Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is widely marketed as a superfood.

The unique combination of fatty acids in coconut oil may have positive effects on your health, such as boosting fat loss, heart health, and brain function.

Here are 10 evidence-based health benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut oil is high in certain saturated fats. These fats have different effects in the body compared with most other dietary fats.

The fatty acids in coconut oil can encourage your body to burn fat, and they provide quick energy to your body and brain. They also raise HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood, which may help reduce heart disease risk.

Most dietary fats are categorized as long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), while coconut oil contains some medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are shorter fatty acid chains.

When you eat MCTs, they tend to go straight to your liver. Your body uses them as a quick source of energy or turns them into ketones.

Ketones can have powerful benefits for your brain, and researchers are studying ketones as a treatment for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions.

Coconut is an uncommon food in the Western world, with health-conscious people being the main consumers.

However, in some parts of the world, coconut — which is loaded with coconut oil — is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for generations.

For example, a 1981 study noted that the population of Tokelau, an island chain in the South Pacific, obtained over 60% of their calories from coconuts. Researchers reported not only good overall health but also very low rates of heart disease.

Kitavan people in Papua New Guinea also eat a lot of coconut, alongside tubers, fruit, and fish, and have little stroke or heart disease.