Coconut products seem to be everywhere! Almost overnight, they appeared on grocery store shelves. Most people experiment a little with coconut oil, some brave people drink coconut milk, and some very brave people use it as sunscreen! It is yummy - my favorite thing to do is melt 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil and drizzle it over chopped vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, squash), and then roast them for 20-25 minutes. But, how can it be good for you? It is 100% fat, and not the good kind either, it is all saturated fat.
I bought some coconut milk today to use in a blueberry smoothie and the side of the carton explained how it contains "medium chain triglycerides" which are used by your body differently than short or long chain triglycerides. Apparently the medium ones (MCT) are quickly used by the liver for energy instead of sitting around and being turned into fat. Although, if your body doesn't need the calories/fat right then, it will turn into fat. Also, coconut oil isn't made up of 100% MCT's. It is only about 10-15% MCTs. And some of the other fats that are included in coconut oil contain short and long chain triglycerides and they are not good for you.
I have read claims too that the saturated fats in coconut oil are processed differently from the saturated fats in meat and dairy. There aren't any solid studies though to prove this point. The use of coconut oil is too new. One study seemed to link coconut oil intake with lower cholesterol and heart disease, but the population studied also ate small amounts of meat, dairy, and sugar, and they consumed a lot of fruits and vegetables. So it's difficult to say that coconut oil was the sole factor that reduced their heart disease, plus their method of screening for heart disease was skewed.
What is my main point? The jury is still out on coconut oil and other coconut products. There haven't been enough solid studies that have proven anything. Saturated fat is still, well, saturated fat, and it is scientifically proven that high levels of this type of fat lead to higher cholesterol, lower HDL, and higher LDL. All of these lead to heart disease. Does this mean I will stop cooking with coconut oil or using its milk for smoothies? No. But I will be careful not to use too much of it too often. Since only 10% of our calories are supposed to come from saturated fat, you could easily use up all of them with 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk.
How much is 10%? Well, if you are aiming to eat 1800 calories per day, 10% of that is 180 calories. Each fat calorie has 9 grams so you would divide 180/9 and get 20 grams. 2000 calories means you can eat 22g of saturated fat; that is your maximum limit for the day. If you have ever looked at a carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it easily contains 2 days worth of saturated fat in just one pint! Other sources of saturated fat include meat (especially red), cream, butter, high-fat cheeses (cheddar and others), high-fat dairy products (whole milk, ice cream), palm oil (usually present in peanut butter unless you buy the natural kind with only peanuts and salt), and coconut oil. I believe the American Heart Association wants people to lower their intake to 7% of their total calories, especially if you have experienced some type of heart disease.
I look forward to reading future studies about coconut products! Until then, I will use it sparingly.
