Is coconut oil clogging your arteries, or could it actually reduce your risk of heart disease?
Transcript:
The controversy surrounding coconut oil
Is coconut oil going to give you a heart attack? Or is it a healthy fat that can actually reduce your risk of heart disease? Surprisingly, there’s quite a bit of controversy around this question. Now, coconut oil is a plant-based saturated fat. Now, boy, if that isn’t confusing, right? Because the standard dogma is “Plant-based is good, Saturated fat is bad.” So which is it for coconut oil? Well, we often hear that it’s an artery-clogging saturated fat. That’s kind of what I hear most about it, I think. But first, I mean, we got to get rid of this whole concept of artery-clogging saturated fat. So that just needs to go away because it isn’t that simple. But secondly, this is a prime example of how we need to evaluate foods and diets on their own merits and not based on a general classification like plant-based or saturated fat or whatever. And a recent comprehensive analysis published by Dr. Mary Newport in the journal Nutrients challenges the conventional wisdom against coconut oil. This study delves deep into the effects of coconut oil on various lipid parameters and cholesterol, offering a fresh perspective on its role in cardiovascular health. Welcome to Metabolic Mind, a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group, transforming the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. Thank you for joining us on this journey. But before we get into the details, please remember our channel is for informational purposes only. We’re not providing individual or group medical or health care advice or establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have potentially dangerous effects if done without proper clinical supervision. So consult your health care provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
How does Mary Newport’s study help us better understand coconut oil?
So how does this study from Dr. Mary Newport help us better understand coconut oil? Well, the research, which is titled “Analysis of 26 Studies of the Impact of Coconut Oil on Lipid Parameters Beyond Total and LDL Cholesterol” This study aimed to better understand how coconut oil impacts one’s lipid profile. So they reviewed 984 lipid profiles from 26 different studies. And there were really three key findings. The first is that there was significant variability in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Now, some individuals experienced increases while others saw no significant changes or even some decreases. And that goes against the medical assumption that since coconut oil is high in saturated fat, it must cause an increased LDL cholesterol for everyone. That simply isn’t true. But second, there was a consistent increase in HDL cholesterol. And when it comes to cardiac risk, we know that low HDL is an independent risk factor and is often associated with poor metabolic health. But as this study demonstrated, something as simple as taking coconut oil can naturally help increase HDL level. And the third was that there was a consistent reduction in triglycerides. And since elevated triglycerides are a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, naturally lowering triglycerides is certainly a worthwhile goal. And since triglycerides decreased and HDL increased, there was a significant improvement in the triglyceride to HDL ratio, a powerful marker of metabolic health and cardiovascular risk. So remember, the traditional stance against coconut oil primarily stems from its saturated fat content, which was believed to raise total cholesterol and LDL and thereby increasing heart disease risk. However, this analysis suggests the lipid profile changes associated with coconut oil are much more nuanced. The increase in HDL and decrease in triglyceride may offset any potential concerns about LDL elevations when they even happen, since it was clearly not a consistent effect.
How coconut oil’s medium chain fatty acids impact health. Why dietary contexts matters?
And here’s another interesting point brought up in this paper. Coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids, which differ from the long chain fatty acids found in other saturated fats like palm oil. So medium chain fatty acids are metabolized differently in the body, potentially leading to distinct effects on lipid metabolism and overall health. Now, this distinction underscores the need to evaluate coconut oil based on its unique composition rather than just grouping it in with other saturated fats. And of course, we also can’t ignore the whole dietary matrix. Saturated fat by itself is one thing, but doesn’t exist by itself. You know, what’s its impact on someone who’s eating a high carb, high fat, high calorie diet, compared to someone eating a low carb, high fat, and then naturally lower calorie diet. The body’s going to handle and metabolize all fats, all carbohydrates, all nutrients, including saturated fat or coconut oil, very differently in those two diets. So it’s time to realize we can’t speak of dietary fat or saturated fat as if it’s all one thing or as if it exists in a vacuum.
The dietary guidelines recommendation on coconut oils and how the study responds to these claims.
For decades, the dietary guidelines have recommended limiting saturated fat intake, including coconut oil, to prevent heart disease. But this comprehensive analysis questions the validity of such blanket recommendations, as do many other papers. The authors argue that the evidence doesn’t support the notion that coconut oil consumption leads to an increased risk of heart disease. And I would add the same can be said for saturated fat in general. So the authors of this study advocate for a more individualized approach to dietary fats, whether it’s coconut oil, saturated fat, or whatever, considering the unique properties and effects of the different fats and oils. And of course, we also need to consider the overall diet as well. So I applaud Dr. Newport for her work on this publication. And I would love to hear your thoughts. Like what do you think about coconut oil or saturated fat in general? Please leave us a comment. And if you found this helpful, please like and subscribe so you won’t miss any of our future content.
Thank you for watching. I’m Dr. Bret Scher, and we’ll see you here next time at Metabolic Mind, a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group. I want to take a brief moment to let our practitioners know about a couple of fantastic free CME courses developed in partnership with Baszucki Group by Dr. Georgia Ede and Dr. Chris Palmer. Both of these free CME sessions provide excellent insight on incorporating metabolic therapies for mental illness into your practice. They are approved for AMA category 1 credits, CNE nursing credit hours, and continuing education credits for psychologists, and they’re completely free of charge on myCME.com. There’s a link in the description. I highly recommend you check them both out.
