Coconut Oil

COCONUT OIL: HEALTH EFFECTS Heli J. Roy, PhD, MBA, RD LSU AgCente  Pennington Bio!e"i#$l Re%e$#h Cente 

Into"&#tion ' Co#on&t oil #o!e% (o! the

!e$t o( !$t&e" #o#on&t% h$)e%te" (o! the #o#on&t *$l!. It i% &%e" in (oo", !e"i#ine $n" in the in"&%ty. Co#on&t oil i% high in %$t&$te" ($t #ontent, $n" +e#$&%e o( it, it h$% $ long %el(li(e.

F$t $n" ($tty $#i"% in h&!$n he$lth F$t i% $n i!*ot$nt #o!*onent o( the "iet: ' It i% &%e" (o !$-ing !$ny ho!one% ' It *ote#t% o& ne)e% $n" inten$l og$n% $% $ the!$l #o)eing ' It i% e%%enti$l (o goth ' So!e ($tty $#i"% $e e%%enti$l, e !&%t get the! (o! the "iet, $n"

they $e &%e" to !$-e i!*ot$nt #o!*o&n"% (o goth $n" in !et$+oli%!

' It i% &%e" (o enegy

F$tty A#i"% ' Not $ll ($t% $e #e$te" e/&$l. ' Thee $e thee ty*e% o( ($tty $#i"%: ' Shot#h$in ($tty $#i"% ' Me"i&!#h$in ($tty $#i"% ' Long#h$in ($tty $#i"% ' Be#$&%e o( the )$io&% length% o( the ($tty $#i"%, they $e

"ige%te" $n" !et$+oli0e" "i((eently.

1h$t2% the "i((een#e3 Fatty acid type

Coconut oil

Corn oil

Medium chain

456

None

Long chain saturated

576

876

Long chain unsaturated

96

76

The !$;o "i((een#e +eteen the%e oil% $n" ho they +eh$)e in the +o"y i% "&e to the "i((eent ($tty $#i" #o!*o%ition%.

Di((een#e in $+%o*tion $n" &%e ' Shot#h$in ($tty $#i"% $e (o!e" in the inte%tine% +y

(ien"ly +$#tei$ $n" $e $*i"ly !et$+oli0e" +y the inte%tin$l #ell%. ' Me"i&!#h$in ($tty $#i"% $e $+%o+e" $n" t$n%*ote" "ie#tly to the li)e hee they $e +&ne" (o enegy. ' Long#h$in ($tty $#i"% $e t&ne" into tigly#ei"e% $n" then $e t$-en &* +y #ell% $n" &%e" (o enegy o $e %toe". ' Bile (o! the g$ll+l$""e i% nee"e" to "ige%t long #h$in ($tty $#i"%.

Long #h$in saturated ($tty $#i"% ' M$inly (o! $ni!$l %o&#e%, $l%o (o! %o!e *l$nt% ' M$-e% +loo" )e%%el% le%% *li$+le ' In#e$%e% he$t "i%e$%e i%' In#e$%e% "i$+ete% i%' In#e$%e% +loo" *e%%&e ' In#e$%e% LDL ' In#e$%e% tigly#ei"e% ' In#e$%e% in(l$!!$tion ' Re"&#e% HDL

Long #h$in &n%$t&$te" o!eg$4 ($tty $#i"% ' Fo! )eget$+le oil%