Coconut oil; A health food or an overly hyped product?

Coconut oil has been advertised as a healthy oil with benefits that it promotes weight loss, lowers blood pressure and blood glucose, protects against heart disease, increases energy, reduces inflammation, erases wrinkles, and even counters Alzheimer’s disease.

With all those benefits, why wouldn’t you want to always use this in your regular cooking?

According to the NY Times in a recent article, when something sounds this good, it may be too good to be true.

Coconut oil is higher in calories than butter, and it also raises the level of LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol, and it costs more than many other types of oil as well. On the other hand, it also raises levels of HDL which is the good cholesterol.

Should you include coconut oil in your diet  Check out what the NY Times has to say about this superfood which may not be so super.

Does Coconut Oil Deserve Its Health Halo?

“It’s been known for a long time that coconut oil raises blood levels of artery-damaging LDL cholesterol,” one expert said.

By Jane E. Brody Jan. 4, 2021

Coconut oil continues to be widely touted as a miracle food. Proponents, including a slew of celebrities, claim it promotes weight loss, lowers blood pressure and blood glucose, protects against heart disease, increases energy, reduces inflammation, erases wrinkles and even counters Alzheimer’s disease. Plus it tastes great, so what could be bad? And if you believe all that, I’ll offer to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.

“When I see a product with a long list of things it’s supposed to fix, I know it can’t possibly be true,” said Marion Nestle, a New York University specialist on nutrition and food policy. “Coconut oil has acquired a healthful aura as a superfood and lots of people believe it’s true. They’re guilty of magical thinking and need to stop and think, ‘They’re trying to sell me something.’” Nonetheless, a survey conducted in 2016 found that 72 percent of Americans viewed coconut oil as a healthy food.

The time is long overdue to relieve coconut oil of a halo that scientific evidence shows it doesn’t deserve and instead give consumers a chance to use the $40 they may spend on a 32-ounce jar of coconut oil to invest in foods that can actually enhance their health.

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