Gwyneth Paltrow shakes it around her mouth to kill bacteria. Oono sprinkles it on dinner the night before a big speedskating race to energize the next day. Health and Wellness Influencer (via Instagram) doctor oz showtouting coconut oil as a “miracle” elixir for skin problems, heart disease, and weight loss. But are its myriad health benefits all they’re cracking down on?
In the latest episode of Gastropods, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilly explore the history behind the coconut’s global dominance, from its spread across the tropics to the health fad of paleofueled coconut oil .
Historically, medical advice has warned consumers to avoid coconut oil. This is because coconut oil is mostly composed of saturated fatty acids. Coconut oil is 92 percent saturated fat, compared to butter’s 63 percent. The science of how saturated fat consumption contributes to heart disease is complex and evolving. This is one of the interconnected dietary risk factors and its influence is difficult to extract from diet and lifestyle as a whole. That said, all major medical organizations (World Health Organization, American Heart Association, etc.) recommend reducing your intake.
However, in recent years, claims that coconut oil actually prevents heart disease and helps with weight loss. These claims are based on the idea that coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Fats and oils are made from fatty acids and can be classified in two ways. The first is whether it is saturated. For example, olive oil is unsaturated, butter is saturated, and coconut oil is also saturated. But another way fats can be classified is by the number of carbon atoms attached at the tail (short, medium, or long). For example, about two-thirds of the fatty acids in butter are made up of long-tailed fatty acids.
In contrast, the fatty acids in coconut oil are almost 50% lauric acid, which has fewer carbon atoms and is labeled medium chain. enthusiasts also want to mention why it must be good for you.)
The chain length of fatty acids affects how our bodies process them. As for digestion, the difference is very technical, but basically it seems that short-chain fatty acids are carried to the liver faster and are metabolized much faster, whereas long-chain fatty acids reach the bloodstream before being broken down. Not only do these differences affect whether they are quickly used for energy or stored as fat, they can also affect overall blood cholesterol levels. .
Fans claim that thanks to its MCT content, coconut oil makes you feel full faster, is converted into energy instead of being stored in fat, and can raise levels of HDL, also known as “good cholesterol.” doing. Therefore, the risk of heart attack and stroke is reduced. However, the reality is almost the opposite.
One problem, to say the least, is that the science on the benefits of MCT oil in humans is still very limited and inconclusive. One is the mouse) has shown some small advantages. However, a paper examining the entire science to date on this topic concluded that “more research is needed” as far as weight loss is concerned and that “MCT oils have no effect on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol.” attached. level.
But there is an even bigger problem. Studies showing the positive effects of MCTs have used synthetic MCT oils instead of coconut oil, but they are not the same thing. When you talk about coconut oil, you’re talking about something else,” Jane Mara Bullock, a fat and oil expert at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, explained to Gastropods.
Indeed, MCT oil can be synthesized from coconut oil, but the final structure is made up of short fatty acids, unlike those that make up coconut oil. is, or acts like, a long-chain fatty acid. After all, when digested, lauric acid actually behaves metabolically like a long-chain fatty acid.
Block told Gastropod that it’s not really possible to extrapolate the benefits of MCTs. Might be so We have coconut oil (which is already in a precarious situation) because our bodies process them differently due to their different structures. It has been shown to actually raise total cholesterol, including both HDL. When “Bad” LDL Cholesterol.
Even some of the most minor coconut oil benefits are largely unsupported. Coconut oil is often said to have antibacterial properties. This claim is based on research suggesting that chemicals found in coconut oil can inhibit the growth of certain bacteria in humans when used, for example, as a mouthwash. The focus is not on the substance itself, but on the synthesized chemical substance.
As you may have noticed, all of these claims share a common problem: the magical properties attributed to coconut oil come from the benefits derived from the individual ingredients rather than the coconut oil as a whole.
This lack of context also applies to food culture as a whole. Coconut oil fans like to point out that people who eat a lot of coconuts, whether in Polynesia, India, or the Philippines, have lower cholesterol levels and fewer cases of heart disease than people in Western countries. , people in these places tend to eat oil as part of the coconut pulp, which also contains a lot of fiber and various minerals. Standard western food. With all of these other factors at play, it’s completely impossible to attribute their health to coconut oil.
“Overall, when you start putting it in context, it starts to get a little complicated,” Block says. “And people don’t want that. People want quick and quick. People want miracles.” , said it was largely a marketing miracle.
If you think it’s the first time coconut oil has sparked controversy, treat yourself to good old Monty Python in the latest episode of Coconut Water Wars, Coconut Cult, or even Gastropods. Follow and subscribe to explore how and why we went to Coco for coconuts.
