Christian Billinghurst finds out that the devil’s in the detail when it comes to health benefits
If one food group has left us confused, it’s fat; and possibly none more so than coconut oil. Hailed as a panacea for a range of health problems, coconut oil has recently been the new wonder-kid on the so-called superfood block, finding its way into processed foods such as vegan cheeses, and into our own kitchen pans. But if anything could have thrown its health halo into doubt, it was a statement this June from the American Heart Association (AHA) that saturated fat was detrimental to cardiovascular health. 1 The statement followed a review of studies into saturated fat in general, but coconut oil was singled out for attention: bad news for the coconut oil industry, and confusing for those of us who just want to know if we should eat it or not.
Health claims
Not only has coconut oil been claimed to be good for skincare or dental health (the latter when used for ‘pulling’ which means swooshing it for several minutes around the mouth — said to remove harmful bacteria), but it has even been claimed to help with weight-loss. This is down to it containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), types of fatty acids, which are transported directly to the liver during the digestion process, where they are quickly metabolised, and so avoid getting deposited in fatty tissue.
Overstated?
However, Linda Main, a dietetic advisor for Heart UK, says that coconut oil’s many perceived health benefits have been overstated. “Some of the suggested health effects of coconut oil have been attributed to medium-chain triglycerides [MCTs],” she says. “MCTs are a kind of fat that is metabolised differently in the body. MCTs have been shown to be better at satisfying appetite, are lower in energy and are thought to help facilitate weight control when substituted for more traditional fats in the diet.”
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