Coconut Butter: Health Hoax or Health Miracle?

By Rob Leighton - Share your opinion!

Extra virgin coconut butter – it’s one of the trendier nutritional ingredients. Coconut oil is advanced for its ability deliver fast energy without affecting blood sugar. Its use is touted as a way to speed up the metabolism making weight loss easier. It is being sold as essential oil for addressing certain forms of cognitive decline and dementia.
Coconut oil also is a saturated fat that does cause an increase in cholesterol levels. For 4-6 hours after a meal, it also has been shown to hinder our arteries’ ability to relax and dilate. It may contribute to insulin insensitivity, and – despite the antioxidant levels of extra virgin coconut oil – is likely somewhat inflammatory.
Health aside, extra virgin coconut oil/butter is a great for baking! Flaky and crusty cakes, pies and other baked goods without out the animal products.

The good, the bad, and the delicious.

We have long known that some fats are healthier and some are harmful—with saturated fats (SFAs) generally falling into the harmful category. Coconut butter is substantially a saturated fat, but……
….The saturated fat in coconut is different from that of most other fats and oils, not only saturated kinds, but also the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. While most dietary fats are composed of long-chain fatty acids, coconut butter is composed largely of lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid.
Without going into the chemistry, the key point to understand is that lauric acid can be absorbed directly into the body and even directly into the cells, undigested. Other fats and oils must first be broken down. The lauric acid thus can serve as quick, no-sugar source of energy.
For some time, coconut oil has been known to be a useful source of energy for selected groups. Coconut butter has been shown beneficial for infants, individuals with difficulty digesting fats, and possibly for athletes requiring a quick burst of energy.

And Cholesterol

Coconut oil, like other saturated fats and trans fats, does increase cholesterol levels.
Adding 10 percent or 20 percent coconut oil in the diet for one to two weeks increased cholesterol levels, including LDL cholesterol levels, as well as total triglycerides in the blood.[i]
In India, coconut butter has been used widely by much of the population. Heart disease in India is among the highest in the world. Indian researchers sought to determine the effects of blending a polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), like those found in vegetable oils, with the coconut butter. Cholesterol levels were reduced between 5 percent and 21 percent, when the amount of coconut oil was reduced by blending in PUFAs. The authors of the Indian study concluded that the atherogenic (the artery blocking build of plaque) potentials of a coconut oil can be significantly decreased by reducing this oils intake by blending it with the polyunsaturated vegetable oils.[ii]

And Arterial Dilation

Another study also found that coconut oil compromised how the arteries functioned for four to six hours after a meal when compared with polyunsaturated fats.[iii] The coconut oils adversely impacted the arteries ability to relax and dilate. These results are the similar to those found for any saturated fats

And Blood Sugar Regulation

High-fat diets, particularly those rich in SFAs, also have been shown to reduce the body’s ability to regulate blood sugars. These diets are associated with a decline in the body’s ability to use insulin effectively. One study compared three types of diets: a diet high in medium-chain fats like the lauric acid found in coconut oil, a diet high in long-chain fats, and a low-fat diet.[iv]
Both high-fat diets led to the less effective use of insulin compared to the low-fat diet. The effect, however, was less significant with the high medium-chain fats.[v], [vi]
In another study, however, only the long-chain SFAs affected insulin levels. The medium-chain fats did not.[vii]

And Weight Loss

What about increasing metabolic rate? There may be some science here – but here is the trick. Coconut oil is still high in calories. Whatever the increase metabolic rate, it will be overwhelmed by the additional calories. Cut back on another source of calories for any potential benefit. Figure a teaspoon of coconut oil is about 45 calories.

Using Coconut Butter: Summary

While the research continues, coconut butter falls somewhere between a healthful and a harmful fat. For some specific groups, though, notably infants and adults with difficulty digesting fats, coconut butter may have a very useful nutritional role. Some also suggest that coconut butter helps improve certain types of dementia, but the data again is far from conclusive.
What about the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in extra-virgin coconut oil? Personally, I see no reason to seek out a high calories source of these compounds – and the lauric fatty acid may have some inflammatory effects itself. Look to high nutrient, higher fiber vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish for these compounds.
Looking beyond the health benefits though, coconut butter has some great culinary benefits. For the baker, coconut butter offers a somewhat better alternative to the standard dairy butter. For the vegan baker, coconut butter may be an essential ingredient for making delicious desserts.
For most of us, however, more research is needed before we take steps to add a lot more coconut butter to our diets. It may be healthier than other types of SFAs, but the evidence does not seem to suggest it would qualify as a healthy fat, and remember, even healthier fat should be used smartly.
Learn more about how you can keep you arteries young and healthy, and beat back diabetes, dementia and heart disease – and still love food every day – in the Kardea Heart Smart Solution (affiliate link).