The American food industry used to use coconut oil products in its' production quite safely, until coconut oil was demonized over 20 to 30 years as part of a wider anti-saturated fat campaign that started in the 1950's with Ancel Keys. The benefits and participants in the anti-saturated fat campaign were the hydrogenated oil industry. The losers were the (primarily foreign) coconut oil industry and the American public, who lost an easy source of some very beneficial fatty acids.

How Did The Myths About Coconut Oil And Cholesterol Come About?

Weston A Price discussed in detail how the association between diet, specifically saturated fat, and coronary heart disease came about. Epidemiological studies (population studies) attributed an increase risk of heart disease to high levels of serum cholesterol. High levels of serum cholesterol were then thought to be a result of a high dietary level of saturated fat.

The link between high serum cholesterol levels as a contributing factor in heart disease is considered fact by most, though not all, scientists these days. A full discussion on this topic is outside the scope of this article on coconut oil and cholesterol, but if you want more information, you can have a look through these articles from The International Network Of Cholesterol Skeptics. They also have a link to some great resources on the topic here. I'd probably start with the latter as it gives a better overview of the subject. Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, a Swedish PhD and medical doctor, discusses the skeptic's view of the role on cholesterol in heart disease at chelationtherapyonline.com/articles/p125.htm.

But let's disregard anything the medical skeptics say for a moment, and look at coconut oil and cholesterol from the accepted point of view - namely, that a high level of LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) and a low level of HDH (the 'good' cholesterol) is a risk factor in heart disease, and therefore a cause of heart disease. Dr. Uffe Ravnskov makes the point that a risk factor is not the same as a cause, that in fact, other factors may be present that in fact influence the ratio of LDL to HDL and also cause heart attacks. But let us, for the sake of argument, disregard this whilst we look at whether coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol.

Coconut Oil And Cholesterol - Does It Really Raise Cholesterol?

The genesis of the negative association between coconut oil and cholesterol came about from a misunderstanding of the significance of animal studies where coconut oil was fed to animals. In this studies, from the '60's, animals were fed coconut oil that had been chemically altered. It was both hydrogenated and all essential fatty acids were removed. This was the only fat source the animals were given. Thus, they become deficient of essential fatty acids. Just like humans, animals need essential fatty acids. And on this diet the animals experienced an increased in their serum (blood) levels of cholesterol. Mary Enig states:

"Diets that cause an essential fatty acid deficiency always produce an increase in serum cholesterol levels as well as an increase in the atherosclerotic indices. The same effect has also been seen when other essential fatty acid deficient, highly hydrogenated oils such as cottonseed, soybean, or corn oils have been fed; so it is clearly a function of the hydrogenated product, either because the oil is essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient or because of trans fatty acids (TFA)." (WestonAPrice.org, 'A New Look At Coconut Oil')

Trans fats are present in hydrogenated oils, and the dangers of trans fats have been known for some time.

When animals were fed unprocessed coconut oil, a different story was told. These studies are all quoted in the above article 'A New Look At Coconut Oil'.

Hostmark et al (1980) looked at the effect on lipoproteins of a diet (in rats) of 10% unprocessed coconut oil and 10% sunflower oil. They found coconut oil produced significantly lower levels of VLDL and significantly higher levels of HDL, compared with the sunflower oil. VLDL is converted in the blood into LDL.

A study in 1981 by Awad looked at the effect of various oils on how much cholesterol accumulated in the tissues in the bodies of rats. The rats were given a diet of either 14% unprocessed coconut oil, 14% safflower oil, or a 5% control, which was mostly made from soybean oil. 2% corn oil was added to the groups getting the coconut oil and the safflower oil, but not the control group. The coconut oil group fared the best. At the end of the study, those in the safflower oil group had 6 times more cholesterol in their tissues than those fed coconut oil. The animals in the control group, which had consumed 11% less total fat than the other groups, had twice as much cholesterol in their tissues as did the coconut oil group.

Coconut Oil And Cholesterol In People

Population based studies reviewed by Kaunitz and Dayrit in 1992 show that consuming a diet in coconut oil

• does not lead to high serum cholesterol
• does not lead to high rates of coronary heart disease
• does not lead to high rates of death from coronary heart disease

Other studies, where people were deliberately fed coconut oil, were also favorable.

Frantz and Carey in 1961: Men with high serum cholesterol levels were fed a hydrogenated fat supplement of 810 kcal/day for a month. Yet there was no significant difference in their cholesterol levels at the end, despite the fact that they were fed hydrogenated coconut oil, which is full of trans fats.

Halden and Lieb in 1961: A group of people with Hypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol levels, were given either straight coconut oil, or coconut oil mixed with 5% sunflower, and 5% olive oils. Their starting cholesterol levels were between 170 to 370 mg/dl. At the end of the study, those who had been given only coconut oil had their levels reduced to a range of 170 to 270 mg/dl. Those given the mixed oil group had cholesterol levels reduced to 140 to 240 mg/dl.

Hasim & colleagues in 1959: A fat supplement given to people with Hypercholesterolemia that was half coconut oil and half safflower oil had their total serum cholesterol reduced significantly. The average was a reduction of 29%. The range was between 6.8% and 41.2%

Bierenbaum & colleagues in 1967: Men who had suffered a heart attack were involved in a study over 5 years that restricted fat intake. In the study, there was a group that acted as a control, and two other groups (of 50 men each) were given a diet that restricted fat intake to 28% of energy. The two fat-restricted groups differed in the types of fats allowed. One group was given 50% corn and 50% safflower oil; the other 50% coconut and 50% peanut oils. In both restricted-fat diets, including the one containing coconut oil, serum cholesterol was reduced. Both of these groups did better than those in the control group.

Sundram & colleagues in 1994: Men with normal cholesterol levels were given whole food diets that contained 30% fat. In this study, 5% of that fat came from coconut oil in the form of lauric acid and myristic acid (both are constituents of coconut oil). Total serum cholesterol increase by 1.9% from 166.7 to 170.0 mg. Yet there was a decrease in LDL cholesterol from 105.2 to 104.4 mg/dl (-0.1%), an increase in HDH of 6.3% (from 42.9 to 45.6 mg/dl), and a decrease in the LDL to HDL ratio of 2.4% (from 2.45 to 2.39). According to heart disease experts, this would be a good result.

Ng & colleagues in 1991: 83 people with normal cholesterol levels were fed fat as 24% of energy. 75% of that fat came from coconut oil. Price quotes the highest values from that group - a 17% increase in total cholesterol (from 169.6 to 198.4 mg/dl), an increase in HDL cholesterol of 21.4% (from 169.6 to 198.4 mg/dl), and a decrease in the LDL to HDl ratio of 3.6% (from 2.51 to 2.42). HDH is considered the 'good' cholesterol, and LDL the 'bad'.

Mary G. Enig on WestonAPrice.org writes that there is often no change in the levels of cholesterol in the blood of people when unprocessed coconut oil is added to those with a normal diet, although in some studies there is a decrease in total cholesterol. From her analysis of the studies she writes:

"It appears from many of the research reports that the effect coconut oil has on serum cholesterol is the opposite in individuals with low serum cholesterol values and those with high serum values. We see that there may be a raising of serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and especially HDL cholesterol in individuals with low serum cholesterol. On the other hand there is lowering of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in hypercholesterolemics as noted above." WestonAPrice.org, 'A New Look At Coconut Oil'

She goes on to write:

"Studies that supposedly showed a hypercholesterolemic effect of coconut oil feeding, in fact, usually only showed that coconut oil was not as effective at lowering the serum cholesterol as was the more unsaturated fat being compared. This appears to be in part because coconut oil does not drive cholesterol into the tissues as does the more polyunsaturated fats. The chemical analysis of the atheroma shows that the fatty acids from the cholesterol esters are 74% unsaturated (41% is polyunsaturated) and only 24% are saturated. None of the saturated fatty acids were reported to be lauric acid or myristic acid (Felton et al 1994)." WestonAPrice.org, 'A New Look At Coconut Oil'

Coconut Oil And Cholesterol - Hydrogenated Fats

Unprocessed coconut is different from refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has undergone a process that includes refining, bleaching, and deodorization. This oil is often hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated. Virgin coconut oil isn't. And there is no difference between 'virgin' and 'extra virgin' coconut oil as those terms are not standardized like they are in the olive oil industry. There is no extra process involved with the two terms - both are made from fresh coconut meat.

Unprocessed, or virgin coconut oil, tastes and smells fresh, although the taste is not a strong one. I haven't found it interfered with the taste of my recipes. This is the type of oil that produces the most healthy results. The results of an in vitro study comparing refined coconut oil and virgin coconut oil (VCO) "demonstrated the potential beneficiary effect of virgin coconut oil in lowering lipid levels in serum and tissues and LDL oxidation by physiological oxidants. This property of VCO may be attributed to the biologically active polyphenol components."

Coconut Oil And Cholesterol - How Does The Body Process Coconut Oil?

The body processes coconut oil differently to most other oils. This is because they are made from mostly medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). Fats are classified as being either short, medium, or long chain fatty acids depending on how many carbon molecules they have in them. Short and medium chain fatty acids go directly to the liver from the gastrointestinal tract via the hepatic portal vein. They do not need to be emulsified by bile salts in the small intestine like the long chain fatty acids. Most of the fats in our diet, whether they are saturated or unsaturated, are in fact long chain fatty acids.

Coconut Oil And Cholesterol - Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA)

Medium chain fatty acids have an advantage because they are very easy to digest. They are in fact used in hospitals to treat people with malnutrition or malabsorption syndrome. Coconut oil actually contains around 66% MCFA. These MCFA provide an immediate source of energy. Lauric acid, the main fatty acid found in coconut oil and a MCFA, is also found in breast milk. It is believed to be primarily responsible for coconut oil's health benefits. Lauric acid constitutes about 47.5% of the fatty acids in coconut oil.

The fats in coconut oil are thus easily absorbed and able to be turned into usable energy for the body, even in those people who have a problem with absorption of nutrients. There is considerable evidence that suggests coconut oil has a positive effect on cholesterol. Mary Enig has suggested in fact that it normalizes cholesterol levels. Good quality coconut oil, at the every least, appears to do no harm.

At the time of writing, www.westonaprice.org had a problem with its' redirection of links from the search engine. Evidently they had upgraded their website, and were working to fix the problem. Thus I did not provide a direct link to the articles referenced. A cached url is provided below in the references.

For a good quality, virgin coconut oil, click here. This coconut oil is unrefined, and cold-pressed to ensure its nutrient profile is preserved. It is naturally free of trans-fats and high in medium chain triglycerides (MCT).