Corrections and clarifications: an earlier version of this story misinterpreted the title of Marie-Pierre St-Onge.
The American Heart Association recently published a report advising against the use of coconut oil.
The Dietary Fatty and Cardiovascular Disease report reviewed existing data on saturated fat, showing that coconut oil increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in seven of seven controlled trials. Researchers did not see a difference between coconut oil and other oils rich in saturated fats, such as butter, beef fat and palm oil. In fact, 82% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, according to the data, well beyond butter (63%), beef fat (50%) and lard (39%).
“Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease] and has no known compensatory favorable effects, we discourage the use of coconut oil,” said the American Heart Association in the Dietary Fat and Dietary Report. Cardiovascular Disease.
Frank Sacks, lead author of the report, said he has no idea why people think coconut oil is healthy. It’s almost 100% fat. Previous studies of weight loss could be responsible.
“The reason why coconut oil is so popular for weight loss is partly due to my research on medium chain triglycerides,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutritional medicine at the Medical Center.
Columbia University. a higher proportion of medium chain triglycerides than most other fats or oils, and my research showed that eating medium chain triglycerides can increase the rate of metabolism more than eating long chain triglycerides. ”
The problem is that the St-Onge research used a “designer oil” with 100% MCT. Traditional coconut oil only contains between 13 and 15%. Another study that published showed that smaller doses of MCT do not help with weight loss in overweight adolescents.
The AHA recommends not eating more than 6% saturated fat as part of the total daily calories for those who need lower cholesterol.
Before littering your coconut oil, know that saturated fat is a loaded term. While the AHA warns against it, people who remove saturated fat from their diet do not necessarily reduce the risk of heart disease, suggested a review of BMJ in 2015. That’s because some people fill the gap with sugar, white flour and calories empty In addition, some fat is important to help bodies absorb nutrients from other foods. Many have said that butter has a bad reputation.
Still, it might not be a bad idea to opt for vegetable oils or olive oil, Sacks said. In addition, coconut oil can be an effective hair moisturizer or conditioner.