Jeffrey Salazar
Coconut oil has gained popularity in recent years due to its purported health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to preventing heart disease. While there is conflicting evidence on the health effects of coconut oil, it is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids, primarily lauric acid, which may offer certain benefits. To incorporate coconut oil into your diet, you can use it as a cooking oil, add it to beverages like coffee, tea, or smoothies, or use it in baking and popcorn. However, it's important to consume it in moderation due to its high saturated fat content, with recommendations suggesting that saturated fats make up less than 10% of daily calorie intake.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to consume | Add to coffee, tea, smoothies, yogurt, bone broth, baked goods, popcorn, meat, poultry, vegetables, eggs, fish, soups, homemade toothpaste, bath oil, hair oil, skincare products |
| Health benefits | May promote ketosis, increases HDL cholesterol, may have antimicrobial properties, may reduce belly fat, may strengthen the immune system, may prevent heart disease, may stave off dementia |
| Health risks | High in saturated fats, may cause mild diarrhea, may cause dry skin, may increase LDL cholesterol, may increase risk of heart disease |
| Recommended intake | 1–2 tbsp per day, less than 10% of daily calories from saturated fats, 200 calories from saturated fat per day for a 2000-calorie diet |
| Nutritional information | 1 tbsp contains 117 calories, 13.9 g of fat, 11.6 g of saturated fat, 105 calories from saturated fat |
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What You'll Learn
Use it for cooking and baking
Coconut oil is a tropical fat that has seen a surge in popularity due to its many purported health benefits. It is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids, primarily lauric acid, which may offer health benefits such as promoting ketosis and increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. However, it is important to note that coconut oil is also rich in saturated fats, and its long-term health effects are still being studied.
When incorporating coconut oil into your diet through cooking and baking, there are several ways to do so:
Cooking with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has a relatively low smoke point of around 338°F (170°C) in its pure form, making it suitable for medium-heat cooking. It can be used as a substitute for traditional cooking oils like canola, soybean, or vegetable oils in stir-frying, sautéing, or pan-frying. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to cook vegetables, eggs, meat, or fish. You can also drizzle melted coconut oil on air-popped popcorn for a tasty treat.
Baking with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an excellent choice for baking due to its semi-solid state at room temperature. It can be used as a substitute for oil or butter in baked goods like cookies, cakes, and brownies at a 1:1 ratio. Be sure to allow any cold ingredients like eggs or milk to come to room temperature before mixing them with coconut oil to prevent the batter from clumping. You can also use coconut oil to coat poultry or meat before rubbing on seasonings.
Other Culinary Uses
In addition to cooking and baking, coconut oil can be added to drinks like coffee, tea, or smoothies. Simply blend or emulsify the oil with your drink of choice to mask the texture and create a creamy consistency. It can also be used in homemade bone broth, yogurt, or soups. For a tropical treat, try making fresh coconut milk, where you'll be able to taste and see the coconut oil beading up in the milk. This milk can be used as a beverage, in smoothies, baking, or soups!
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Add it to drinks
Coconut oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years due to its many purported health benefits, ranging from reducing belly fat to strengthening the immune system, preventing heart disease, and staving off dementia. However, it is important to note that these claims are often backed by celebrity endorsements and proponents of popular diets, with little support from scientific evidence.
Coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat. It is claimed that MCTs may have fat-burning properties, but there is currently no evidence to suggest that consuming coconut oil alone will increase calorie burn. Nevertheless, for those interested in incorporating coconut oil into their diets, one way to do so is by adding it to drinks.
One popular way to consume coconut oil is by adding it to hot drinks such as coffee or tea. To do this, simply add a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil to your drink and blend until the mixture emulsifies, creating a creamy and rich consistency. You can also add coconut oil to smoothies, either by blending it in or by drizzling it on top.
Another way to consume coconut oil in drink form is by making homemade coconut milk. When making fresh coconut milk, the coconut oil will bead up and can easily be extracted and added to smoothies, soups, or enjoyed as a beverage on its own.
It is important to note that coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and current dietary guidelines recommend keeping total saturated fat intake to under 10% of total calories. As such, it is best to consume coconut oil in moderation as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
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Eat it straight from the coconut
Coconut oil is a tropical fat that is claimed to have various health benefits. It is a plant-based oil derived from coconuts. It is high in saturated fats, with over 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil being saturated fats. It also contains a substantial amount of lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid.
If you want to eat coconut oil straight from the coconut, you can follow these steps:
- Grate the meat out of half an old brown coconut using a coconut grater. This will give you small pieces of coconut meat.
- Put the grated coconut meat into a blender and press it through a cloth. The final product will be an oily water with a rich, creamy consistency.
- You can also choose to consume the unfiltered product, which is the oil scraped directly from the coconut.
It is important to note that coconut oil is high in calories and consuming large amounts can lead to weight gain. Experts recommend limiting your intake of coconut oil due to conflicting research on its health effects. To minimize any adverse effects, stick to 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil per day.
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Consume it in capsule form
Coconut oil is commonly consumed in foods and is available in supplement form. People who dislike the flavour or texture of coconut oil can take it in capsule form. Coconut oil supplements typically contain 1–3 grams per capsule, and a person would need to take 13 capsules to equal 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. For this reason, cooking or baking with coconut oil is a more efficient method of consumption.
Coconut oil is a high-calorie food that contains mostly saturated fatty acids. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend that saturated fats make up less than 10% of a person’s daily intake of calories. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, this would be 200 calories from saturated fat per day, or around 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
Some people take 2 coconut oil capsules each morning and night. They may add a small amount to hot drinks and soups. However, consuming coconut oil in capsule form is not the best method, as it requires taking a large number of capsules to equal a small amount of oil.
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Use it as a replacement for other fats
Coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids, primarily lauric acid, which may have health benefits such as promoting ketosis and increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. However, it is also high in saturated fats, with 1 tablespoon containing around 12 grams of saturated fat. As such, it is recommended that people derive less than 10% of their daily calories from saturated fats. For someone consuming 2000 calories per day, this equates to fewer than 200 calories or about 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil.
Coconut oil can be used as a replacement for other fats in cooking and baking. Its high smoke point of around 338°F (170°C) makes it suitable for medium-heat cooking and baking. It can be used to sauté or stir-fry vegetables, eggs, meat, or fish. When baking, it can be used to coat poultry or meat before adding seasonings. Coconut oil can also be used as a 1:1 substitute for other oils or butter in recipes for baked goods such as cookies, cakes, and brownies. It is important to ensure that any cold ingredients, such as eggs or milk, are at room temperature before mixing them with coconut oil to prevent the batter from clumping.
Coconut oil can also be added to drinks such as coffee, tea, and smoothies. For hot drinks, blending the mixture is recommended to emulsify the oil and create a creamy consistency. For smoothies, the coconut oil should be melted and slowly added while blending to prevent clumping. Coconut oil can also be drizzled over air-popped popcorn or used in place of milk in some recipes for soups.
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Frequently asked questions
Coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids, primarily lauric acid, which may have antimicrobial properties. It also contains high quantities of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are quickly absorbed and metabolized by the body. A 2023 study found that MCTs, when used during a low-calorie ketogenic diet, significantly decreased body weight, BMI, and waist circumference.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping total saturated fat intake to under 10% of total calories. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, this equates to 200 calories from saturated fat per day, or around two tablespoons of coconut oil.
Coconut oil can be used as a cooking oil, as it has a high smoke point and is stable at high temperatures. It can also be added to drinks such as coffee, tea, and smoothies, or used in baking in place of other oils or butter.
Yes, unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation.
Some participants in a 2017 study who consumed two tablespoons of coconut oil daily experienced mild diarrhea. It's important to note that coconut oil is high in saturated fat and calories, so moderation is key.
