Many companies promote coconut oil as a superfood.
Your health may benefit from the special fatty acid composition of coconut oil, which may help with weight loss, heart health, and cognitive function.
Here are 10 health advantages of coconut oil supported by research.
1. Contains healthy fatty acids
Certain saturated fats are abundant in coconut oil. Compared to the majority of other dietary fats, these fats have distinct effects on the body.
The fatty acids in coconut oil can help your body burn fat while also giving your body and brain rapid energy. They increase your blood’s HDL (good) cholesterol as well, which may help lower your chance of developing heart disease.
Coconut oil includes some medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are shorter fatty acid chains than the long-chain triglycerides that make up the majority of dietary lipids.
MCTs often enter your body through your liver when you eat them. They are either converted into ketones by your body or used as a rapid source of energy.
Researchers are investigating ketones as a therapy for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and other disorders. Ketones offer strong advantages for your brain.
SUMMARY MCTs, a kind of lipid that your body metabolizes differently from most other fats, are abundant in coconut oil. Many of the health advantages of coconut oil are due to MCTs.
2. May boost heart health
In the West, coconut is a rare food, with health-conscious individuals making up the majority of its customers.
However, in other regions of the world, people have flourished for centuries on coconuts, which are rich in coconut oil.
For instance, a 1981 research found that almost 60% of the calories consumed by the people of the South Pacific island group of Tokelau came from coconuts. Researchers found very low rates of heart disease in addition to very high general health.
Along with tubers, fruit, and fish, Kitavan people of Papua New Guinea also consume a lot of coconut. They also have low rates of heart disease and stroke.
SUMMARY Studies have shown that cultures that consume a lot of coconut have healthy hearts and have survived for many generations.
3. May encourage fat burning
One of the most serious health issues presently impacting the West is obesity.
While some people believe that obesity is just an issue of calorie intake, the source of those calories is also crucial. Your body and hormones are affected by various meals in various ways.
Compared to longer-chain fatty acids, the MCTs in coconut oil can boost the quantity of calories your body burns.
According to one study, consuming 15–30 grams of MCTs daily resulted in a 5% rise in 24-hour energy expenditure.
However, the effects of coconut oil were not particularly examined in these research. They did not include lauric acid, which makes up just around 14% of coconut oil, while examining the health consequences of MCTs.
There is presently insufficient proof to conclude that consuming coconut oil alone will boost your calorie expenditure.
Remember that coconut oil has a high calorie content and can quickly cause weight gain if consumed in big quantities.
SUMMARY According to research, MCTs can boost calorie burn by up to 5% over the course of a day. But coconut oil alone might not have the same impact.
4. May have antimicrobial effects
About 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are lauric acid.
Lauric acid is broken down by your body to create monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin have the ability to eradicate dangerous organisms including fungus, viruses, and bacteria.
Test-tube studies, for instance, reveal that these compounds aid in the destruction of the yeast Candida albicans, a prominent cause of human yeast infections, and the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which causes staph infections.
There is some evidence that oil pulling, a practice that involves using coconut oil as a mouthwash, improves oral hygiene, however academics view this data as being insufficient.
There is no proof to support the claim that coconut oil lowers the chance of catching a cold or other inside diseases.
SUMMARY More research is required, however using coconut oil as mouthwash may help prevent oral infections.
5. May reduce hunger
MCTs have the intriguing property of perhaps lowering appetite.
The fact that ketones can make someone feel fuller for longer suggests that this may be connected to how your body metabolizes fats.
Six healthy males consumed varied quantities of MCTs and LCTs in one trial. MCT use was associated with lower daily calorie intake.
According to another study including 14 healthy males, those who had the most MCTs for breakfast consumed fewer calories for lunch.
These investigations were minimal in scope and were conducted quickly. If this impact were to last over an extended period of time, it may result in a reduction in body weight over several years.
Even though coconut oil is one of the best sources of MCTs in nature, there is no proof that using it suppresses appetite more than using other oils.
Actually, according to one research, coconut oil is less satisfying than MCT oil.
SUMMARY MCTs have a considerable appetite-reducing effect that might, in the long run, result in decreased body weight.
6. May reduce seizures
The ketogenic diet, which is very low in carbohydrates and rich in fats, is now being researched as a potential treatment for a number of illnesses.
The best-known therapeutic use of this diet is the management of drug-resistant childhood epilepsy.
In children with epilepsy, the diet significantly lowers the frequency of seizures, even in those who have not responded well to various pharmacological treatments. Researchers don’t know the cause.
Ketone levels in the blood are significantly raised when carbohydrate consumption is reduced and fat intake is increased.
Healthcare experts may employ a modified keto diet that contains MCTs and a more liberal carbohydrate intake to induce ketosis and aid in the treatment of epilepsy since the MCTs in coconut oil are delivered to your liver and converted into ketones.
SUMMARY Children who have epilepsy may experience fewer seizures as a result of the MCTs in coconut oil, which can raise the blood content of ketone bodies.
7. May raise HDL (good) cholesterol
Natural saturated fats included in coconut oil raise your body’s levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. They could also assist in changing LDL (bad) cholesterol into a less dangerous type.
Many scientists think that coconut oil, as opposed to many other fats, may improve heart health by raising HDL.
When compared to soybean oil, coconut oil lowered total and LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL in a research involving 40 women.
Following a meal plan that includes coconut oil increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol in persons with coronary artery disease, according to another study including 116 adults.
SUMMARY A few studies have demonstrated that coconut oil can increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood, which is associated with better metabolic health and a decreased risk of heart disease.
8. May protect your skin, hair, and teeth
There are various applications for coconut oil besides cooking with it.
It is frequently used for aesthetic purposes to enhance the condition and look of skin and hair.
According to studies, coconut oil can enhance the moisture level of dry skin and lessen eczema symptoms.
Additionally, coconut oil helps shield hair from harm. According to one research, it may only block around 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, making it a poor sunscreen.
The practice of “oil pulling,” which is swishing coconut oil around in your mouth like mouthwash, may help to reduce the amount of dangerous germs there. Though additional study is required, this could enhance tooth health and lessen foul breath.
SUMMARY Coconut oil may be used on the skin, hair, and teeth of people. According to studies, it moisturizes skin, guards against skin damage, and enhances dental health.
9. May boost brain function in Alzheimer’s disease
The most typical cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Older folks are generally affected.
The disorder makes it harder for your brain to burn glucose for energy.
Ketones may act as an alternate energy source for these damaged brain cells, reducing the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, according to research.
MCTs increased brain function in persons with milder types of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the authors of a 2006 research.
Although research is still in its early stages, there is no proof that coconut oil itself may treat this disease.
SUMMARY Early research indicates that MCTs may raise blood ketones levels, potentially reducing Alzheimer’s symptoms. However, more research is required.
10. May help reduce harmful abdominal fat
It could also assist you in losing weight since some of the fatty acids in coconut oil might decrease hunger and improve fat burning.
Visceral fat, often known as abdominal fat, collects around your organs and in the abdominal cavity. Compared to LCTs, MCTs seem to be particularly helpful at reducing belly fat.
The worst kind of fat, abdominal fat, is associated with a number of chronic illnesses.
The quantity of fat in the abdominal cavity may be easily and accurately measured by measuring the waist circumference.
Two teaspoons (30 mL) of coconut oil per day significantly decreased both Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference in a 12-week trial of 40 women with abdominal obesity.
In contrast, a 4-week trial of 20 obese men found that taking 2 teaspoons (30 mL) of coconut oil daily caused a 1.1-inch (2.86-cm) decrease in waist circumference.
Use of coconut oil should be limited because it still contains a lot of calories. The research is conflicting generally, however switching some of your other cooking fats to coconut oil may have a slight weight reduction effect.
11. The bottom line
There are a growing number of health advantages of using coconut oil.
Make sure to get organic, virgin coconut oil rather than processed varieties to get the most benefit out of it.