Major health organizations, including the World Health Organisation, the American Dietetic Association, the British Dietetic Association, the British Heart Foundation, the National Health Service, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the European Food Safety Authority, agree that saturated fat is a risk factor for heart disease. This provides evidence that the whole diet and lifestyle can have a profound effect on health. When the islanders moved to New Zealand and reduced their saturated fat intake, their intake of cholesterol, junk food (simple, instead of complex carbohydrates) and sugar increased and so did their risk of heart disease. They also had an active lifestyle and used little tobacco. They had low intakes of salt, sugar, and cholesterol, and consumed a healthy amount of fibre, plant sterols, and omega-3 fats. Processing coconut to produce oil, though, strips away this protective fiber.Ī 1980s study on coconut oil described how Pacific Islanders, who ate coconut at every meal, had lower than expected cholesterol levels. Adobe Stock Hazelnuts, almonds, and Brazil nuts are healthy sources of fat Coconut fiber Some studies suggest that coconut flakes lower LDL “bad” cholesterol because of the fiber content. The fiber content in desiccated coconut is two to three times higher than in nuts. Where coconut oil is a health concern, its fiber content is a health boost. But most of that is polyunsaturated fat that can lower the risk of heart disease in moderation. A similar amount is found in hazelnuts, almonds, and Brazil nuts. Saturated fat increases cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease.ĭesiccated coconut (coconut flesh that has been flaked and dried) contains is about 66 percent fat.

A third of the flesh is composed of fat nearly 90 percent of which is saturated. Although it is a fruit, coconut flesh has a very different nutritional content from other fruits. Like all plant foods, coconut is cholesterol-free. So how is that healthy? Coconut nutrition But coconut oil clocks in at a whopping 86.5 percent saturated fat.

Most vegetable oils (soya, olive, sunflower and rapeseed oils) contain less than 20 percent saturated fat.

Once shunned for its high saturated fat content, coconut oil is now found in health food shops and supermarkets across the globe. It’s an “it” food if there ever was one.īut is coconut oil good for us? And what about its reported tie to unethical monkey labor? Is coconut oil healthy? Coconut water, yogurt, milk, cheese - even coconut jerky. You can’t walk through a supermarket these days without seeing something made from coconuts. Is coconut oil healthy? Or is it simply the best of a bad bunch?

It's the Coconut Oil by Vivienna Khaan