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Coconut oil is as unhealthy as beef dripping and butter, say US heart experts.

It is packed with saturated fat which can raise "bad" cholesterol, says the American Heart Association in updated advice.

Coconut oil is commonly sold as a health food and some claim the fat in it may be better for us than other saturated fats.

The AHA, however, says there are no good studies to support this.

Healthy myth?

The advice around which fats to eat can be very confusing.

Animal fats, such as lard, are generally seen as bad, while plant oils, such as olive and sunflower, are seen as healthier options.

That theory is based on how much of one particular type of fat - saturated fat or "sat fat" - these products contain.

Sat fat

Saturated fat is said to be bad for our health, although not everyone agrees.

Image copyright Rena-Marie/Getty images

Eating a diet high in saturated fat can raise the level of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, which, in turn, may clog the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to the AHA, 82% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. That's more than in butter (63%), beef fat (50%) and pork lard (39%). And, like other saturated fats, studies show it can increase "bad" cholesterol.

Some claim that the mixture of fats in coconut oil still make it a healthy option, but the AHA says there is no good-quality evidence for this.

It says people should limit how much saturated fat they eat, replacing some of it with unsaturated vegetable oils - olive oil and sunflower oil, and their spreads.

Healthy swaps

According to the AHA, studies show swaps such as this can lower cholesterol by the same magnitude as cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Dr Frank Sacks, lead author of the AHA advice, said: "We want to set the record straight on why well-conducted scientific research overwhelmingly supports limiting saturated fat in the diet to prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels."

In the UK, Public Health England advises people to cut down on saturated fat:

the average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day

the average woman should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day

Nutritional labels on food display how much saturated fat is in products.

But experts stress that fat is still an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. We shouldn't cut out too much. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids and helps the body absorb vitamins, such as A, D and E.

Victoria Taylor from the British Heart Foundation said: "To eat well for your heart health it is not just about reducing fat but reducing specific types of fat and taking care over what these are replaced with - unsaturated fats and wholegrains, rather than sugars and refined carbohydrates.

"Any change should be viewed in the context of a whole diet approach. The traditional Mediterranean diet has benefits for a range of risk factors for heart disease, not just cholesterol levels.

"We recommend replacing the saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats - using oils instead of butter and choosing foods like avocado, oily fish, nuts and seeds instead of foods high in saturated fats like cakes, biscuits, chocolate and fatty meat."

Low fat tips

Grill, bake, poach or steam food rather than deep frying or roasting

Trim visible fat and take skin off meat before cooking

Spoon off fats and oils from roasts, casseroles, stews and curries

When making sandwiches, try leaving out the butter or spread: you might not need it if you're using a moist filling

Good fat vs bad fat</s>Who doesn’t love logging on to the good old ‘net on a Friday morning to the headline “Coconut oil ‘as unhealthy as beef fat and butter.’” It’s got everything. Ah, you might think, my favorite health product is as bad as butter! Or you might even say to yourself, those coconut oil-huffing liberals are really getting what’s coming to them!



No.

This round of panicked news isn’t coming from new data. Instead, the American Heart Association has reviewed the existing data, again reiterating that saturated fats are bad. Coconut oil has been recently touted as a healthier oil, and also the butt of a health nut-bashing meme going around, “If you stir coconut oil into your kale, it makes it easier to scrape into the trash.” To all of this I say: Coconut oil isn’t a health food and it isn’t junk food, it’s just another food. Calm down.

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The AHA released a review yesterday because “meta-analyses of observational studies and randomized clinical trials have come to discordant conclusions about the relationship between dietary saturated fat and risk of [cardiovascular disease],” they write, “creating confusion.”

The review is fine. It’s free, easy to read, and you should check it out. The news coverage is not fine and has added to the confusion.

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So let’s break it down: Fats are actually a slew of different molecules, stacked in three prongs. Unsaturated fat molecules’ prongs are curly from the presence of a double bond, so they’re liquid at room temperature. Saturated fats’ prongs are straight, so they stack into solids. Trans fats have the double bond but have been straightened (and form solids) through a process called hydrogenation.

The fats you eat like butter, coconut oil, and olive oil are actually a mixture of different fat molecules, both saturated and unsaturated. Coconut oil has lots of saturated fat molecules, but its melting point is just above room temperature.

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The AHA looked through lots of scientific studies from people who replaced saturated fat with other things in their diet. The main confusion, they say, comes from the fact that studies replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates saw fewer benefits. Those studies that replaced saturated fats with unsaturated fats found a somewhat lowered cardiovascular disease risk. After all of this work, I think they’ve done a convincing job showing that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can have a benefit for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

They don’t say whether eating more saturated fats will increase your risk, though.

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I’m here to talk about coconut oil. Only a handful of studies in the AHA report deal with coconut oil specifically. The large-scale trials don’t detail what kind of saturated fats folks were eating, but I have a hunch that coconut oil wasn’t Finnish hospital patients’ main source of saturated fat—they were probably eating more meat and butter. The coconut oil studies that the AHA does cite show that it raises both HDL (what people call “good”) cholesterol and LDL (what people call “bad” cholesterol).

The studies don’t link eating more coconut oil to heart disease—they link it to a changing cholesterol metric. A metric that, if you look for it, has lots of conflicting data as to how it makes things worse and how badly (may I point you to Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories).

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So, coconut oil is fine. It’s not fantastic. It’s not horrible. It’s just a source of saturated fat probably not as bad as butter. Which we also don’t think is that bad.

The AHA’s conclusions are that you shouldn’t try to lower your total fat intake, but instead, replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat, combined with a healthier lifestyle.



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But this is what everyone has been saying all along, because the ultimate message is to basically just eat less meat and dessert, eat more vegetables, and don’t overdo it with the coconut oil.



News writers, calm down. Please.

[Circulation via BBC]</s>Coconut oil is an all-natural wonder: It's skin moisturizer, hair conditioner, coffee creamer, butter substitute, and delicious on toast. But it's not a magical health food, a group of doctors said.

The oil is 82 percent saturated fat, and studies show it raises "bad" cholesterol levels just as much as butter, beef fat, or palm oil, the American Heart Association (AHA) said in a recent advisory.

"I just don't know" who is pushing the idea that coconut oil is healthy, Frank Sacks, the report's lead author and a heart disease specialist at Harvard School of Public Health, said in a statement.

SEE ALSO: Just one glass of wine per day can raise your breast cancer risk

The AHA last week issued a sweeping advisory on saturated fats to clear up the public misperception that they aren't really risky for your health.

Sacks and his colleagues said the "tipping point" leading to their report was a well-publicized 2014 study that concluded the amount of dietary and saturated fats you eat has no bearing on your risk of heart disease.

Farmers load up coconuts in An Thanh Village, Vietnam. Image: Linh Pham/Getty Images

That study stirred much confusion, but it wasn't the only one. Weight loss studies have pointed to the metabolism-boosting benefits of medium-chain triglyceride, a fat found in coconut oil and a favorite of the Paleo diet. But those trials involved consuming unusually high levels of the fat — more than you'd realistically consume when mixing coconut oil into your diet.

For the advisory, published last week in the AHA journal Circulation, scientists pored over hundreds of research papers published since the 1950s.

They found strong evidence that saturated fat raises bad cholesterol. Known as low density lipoprotein, or LDL, it's the main cause of atherosclerosis, which is the hardening and clogging of arteries that leads to heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Image: centers for disease control and prevention

Researchers also found that replacing saturated fat with healthier oils (such as canola, soybean, peanut, safflower, and sunflower oils) can lower the risk of heart disease.

But coconut oil is conspicuously absent from that list of healthy ingredients.

Existing data showed coconut oil raised bad cholesterol in seven out of seven controlled trials. And it actually has more saturated fat than butter (63 percent), beef fat (50 percent), and pork lard (39 percent).

"Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol ... and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil," the AHA said in its recent advisory.

Full disclosure: this reporter loves coconut oil, too. Image: maria gallucci/mashable

Still, ditching coconut oil and other fatty foods won't instantly lower your risk of heart disease. A 2015 study found that some people who cut saturated fat out of their diet fill the void with sugar, white flour, and junk foods.

AHA recommends people instead replace saturated fats with unsaturated oils, vegetables, nuts, beans, or whole wheat bread. Perplexingly, deep-fried foods do make the cut.

"There’s nothing wrong with deep frying, as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil," Sacks said.</s>WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new study found that coconut oil may not be healthy after all.

The American Heart Association recently issued a report advising against its use.

Coconut oil has become widely popular as a super food and is often used in lieu of other oils, especially in paleo diets.

Researchers say they don’t see any benefits in using coconut oil versus other saturated fats like beef fat or butter.

Data shows coconut oil increased LDL or bad cholesterol in seven out of seven trials, which can increase cardiovascular risks.

Olive oil and vegetable oil may be better options.

One benefit the study did point about coconut oil is that it’s a holy grail for hair and skin care.

The lead author for the study, Franks Sacks, said “you can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body.”</s>WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new study found that coconut oil may not be healthy after all.

The American Heart Association recently issued a report advising against its use.

Coconut oil has become widely popular as a super food and is often used in lieu of other oils, especially in paleo diets.

Researchers say they don’t see any benefits in using coconut oil versus other saturated fats like beef fat or butter.

Data shows coconut oil increased LDL or bad cholesterol in seven out of seven trials, which can increase cardiovascular risks.

Olive oil and vegetable oil may be better options.

One benefit the study did point about coconut oil is that it’s a holy grail for hair and skin care.

The lead author for the study, Franks Sacks, said “you can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body.”

WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
• 4 DEAD, INCLUDING GUNMAN, AFTER SHOOTING AT SF UPS CENTERthe company estimates the loss of the avocados at around $300,000.
• WITNESS SAYS HE SAW FIRST SHOT AT UPS CENTER, RAN FOR HIS LIFE’</s>(WCMH) – A new advisory from the American Heart Association warns that coconut oil is not as healthy as many people think.

The warning is part of a 25 page presidential advisory on the link between dietary fats and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Data showed that coconut oil increased levels of LDL cholesterol in seven out of seven trials conducted.

“Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD, and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the advisory said.

According to the advisory, a recent study found 72% of Americans rate coconut oil as a healthy food. Only 37% of nutritionists agreed.

The American Heart Association attributed the disconnect between the two the marketing of coconut oil in popular press.

Coconut oil is 82% saturated fat, more than butter (63%) or lard (39%).

The advisory suggests olive oil and vegetable oil as alternatives to coconut oil.</s>It’s time to stop pretending coconut oil health benefits exist — a new American Heart Association has officially labeled it one of the bad fats.

It’s actually worse for you than eating butter, lard or palm oil, according to a Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory issued last week.

The review of dietary fats shows coconut oil increased the LDL — or “bad” — cholesterol in seven out of seven controlled trials.

It makes sense, considering 82 percent of the fat in coconut oil is saturated — that’s far more than butter (63 percent), beef fat (50 percent) or pork lard (39 percent.)

"Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil," the American Heart Association said.

The American Heart Association isn’t telling you to do away with fats altogether though; the advisory stressed the importance of swapping out saturated fats for polyunsaturated fats — canola, corn, soybean, peanut, safflower, sunflower, and walnut oils — or monounsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats seem to lower risk of heart disease the most, followed by monounsaturated fats. Saturated fats are the worst for heart health and those with more saturated fats in their diets carry the highest risk of heart disease — which kills more than 17 million people every year.

“Scientific studies that lowered intake of saturated fat and replaced it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced cardiovascular disease by approximately 30 percent; similar to cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins,” the Heart Association wrote in the advisory.

So where exactly did this myth that coconut oil health benefits are endless come from?

Harvard Professor Frank Sacks, lead author of the report, told USA Today he has no idea why people think coconut oil is healthy. After all, the oil, extracted from the meat of a coconut is almost 100 percent fat — and saturated fat at that.

The likely culprit is misunderstood weight loss studies.

“The reason coconut oil is so popular for weight loss is partly due to my research on medium-chain triglycerides," Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutritional medicine at Cornell University Medical School told Time Magazine. "Coconut oil has a higher proportion of medium-chain triglycerides than most other fats or oils, and my research showed eating medium-chain triglycerides may increase the rate of metabolism more than eating long-chain triglycerides.”

St-Onge’s study found the medium chain triglycerides appeared to increase post-meal calorie burn and even resulted in extra weight loss for men.

If you dig deeper into St-Onge’s research, you’ll find the study was done using “designer oil” containing 100 percent medium-chain triglycerides (or, MCT oil), while coconut oil contains just 13 percent to 15 percent. A later study proved smaller doses of the medium chain triglycerides — like the amount found in coconut oil — do not help with calorie burning and another study found coconut oil

OK so there’s some pretty convincing evidence that the coconut oil as a healthy alternative is bogus, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to toss all your coconut oil.

Coconut oil has a lot of external uses. Some, like oil pulling, remain unproven, but coconut oil has been proven to be a very effective moisturizer, hair conditioner and makeup remover — and much healthier than its chemical laden in-store counterparts.

Here are our seven favorite uses for external coconut oil use:

— All-natural bug spray: Combine half a cup of coconut oil with 10 drops tea tree oil and spray.

— Natural massage oil: If you haven’t tried this yet, here’s an excuse to get a massage.

— Natural conditioner: Coconut oil can moisturize your hair too — add the oil to clean wet hair, let it absorb and rinse.

— Treat cuts: Coconut oil contains antioxidants that can help cuts heal faster.

— Makeup remover: Apply coconut oil to a cloth or cotton ball, wipe off makeup and rinse off with warm water.

As Sacks said to USA Today, "You can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body.”</s>HEALTHWATCH - A new study finds that coconut oil may not be health for you.

The American Heart Association recently issued a report advising consumers not to use coconut oil. Researchers say they don’t see any benefits in using coconut oil versus other saturated fats like beef fat or butter. Data shows coconut oil increased bad cholesterol in 7 out of 7 trials, which can increase cardiovascular risks. They say olive oil and vegetable oil may be better options. One benefit the study pointed out about coconut oil is that it’s a holy grail for hair and skin care.</s>A new American Heart Association Report advises people not to use coconut oil in their food.

So we put our VERIFY team on the task of figuring out – is it worse for your heart than other oils?

For years it has been labeled a healthy alternative to butter and other oils, with many health blogs and sites saying it’ll help you lose weight.

But after we read this AHA report, we checked out research from the Harvard School of Public Health, and called up Dr. Ravi Vallabhan from Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital.

It all boils down to saturated fat and cholesterol.

Coconut oil has more saturated fat than other oils – about 82 percent, whereas butter is 63 percent saturated fat, beef fat is 50 percent and pork lard comes in at 39 percent.

Dr. Vallabhan says that’s why you shouldn’t cook with it. Your food soaks in the fat, increasing calories and fat content. He makes the same warning for any oil with high saturated fat content.

The AHA says coconut oil also increases LDL cholesterol, that’s the bad kind – the kind that clogs your arteries. But it also notes coconut oil ups the amount of good cholesterol.

We asked Dr. Vallabhan about this, he says that’s not enough to outweigh the bad cholesterol hike. That’s what increases your cardiovascular risk.

And Harvard School of Public Health backs him up saying “coconut oil’s special HDL-boosting effect may make it "less bad" than the high saturated fat content would indicate ... but it's still probably not the best choice among the many available oils to reduce the risk of heart disease."

So, no, coconut oil isn’t better for your heart than other oils. If you’re looking for a heart-healthy fat to cook with, Dr. Vallabhan recommends olive oil or vegetable oils.

 

 Sources:

EDITORS NOTE: Our Verify team tackled this story today after seeing it on USA TODAY. You can read that version in its original form below:

The American Heart Association recently released a report advising against the use of coconut oil.

The Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory reviewed existing data on saturated fat, showing coconut oil increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol in seven out of seven controlled trials. Researchers didn't see a difference between coconut oil and other oils high in saturated fat, like butter, beef fat and palm oil. In fact, 82% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, according to the data — far beyond butter (63%), beef fat (50%) and pork lard (39%).

"Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil," the American Heart Association said in the Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory.

Frank Sacks, lead author on the report, said he has no idea why people think coconut oil is healthy. It's almost 100% fat. Past weight loss studies might be responsible.

“The reason coconut oil is so popular for weight loss is partly due to my research on medium chain triglycerides," Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutritional medicine at Cornell University Medical School, told TIME in April. "Coconut oil has a higher proportion of medium-chain triglycerides than most other fats or oils, and my research showed eating medium-chain triglycerides may increase the rate of metabolism more than eating long-chain triglycerides.”

The problem is St-Onge's research used a "designer oil" packed with 100% MCTs. Traditional coconut oil only contains about 13 to 15%. Another study she published showed smaller doses of MCTs doesn't help with weight loss in overweight adolescents.

The AHA recommends eating no more than 6% of saturated fat as part of total daily calories for those who need lower cholesterol.

Before you trash your coconut oil, know that saturated fat is a loaded term. While the AHA warns against it, people who cut saturated fat out of their diet might not necessarily lower their heart disease risk, a 2015 BMJ review suggested. That's because some people fill the void with sugar, white flour and empty calories. Also, some fat is important to help bodies absorb nutrients from other foods. Many have said butter has gotten a bad reputation.

Still, it might not be a bad idea to opt for vegetable oils or olive oil, Stacks said. Plus, coconut oil can still be an effective moisturizer or hair conditioner.

"You can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body," Sacks said.</s>Believe it or not, coconut oil has six times more saturated fat than olive oil per tablespoon, with a hefty 12 g of saturated fat per tablespoon. "For many, that's more than half the daily recommended amount," says Edwina Clark, MS, RD, head of nutrition and wellness at Yummly, a mobile app and website that provides recipe recommendations. And science confirms it; in a recent report published in the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association found little to no difference between coconut oil and other highly saturated oils like butter and lard. It's true that not all types of saturated fats are created equal. Coconut oil is particularly high in lauric acid, a type of saturated fat shown to raise good cholesterol (HDL), similar to unsaturated fats. The problem with lauric acid, unfortunately, is that it also raises bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol levels as well. By contrast, Clark notes, the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat that are abundant in olive oil and other vegetable oils have been shown to lower LDL and total cholesterol levels. Check out the subtle signs that you're eating too much bad fat.

Once you fall in love with coconut oil, with its tropical taste and umami effects, you may be tempted to sauté, fry, broil, and bake it into everything you prepare. "Coconut oil can be used to add a pleasant coconut-y flavor to toast, granola, nut butters, smoothies, popcorns, and soups," Clark says. "Just remember a little bit goes a long way." In general, olive oil (especially extra virgin olive oil) and other vegetables oils such as canola, safflower, and sunflower oils are still the best choices in the kitchen." Limit coconut oil to one to two teaspoons per day to stay within the recommendations for saturated fat and keep your heart squeaky clean," Clark adds. (Check out these ways to use coconut oil around your house.)

You might not know it from the buzz on the blogosphere, but coconut oil is not a superfood like salmon. "There are no large-scale, valid, or reliable studies to date supporting claims that coconut oils and butters boost energy, increase immunity, cure hypothyroidism, increase satiety, or decrease cravings," Nicole Morrissey, RD, writes in her blog, PreventionRD.com. Coconut oil does have antioxidant compounds that may help to reduce the risk of disease. “It has been touted as a ‘miracle’ cure for heart disease, weight loss, lowering cholesterol and helping to reverse or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease," asserts Gary Appelsies, the director of healthy eating at the YMCA of Central Florida. "While coconut oil can be effective in helping to treat chronic illness, like anything else it is not the end all be all."

There are healthier sources of fat We know now that dietary fat is not the enemy of good health, as we were led to believe just a few decades ago. But instead of coconut, there are healthier sources of fat such as nuts, seeds, and avocados that could round out your diet. "Also, don't forget the benefits of incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean and plant-based proteins into your daily intake," Appelsies says. "It's the combination of all of these things which will have an overall positive effect on your health and your body, not just doing what seems to be the trend and the newest next best thing." Learn the signs that you're not eating enough good fats.

There are some surprising benefits of coconut oil Coconut oil can be effective at fighting dental plaque. "The technique called 'oil pullling,' which uses coconut oil, is widely used in Ayurveda medicine," says Monica Amsterdam, CHC, AADP, FDN-P, director of nutrition with the Medical and Wellness Center of New Jersey is Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. Swish coconut oil in your mouth for 15 minutes, without swallowing, to loosen dental plaque, she advises. Keep swishing for 30 to 45 minutes for better health in general. "This process allows the oil to pull out viruses, bacteria, and yeasts," Amsterdam says. The best time to do oil pulling is in the morning, before breakfast, to boost your oral health and overall health. Steal these secrets to keeping your pearly whites looking their brightest.

Weight loss may not be a benefit Although eating coconut oil in moderation can be part of a healthy, balanced diet, it's not going to help you shed pounds, as advocates have suggested. "Coconut oil is high in calories and saturated fat—more saturated fat than even lard, at 90 percent vs. 40 percent," says Farzaneh Daghigh, PhD, a professor of biochemistry and a gastroenterological sciences course director at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia." One tablespoon contains 13.6 grams of fat and 117 calories. Consuming too much will give you extra calories, signaling your body that it's time to store more fat."

It can make you feel full—at a price Because of its high fat content, coconut oil signals to your leptin receptors that you are full, increasing satiety and potentially making you feel less hungry. If that keeps your mitts out of the cookie jar, that can be a good thing, but it may not result in overall calorie reduction. "A tablespoon of coconut oil is about 125 calories," says Patrick Henigan, owner of Jacksonville Fitness Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. "While they may be 'good' calories, that does not change the fact that an excess will cause weight gain." If you are going to add coconut oil to your diet, he adds, you will need to cut calories from another source. "Extra calories, no matter where they are from, will cause weight gain," Henigan says.
A study published in the United States advises against the use of coconut oil and instead proposes using American-produced vegetable oils, such as canola, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil.