Coconut oil - we’ve all heard about it. From weight loss, to possible Alzheimer’s disease prevention, it has just about become the next super food in a jar. But, like so many other health fads, it begs the question - is there really any long term benefits, or are we just jumping on the bandwagon of another food trend.

Obtained from fresh coconut milk, virgin coconut oil is the product that’s causing a stir amongst health professionals. Comprised mainly of the medium chain fatty acid, Lauric acid, it is this compounds metabolic functions that pave the way to the health benefits of coconut oil. The medium carbon chain length allows it to be used at higher cooking temperatures due to being less easily oxidized. Another advantage is its increased water solubility in comparison to other oils, allowing it to be more quickly digested and absorbed. Rather than taking the long trip round the body, like many longer chain fatty acids do, coconut oil’s components jump straight on the express train to the liver, where it can be quickly metabolized for energy. This may help to decrease the risk of the world’s leading cause of death:  cardiovascular disease, as well as avoiding the dreaded ‘fat storage’, helping to reduce weight gain (Dayrit, 2014).

Older research has added fuel to the fire as a study from St-Onge & Bosarge 2008, found participants experienced increased weight loss when consuming a medium chain fatty acid, in comparison to olive oil.  However, as coconut oil was not used as the medium chain fatty acid in this study, it can only help provide suggestion, rather than actual evidence for the coconut oil debate. 

But before you go smearing all that enters your mouth in this oily substance, it is definitely worth a glance at the other side of the picture. With generally older, short term evidence that contains little heterogeneity between studies in regards to dosage , the outlined benefits might not be as concrete and correct as you may think. A recent study found that when compared to sunflower oil, ingestion of coconut oil showed not significant differences in regards to anthropometric or biomedical measures over a 2 year period, suggesting the limitations of its long term benefits (Vijayakumar et. al. 2016).

If you’re now left feeling like your sitting on the fence, then you’re not alone. While there is a scientific basis behind the coconut craze, there’s definitely not enough evidence to start consuming it by the bucket load. In the end it really all boils back to dietary balance. We know our body needs some fats, and yes, coconut oil is probably going to be better than reaching for the butter tray. But in comparison to those higher in mono- and poly unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, limiting your options to those of a celebrity induced craze may not be the best idea, because really, coconut oil is just a fat by any other name.

By Pattie King

Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Science / Masters of Dietetics Student

(University of Queensland)

References:

1. Dayrit, F.M. (2014) .The Properties of Lauric Acid and Their Significance in Coconut Oil. Journal of American Oil Chemists Society, Vol 92 (1), p. 1-15

2. Vijayakumar et. al. (2016).A randomized study of coconut oil versus sunflower oil on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Indian Heart Journal

3. St-Onge, M.P. & Bosarge A. (2008). Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 87 (3), p 621-626