heart. Saturated fats are typically associated with animal fats like butter and lard but are present in many tropical vegetables too. These fats are usually considered to be equivalent, regardless of whether or not they come from plant-based sources.
However, according to The Coconut Palm Research and Development Perspectives, a variety of studies disagree and find coconut’s fat content to be neutral for your health, including a 2016 study in the European Journal of Nutrition that showed it didn’t affect triglycerides, cholesterol or other cardiometabolic risk markers. In fact, consumption of coconut products is often shown to improve cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
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Health Benefits Of Virgin Coconut Oil
1. It contains antioxidants that can decrease oxidative stress. Virgin coconut oils in the diet are rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids and polyphenols, which have many potential heart-health benefits. When the heart and blood vessels are exposed to a process called oxidative stress, plaques can develop in arteries, which can lead to heart attacks. Blood vessels can stiffen and cause high blood pressure and heart failure can develop. Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress in the body and lower inflammation.
Polyphenols reduce blood pressure in elderly people with high blood pressure, studies find. Polyphenols have also been shown to reduce the growth of atherosclerotic plaques in arteries in animal studies. Also, in animal studies, researchers have found that polyphenols can help blood vessels relax and become less stiff , preventing the early first steps in the development of high blood pressure.
2. It can reduce total and bad cholesterol. Virgin coconut oil contains both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are healthy fats that can lower cholesterol, in particular, our triglyceride levels. Virgin coconut oils also increase enzymes, such as lipoprotein lipase, that help break down fat. In addition, virgin coconut oil increases the production of bile, which aids in our bodys digestion of and removal of fats. In animals, this leads to a lowering of the bad cholesterols , triglycerides, and total cholesterol count.