en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil
The United States
Food and Drug Administration
,
[2]
World Health Organization
,
[3]
International College of Nutrition
,
[4] the United States
Department of Health and Human Services
,
[5]
American Dietetic Association
,
[6]
American Heart Association
,
[7] British
National Health Service
,
[8] and
Dietitians of Canada
[6] recommend against the consumption of significant amounts of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat. Advocacy against coconut and palm oils in the 1970s and 80s due to their perceived danger as a saturated fat caused companies to instead substitute
trans fats
, unaware of their health-damaging effects.
[20]
Coconut oil contains a large proportion of
lauric acid
, a saturated fat that raises blood cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of
high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol
[21] that is also found in significant amounts in
breast milk
and
sebaceous gland
secretions.
[22] This may create a more favourable blood cholesterol profile, though it is unclear if coconut oil may promote atherosclerosis through other pathways.
[21] Because much of the saturated fat of coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, coconut oil may be a better alternative to
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
when solid fats are required.
[23] In addition, virgin coconut oil is composed mainly of
medium-chain triglycerides
,
[24] which may not carry the same risks as other saturated fats.
[23][25] Early studies on the health effects of coconut oil used
partially hydrogenated
coconut oil, which creates
trans fats
, and not virgin coconut oil, which has a different health risk profile.
[26]