The brown, hairy fruit of the coconut palm tree, coconut has a hard shell covering the white nutmeat inside, which is very rich in fat. Some coconut oil products are labeled “cold pressed.” During cold pressing, the oil from the coconut meat is mechanically pressed at temperatures not exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit, to preserve its healthful benefits. Pure cold-pressed coconut oil is also not refined, processed or deodorized. Coconut oil has been found to be effective in weight loss and cardiovascular disease, and as an antimicrobial agent, among its many other health benefits.
Weight Loss
Coconut oil is mainly in the form of medium-chain triglycerides, while most vegetable oils, such as olive oil are in the form of long-chain triglycerides. MCTs are utilized more effectively by the body as an energy source than are LCTs and have less chance of being stored in fatty tissues. In addition, MCTs increase the body’s metabolic rate and promote fat loss. In a study published in the March 2008 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” 31 overweight men and women, aged 19 to 50 years, were given 18 to 24 grams per day of either MCT oil or olive oil for 16 weeks. The MCT consumption resulted in about 1.7 kilograms more fat loss than olive oil. A study published in the July 2009 issue of “Lipids” found that 12 weeks of coconut oil consumption in women promoted significantly more fat loss in the abdominal area, compared to soybean oil.
Cardiovascular Disease
A study published in the January 2012 issue of the “Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition” looked at whether coconut oil would have a beneficial effect on lipid levels in 1,839 Filipino women, aged 35 to 69 years. The results indicated that coconut oil intake significantly increased the levels of HDL, the beneficial cholesterol, while it had little effect on the levels of LDL, the harmful cholesterol. Another study that appeared in the November 2003 issue of “The Journal of Nutrition” found that coconut oil rich diet lowered the levels of blood fibrinogen and lipoprotein(a), the markers of heart attack risk.
Antimicrobial Properties
About 50 percent of the MCTs in coconut oil is lauric acid. The body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, a compound with potent antimicrobial properties. Monolaurin is effective against herpes, influenza, measles, AIDS and several other viruses. It also kills a number of bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, the causative factor in stomach ulcers. Moreover, monolaurin destroys a variety of fungi, yeast and protozoa, such as some types of ringworm, Candida albicans and Giardia lamblia. Research has shown that lauric acid’s strong antimicrobial activity is due to its ability to destroy the protective fatty membranes surrounding these microorganisms.
Safety
A study published in the March 2011 issue of “ISRN Phamacology” found coconut oil consumption to be safe for healthy humans. Individuals with diabetes and liver disease should be cautious when using MCTs, however, and talk to their physicians before using it, since its use can lead to a buildup of harmful acids in the body, resulting in nausea, vomiting and even coma.
