An extract of the best studies on the properties, intake, effects and chemical composition of coconut fat.

Hewlings S. Coconuts and Health: Different Chain Lengths of Saturated Fats Require Different Consideration. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2020 Dec 17;7(4):59. doi: 10.3390/jcdd7040059.

Alghamdi BS. The Effect of Short-Term Feeding of a High-Coconut Oil or High-Fat Diet on Neuroinflammation and the Performance of an Object-Place Task in Rats. Neurochem Res. 2020 Nov 21. doi: 10.1007/s11064-020-03163-3. 

Saraswathi V, Kumar N, Gopal T, Bhatt S, Ai W, Ma C, Talmon GA, Desouza C. Lauric Acid versus Palmitic Acid: Effects on Adipose Tissue Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obesity. Biology (Basel). 2020 Oct 22;9(11):346. doi: 10.3390/biology9110346.

Weiss-Hersh K, Garcia AL, Marosvölgyi T, Szklenár M, Decsi T, Rühl R. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in membranes are determined by the gene expression of their metabolizing enzymes SCD1 and ELOVL6 regulated by the intake of dietary fat. Eur J Nutr. 2020 Sep;59(6):2759-2769. doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-02121-2. 

Narverud I, Myhrstad MC, Herzig KH, Karhu T, Dahl TB, Halvorsen B, Ulven SM, Holven KB. Lack of Effects of a Single High-Fat Meal Enriched with Vegetable n-3 or a Combination of Vegetable and Marine n-3 Fatty Acids on Intestinal Peptide Release and Adipokines in Healthy Female Subjects. Front Nutr. 2016 Aug 31;3:38. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00038. 

The coconut fat is obtained from the homonymous plant and is used in nutrition, cosmetics and other.

It contains 91% saturated fatty acids while lard contains 41% and tallow 54%. Saturated fatty acids increase total cholesterol, while unsaturated fatty acids reduce total cholesterol or LDL (1).

The excessive consumption of foods high in fat has been linked, in many studies, to the growing incidence of obesity.

Coconut fat has a high fat content.

The effects of coconut fat and soya fat on serum lipids are controversial, but this study onclude that coconut fat in the form of coconut milk does not cause a detrimental effect on the lipid profile in the general population and in fact is beneficial due to the decrease in LDL and rise in HDL (2).

Dietary coconut fat significantly elevated serum total cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations (3).

Animals fed on a diet of coconut fats showed higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels than the control group (4).

Coconut fat, studies

References__________________________________________

(1) Complex porcine model of atherosclerosis: induction of early coronary lesions after long-term hyperlipidemia without sustained hyperglycemia.
Artinger S, Deiner C, Loddenkemper C, Schwimmbeck PL, Schultheiss HP, Pels K.  Can J Cardiol. 2009 Apr;25(4):e109-14.

(2) Impact of a traditional dietary supplement with coconut milk and soya milk on the lipid profile in normal free living subjects.  Ekanayaka RA, Ekanayaka NK, Perera B, De Silva PG.  J Nutr Metab. 2013;2013:481068. doi: 10.1155/2013/481068.

(3) The effect of dietary saturated fat versus polyunsaturated fat on serum cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations in rabbits with partial ileal bypass  Schouten, J.A., Beynen, A.C., Mulder, C. et al. Z Ernährungswiss (1984) 23: 136. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02021688

(4) Complex porcine model of atherosclerosis: induction of early coronary lesions after long-term hyperlipidemia without sustained hyperglycemia. Artinger S, Deiner C, Loddenkemper C, Schwimmbeck PL, Schultheiss HP, Pels K. Can J Cardiol. 2009 Apr;25(4):e109-14.