Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad for You? Here's What Our Health Experts Have To Say...

Health and nutrition experts generally consider coconut a nutritious food that's an important part of a well balanced diet for most people. Beverages and supplements made from coconut by-products, including coconut oil, have also become very popular over the last several years. Most experts agree that unsaturated fats are an essential part of our diet and can also help lower cholesterol and reduce our risk for heart disease. Yet many also know that certain saturated fats, like those found in grass-fed butter or coconut oil, can also have many health benefits.

Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad?

There is good reason to believe coconut oil offers powerful health benefits:

• It is believed to improve digestion by accelerating absorption of fat-soluble vitamins;
• It contains large quantities of vitamin A and vitamin E, helping support heart health;
• It provides healthy forms of fat that can be used as energy by the body very quickly in the metabolism process, to fuel the brain and promote optimal gut function.

However, recent research suggests that consumers may be misusing or overusing coconut oil.

American Heart Association Chimes In

The American Heart Association releases a “presidential position statement” as an advisory on dietary fats.

At the center of the recent AHA announcement controversy is our level of consumption of coconut oil. People who use coconut oil often feel they are getting all the benefits of an enriched superfruit that is more saturated in fat relative to other cooking oils. The American Heart Association has recently advised additional findings about coconut oil that may call its widespread use into question. Its June, 2017 report could be considered damning by many of the most enthusiastic proponents of coconut oil.

Some of the AHA assertions include:

• Coconut oil’s high concentration of saturated fat may make it unhealthy for the heart;
• Coconut oil is perceived by the public, but not by nutritionists, as a “health food”;
• Coconut oil should be avoided due to its relation to higher levels of LDL cholesterol.

Putting the AHA Report into Perspective: The Character of a Healthy Diet

The AHA has done a great deal to make people aware of heart health, but its current report is terse and short on key details. It’s crucial to realize that misusing or overusing any food or supplement can be deemed unhealthy.

Without a doubt, many people may be consuming too much coconut oil. It is often used in cooking, and on skin, teeth, and hair, as a supplement or additive. Combined with too many other good fats, like avocado or grass-fed butter, it can easily lead to an overabundance of fats in your diet. The best way to eat and process fats is to combine them with a balanced diet rich in vegetables.

Help Achieving a Balanced Diet

the biostation can help you achieve a balanced diet with the right amount of good fat.

Is coconut oil unhealthy? At the biostation, we are eager to see rigorous, detailed research that will shed light on how conclusions were reached to determine if coconut oil is indeed dangerous for your health. However, we are confident that a balanced diet can include coconut oil and other healthy fats, both saturated and unsaturated.

Our experts advise patients on maintaining a balanced diet that includes optimal levels of different minerals, nutrients, and good fats. Every person's needs are different, and a customized diet may be the way to help you feel and look your best, and protect your health for years to come. For many of our patients, this makes all the difference. Our Medical Team, overseen by an experienced Cardiologist and Nutrition Expert, can help you understand how to make the best use of your body's natural ability to process fats. A customized plan can also be implemented for patients seeking advice on daily choleric intake. For those with specific concerns, a performance blood panel or targeted supplementation is also recommended.

For more information on nutrition, weight loss, or our personalized approach to total wellness, contact us today – and follow our bioblog for the latest coconut oil news.