Why the coconut oil debate still rages on
First, coconut oil was discarded by nutritional pundits as being the worst kind of fat due to its high saturated fat content. Those were the days when a blanket ban on all saturated fats was the norm.
Then a spate of new studies declared it as an extremely healthy oil thanks to the discovery that the kind of saturated fat coconut oil had was medium chain fatty acid believed to raise good HDL cholesterol. And it suddenly became a superfood of sorts fuelled by news of Hollywood celebrities touting its wonders for health and beauty, and people began downing spoonfuls of it in a hope to save their heart and get luminous skin.
Now lately some people are questioning its goodness again, saying it is actually bad for us because after all it has saturated fat (SF) which is bad for our heart. Full circle!
And very confusing. So much so that today half of the world's experts are jumping to the defence of coconut oil, but some are calling it pure poison, and the rest are plain confused. Quite like the general public who ends up basing their decision on who they are listening to.
So what’s the truth?
Well, I believe it lies somewhere in-between. It lies in common sense thinking.
Agreed coconut oil has a lot of fat (about 90 per cent) and most of it is in the form of much-maligned saturated fatty acids (the bone of contention), but the kind it has – the medium chain saturated triglycerides (MCTs) have been shown to go directly to the liver where they are rapidly metabolised and are less likely thus to be stored as fat.
Research also suggests MCTs actually help reduce appetite and decrease our calorie intake, so might just work like a weight loss tool actually. And lauric acid, a type of MCT that coconut oil has (it contains 16 per cent of lauric acid) has been shown to help bring the bad cholesterol LDL down and bring the good one (HDL) up. Some people even believe that saturated fat is actually beneficial for hormone production and regulation and for keeping cells healthy. Well, so far so good.
But the fact remains that coconut oil is still an oil, and all oils should be consumed in moderation. As ultimately, balance and moderation are key. And if we consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high in fibre, low in alcohol and sugar, then coconut oil is not going to cause heart disease (SF notwithstanding), and may in fact be beneficial to health – particularly if it is replacing other less desirable fat types.
The trick also lies in choosing the right oil. Understand the difference. Unrefined coconut oil (aka virgin coconut oil) has a stronger taste and rich flavour, and is not subjected to drying or chemical refining, while refined coconut oil is more processed and can be used for cooking at high temperatures, such as frying foods.
If you pick up coconut oil, which has been treated with solvents and subjected to intense heat (refined coconut oil), then you are not doing your body any good. The harsh processing may destroy some of the good essential fatty acids and antioxidants, (including lauric acid). So if you’re going to use coconut oil, make sure you get virgin oil that actually contains the phytonutrients.
The bottom line: till more research clears the air (or maybe confuses us further), our best bet is to do what I said in the beginning: apply common-sense and follow moderation.