Test for Adulteration

Coconut oil is 100 per cent fat. It is a type of fat in oil that causes heart problems. Though research in humans has been remarkably limited, the saturated fats in coconut oil (like those, for example, in chocolate and dairy products) appear to be more neutral in their effect on blood cholesterol than that in meat. Saturated fats tend to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, but they vary in chemical structure.

Coconut oil’s main saturated fatty acid is lauric acid, which is in few other foods. Some research has found that lauric acid raises HDL (good) cholesterol and probably LDL as well.

Promoters of coconut oil say that in places where people consume a lot of it, such as Sri Lanka and southern India, cholesterol levels tend to be healthy and rates of cardiovascular disease relatively low. However, it is to be noted that it could be due to various factors, such as genetics, exercise and other dietary differences.

Blood Pressure

A combination of daily coconut oil intake along with regular exercise training may help in maintaining blood pressure at normal levels, according to a research.

“The possibility of using coconut oil as an adjuvant to treat hypertension adds to the long list of benefits associated with its consumption. This is an important finding as coconut oil is currently being considered a popular ‘superfood’ and it is being consumed by athletes and the general population who seek a healthy lifestyle,” said Valdir de Andrade Braga from Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil, who co-authored of the research. The study was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. Place the bottle of oil in a refrigerator. If the coconut oil solidifies, leaving an additional/ separate layer, it means it has adulterants. However, if only the oil freezes and there is no other layer of any visible substance, the oil is most likely not adulterated.