A Dietitian On Why Coconut Oil Is As Bad As Pig Fat (So Put The Spoon Down)

Coconut oil has been having a real moment for a few years now.
People swear by the stuff. They use it in their hair. They rub it into their dry elbows. Some even use it as highlighter on their cheekbones.
The most popular way to use coconut oil these days? Cooking.
For years health bloggers and even have sworn by coconut oil as a healthy, natural and organic alternative to other cooking aids like butter, vegetable and olive oil. Ya Paleo boy Pete Evans has even previously said it can protect you against Alzheimer’s, stroke and even epilepsy!
what’s the bet he uses it as lube too
But new research from the American Heart Association suggests that coconut oil ain’t all it has cracked up to be. In fact, the study suggests you probably shouldn’t be eating coconut oil at all.

“Why?!” you scream, as a crumb from your coconut-oiled protein ball falls from your mouth. 
Well, as the AHA explains in their Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease’ report, 82% of the fat found in coconut oil is saturated. Saturated fat is bad fat. Not good fat.
For reference, there’s more saturated fat in coconut oil than there is in butter (which boasts 63%), beef fat (50%), and, wait for it, pork lard (which comes in at 39%). 
Literal pig fat is better for you than coconut oil.
Coconut oil is classed as a plant oil, or a ‘tropical oil’ – and tropical oils are notoriously high in fat. 

“Coconut oil has been the flavour of the month for a while. As an Accredited Practising Dietitian I don’t recommend my clients use coconut oil as the main source of oil in their diet,” says Lisa Renn, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

“Those in favour of coconut oil claim that it is made up of medium chain fatty acids which are carbon chain length 10-12 and don’t increase cholesterol.

“Coconut oil is primarily lauric acid (C12), so it appears to be in the medium chain fat group, but the definition of short and medium chain fatty acids is less than carbon chain length 12. Lauric acid is a saturated fat that does increase your LDL or bad cholesterol and also the good cholesterol therefore it has the potential to increase your heart disease risk.”
In layman’s terms, people say coconut oil is good for weight loss is because it’s classed as a medium chain fatty acid – and previous research has suggested these kinds of fatty acids are easily absorbed by the body and used for energy instead of being stored as fat.
But you’d need to consume a ridiculous amount of coconut oil for it to have this effect. In order to get that ‘good fat’ affect, you’d also be copping heaps of the bad fat at the same time, rendering these effects futile. 

“But I’m a vegan and I can’t eat those animal products?!”
 we hear you frantically type, fingers slick with coco juice.
“The advice I give my clients is to use extra virgin olive oil, which has a wealth of well researched health benefits, or other plant or nut based oils such as canola, sunflower, peanut or avocado oils, to name a few. You can use coconut oil in small amounts however I advise against using it as the primary source of oil,” says Renn.
Of course, some people use coconut oil simply because they like the taste. You do you – just try do you in moderation, for your heart’s sake.
Photo: Shallow Hal.

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