Coconut oil may be a good alternative
DEAR DOCTOR: I’m 75, healthy, and want to stay that way — despite a bad family history regarding hearts and arteries. I have taken 10 milligrams of Lipitor daily for several years, but am wondering if I should try coconut oil to lower my cholesterol?
DEAR READER: Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, with 12 grams per tablespoon. Compare that to olive oil, which has 1.9 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. Almost all of olive oil’s is monounsaturated, widely considered to be better for the heart and cardiovascular system. Saturated fats in meats and dairy products have been shown to increase LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol linked to coronary artery disease.
We really have no good data on coconut oil’s ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. One factor to consider: The meat of the coconut has a considerable amount of fiber. This fiber is not found in the oil, and it may be the fiber that confers the greatest benefit from coconut consumption.
On the other hand, the majority of the saturated fat in coconut oil is lauric acid; the majority of the saturated fat in animal fat
is palmitic acid. Lauric acid is absorbed differently than palmitic acid, which could suggest that coconut oil doesn’t cause the same degree of LDL elevation as animal fat.
A study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews in 2016 analyzed multiple studies and found no difference in the LDL cholesterol level between people who used coconut oil and people who used butter. It does appear, however, that consumption of coconut oil was linked to lower triglyceride levels as compared to beef fat. But cholesterol profiles found among consumers of coconut oil are much worse than those found among people who consume olive oil, canola oil or even corn, safflower and palm oil.
The current recommendation is that these fats should make up only 10 percent of your diet. You could use coconut oil as a replacement to the fat from meat or dairy.
Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.