What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil is a type of oil harvested from squeezing the meat found inside of coconuts. While coconut oil has been touted as a miracle weight-loss substance, research doesn't back that up.
Coconut oil has gained popularity in the diet industry over the last few years. It’s been touted as a magical cure-all by celebrities for things like weight loss, preventing dementia, and strengthening the immune system.
Unfortunately, it seems that the magic of coconut oil might be exaggerated. While there’s nothing wrong with using coconut oil in moderation, it’s not going to cure all your ailments. But what about coconut oil for weight loss?
Coconut oil is a type of oil harvested from squeezing the meat found inside of coconuts. Coconut oil is pure fat, and the composition means that it is solid or semi-solid at room temperature or colder.
Coconut oil is available in several different forms. These include virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil, and partially hydrogenated coconut oil.
Virgin or extra virgin coconut oil. In olive oil, the oil is considered extra virgin if the fatty acid level is below .8% and considered virgin if the level is between .8% and 2%. These terms are not regulated with coconut oil, so they are used interchangeably.
Virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is made using fresh coconut meat. There are two methods for this. The dry method takes the fresh coconut meat and dries it quickly using heat. The dried meat is then pressed with a machine, which removes the oil. The wet method involves pressing the fresh coconut without drying the meat. This provides both oil and coconut milk. The milk is then separated from the oil.
This oil has a smoke point of about 350°F (177°C), making it good for baking or quickly sauteing, but not for deep frying. If your coconut oil label says the oil is “cold-pressed,” that means that the oil is pressed at a temperature below 120°F (49°C), which is believed to help the oil retain nutrients. Alternatively, the oil may be “expeller pressed,” meaning it’s pressed by a machine, usually with heat or steam.
Refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat, called copra. The copra is pressed by a machine to harvest the oil, which is then heated or steamed to remove odors. Then the oil is filtered through clays to remove impurities and bacteria.
Refined coconut oil is flavorless and odorless. It also has a higher smoke point, between 400°F and 450°F (204-232°C).
Partially hydrogenated coconut oil. Partially hydrogenated coconut oil is made when the small amount of unsaturated fats in the oil are hydrogenated, which means that hydrogen is added. This is meant to improve texture and extend shelf life, but it creates trans-fast, which are generally considered to be the least healthy types of fats.
What are the different types of fats?
There are four primary types of fat, divided into categories based on their chemical structure. These are:
- Monounsaturated fats, which are found in foods like avocados, nuts and seeds as well as canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil.
- Polyunsaturated fats, which are found in fish, walnuts, and oils like corn oil, flaxseed oil, and sunflower oil. Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat.
- Saturated fats, which are found in almost every type of food, especially animal foods. Coconut oil is primarily made up of saturated fat.
- Trans fat, which are vegetable oils that have been heated in the presence of hydrogen gas to hydrogenate it. Trans fats are also found in small amounts in beef and dairy products.
Can fats be healthy?
For a while, there was a low-fat diet fad that recommended cutting out fats as much as possible. But the truth is, your body needs fats. Fats are one of the three types of macronutrients your body needs to be healthy, along with proteins and carbohydrates. Your body needs fats for several reasons, including:
- Absorbing vitamins A, D, and E
- Giving you energy
- Keeping you warm
- Making hormones
- Providing a source of Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are key nutrients that your body cannot make on its own
The key to healthy fats is the type of fat you eat and how much you’re eating.
Unsaturated fats are the healthy types of fat. These types of fat have many beneficial roles in the body, including easing inflammation and improving your levels of blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood.
Your body needs cholesterol for several things, such as:
- Forming protective layers in your cell membranes
- Making bile in your liver
- Producing certain hormones and vitamin D
While cholesterol is important, too much of it in your body, especially of a certain type of cholesterol, can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. There are several types of cholesterol, but the two that get the most attention are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol and high-density proteins (HDL) cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” cholesterol because these lipoproteins are made up mostly of cholesterol, making this type more likely to build up and form plaque in your blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol because it’s mainly made up of proteins and it takes the excess cholesterol from your bloodstream to your liver, where it’s broken down.
Most adults should try to keep their LDL cholesterol under 100 mg/dL. Men and those assigned male at birth should try to keep their HDL at 40 mg/dL or above. Women and those assigned female at birth should try to keep their HDL above 50 mg/dL.
Trans fats are the worst type of fat for your cholesterol because they raise the levels of LDL and reduce the HDL. Trans fats also contribute to inflammation and insulin resistance. For a long time, saturated fats were thought to contribute to heart disease, but recent studies dispute these ideas. However, studies also show that switching out saturated fats for unsaturated fats is still better for your health overall.
Can coconut oil help you lose weight?
While coconut oil has been touted as a miracle weight-loss substance, research doesn’t back that up. Studies on coconut oil for weight loss have been inconsistent. Some studies have shown that coconut oil may reduce belly fat and lower BMI, but some have not.
It’s also important to note that to date, all of these studies have been short-term. Many of them included coconut oil as part of a plan that included a reduced-calorie diet and exercise. So far, there is no evidence that simply adding coconut oil to your diet will help you lose weight. Additionally, coconut oil is high in calories and can raise your levels of LDL cholesterol.
Overall, more research needs to be done on the potential health benefits of coconut oil, but it’s unlikely to help with weight loss.
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Medically Reviewed on 1/31/2023
References
SOURCES:
British Heart Foundation: "Fats explained."
Cleveland Clinic: "What is Cholesterol?"
Food Safety Authority of Ireland: "Trans Fatty Acids And Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils."
Harvard School of Public Health: "Coconut Oil," "Types of Fat."
North American Olive Oil Association: "What's the difference between virgin and extra virgin olive oil?"
