Is coconut oil a cocoNOT?

Posted on Apr 11th 2008 4:30PM by Maggie Vink

Healthy or not healthy? It's a pretty easy question to answer when you're comparing apples to, say, a candy bar. But when you take a look at coconuts, the answer just isn't so clear. Several years ago I worked with a Registered Dietitian who wrote a piece about the benefits of coconut oil. I ended up 86ing the article because I just wasn't convinced that her conclusions were sound nutritional advice. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which is said to benefit your immune system. But coconut oil is also crazy high in saturated fat. The RD swore by her stance, but I wasn't convinced. I'm still not. Do the benefits of coconut oil outweigh the negatives?

Fitsugar just ran an article with some further explanation about coconut oil. It has a long shelf life and high smoke point which makes it a good choice for many restaurants and bakeries (particularly those that have had to switch from trans fats). But coconut oil is 90% saturated fat; 60% of which is a form of lauric acid and is metabolized quicker than most saturated fats.

So, the debate continues. As for me, I'd prefer to boost my immunity through fruits and veggies and avoid the unnecessary saturated fat.

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Tags: coconut, coconut oil, CoconutOil, fitsugar, lauric acid, LauricAcid, saturated fat, saturated fats, SaturatedFat, SaturatedFats, trans fat, trans fats, trans fatty acids, TransFat, TransFats, TransFattyAcids

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tim 4-11-2008 @ 7:06PM

Maggie,

Do you have any reference on Coconut Milk? We love Thai food and it seems that Coconut Milk is in most if not all the curries.

Thank you so much,
Tim

Maggie Vink 4-11-2008 @ 7:12PM

Tim,

I'm with you on the Thai food. Yummo! Coconut milk is quite high in fat too, though some varieties are watered down to reduce calories/fat. Coconut milk also has beneficial anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. So, really, it's the same dilemma as with coconut oil. You're trading a bad quality for a good quality. Here's a link with the nutrition data for an ounce of coconut milk. http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20oD.html

I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional Thai curry treat. Enjoy!

Maggie Vink 4-11-2008 @ 7:13PM

Oops. I just realized that when you click the link it shows you the data for a cup of coconut milk. You can use the drop-down to change the quantity.

Dr. J 4-11-2008 @ 9:23PM

I'm of the school of coconut oil is better applied on the outside for your skin than on the inside :-) Too high in unhealthy fat.

Tim 4-17-2008 @ 6:56AM

Maggie,

One of your fellow writers, Chris Sparling, just wrote an article about Coconut Oil. Very interesting!
http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/04/16/fatten-up-your-diet-to-lose-weight/

Tim