Abstract

Various studies, including our own works have shown that coconut oil does not increase serum cholesterol level. The major fat in mother’s milk is the same lauric acid as in coconut oil. Baby foods all over the world do contain lauric acid (that from coconut oil) as the prominent ingredient. The plaques in the diseased coronary arteries contain mainly long chain fatty acids (seen in other oils) and not medium chain fatty acids (of coconut oil); and this is the same irrespective of whether one takes sunflower oil or coconut oil. All these findings indicate that coconut oil is neutral with respect to atherogenicity (plaque formation and eventual heart attack). Other beneficial effects include that coconut oil increases serum HDL cholesterol; it produces very little free radicals, as opposed to other oils; it is rapidly absorbed, rapidly metabolized and so does not get deposited and it helps in resisting invading micro-organisms.

Key words: Coconut oil, Fatty acids, Obesity, Coronary heart disease, Plaques