Coconut oil:how healthy is it really?

Coconut oil has been a hit among healthy food bloggers for years. But how healthy is it really? And if you want to use coconut oil, which variant should you choose? You can read it here.

Coconut oil is popular. There is a good chance that you also have a pot in your cupboard. Many people use it as an alternative to shortening or bake cakes with it. Coconut oil is also very suitable for deep-frying, because you can heat it to a high temperature. Vegans also love coconut oil (because it is 100% vegetable) and spread it on their bread instead of butter, for example. The success of coconut oil is mainly due to foodies and healthy bloggers, who promote it on the internet as a superfood. Coconut oil would, among other things, help with weight loss, be good for your skin and your memory, increase your resistance and protect you against diseases. In addition, coconut oil is said to contain saturated fatty acids that are healthier than 'normal' saturated fatty acids.

Lots of saturated fat

So much for the good news, because you guessed it:there is a lot of discussion about how healthy coconut oil is. is actually real now. The Nutrition Center states on its website that coconut fat contains the most saturated fat (87%) of all fat and oil types. Eating too many saturated fatty acids increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, because these fats raise the cholesterol level in your blood. A little coconut fat can't hurt, but, the Nutrition Center advises, it's better not to eat too much of it. Rather use vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, olive oil or soybean oil; these oils contain relatively many (poly) unsaturated fatty acids that help keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

What is healthy about coconut oil?

Most of the saturated fats in coconut oil consists of lauric acid, which according to coconut oil Adepts on the contrary would be very good for health. Lauric acid is said to be anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and it also increases good HDH cholesterol. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive scientific evidence for these claims, because too little useful research has been done. According to critics, there is convincing evidence that the saturated fats in coconut oil increase bad LDL cholesterol. Would you like coconut oil use? Then it is in any case smart to choose one that is of good quality, and to be moderate with it.

5 tips when choosing good coconut oil 

1. The coconut oil must be cold pressed (extra virgin). This coconut oil is manually obtained from coconuts and has a soft coconut scent. You can recognize it by a light brown haze at the bottom of the pot. Do not buy odorless coconut oil , it has undergone a chemical processing process.
2. See the coconut oil stark white? Then it's probably chemically bleached. Coconut oil should have a light gray color, somewhat similar to the color of Celtic sea salt.
3. Buy only organic coconut oil † With non-organic coconut oil, the coconuts are grown under unknown conditions.
4. Choose the purest possible coconut oil † Then you know for sure that it has been produced under fair and livable conditions, and that it meets all quality marks, certifications, reports and quality standards. In the Netherlands, 100% pure coconut oil is not easy to get.
5. Go for coconut oil in a glass jar. That is more sustainable, and you can reuse the pots. In addition, plastic packaging can release plasticizers. Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone.

Text Annemiek de Gier | Image Getty Images

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