Despite everything coconut oil is, and isn’t, a new study suggests that is can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Probably the last thing you’d expect to help with heart disease is coconut oil. It is rich in calories and has more saturated fat than butter and lard, but consuming it might do more good than harm.
A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge has found that coconut oil might not only be good for you, it can even lower the risk of heart disease and stroke when consumed every day for a few weeks.
Professors Kay-Tee Khaw and Nita Forouhi monitored 94 volunteers between the ages of 50 and 75. None of them had ever had a history with heart disease or diabetes.
The participants were split into three groups, each asked to eat 50 grams of either coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter every day for four weeks.
They wanted to see how regular consumption of such fats would affect the subjects’ cholesterol levels.
While butte was deemed bad and olive oil better, coconut oil eaters recorded an 15% average spike in HDL levels, which are referred to as good cholesterol.
The study was part of the BBC2 series of Trust Me I’m a Doctor, and more can be read about it on their website.
