Coconut oil (coconut oil) is a particularly high-heat vegetable oil obtained from the nutritive tissue of the coconut (copra). At room temperature, coconut oil has a solid aggregate state and a whitish color – in this form it is called coconut fat. Coconut oil is mainly used in the kitchen for frying and baking, but it is also used in cosmetics. Here, coconut oil is especially popular for hair care.
Coconut oil – healthy or unhealthy?
Since coconut oil and coconut fat have a particularly high proportion of saturated fatty acids – this is about 90 percent – they were considered unhealthy for years. Because possibly the many saturated fatty acids should lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. Today, it is often assumed that high-quality coconut oil only increases the level of HDL cholesterol – the “good” cholesterol that protects us from cardiovascular diseases, for example. Because of its presumed health-promoting properties, coconut oil is becoming increasingly popular: today, coconut oil accounts for about eight percent of the world’s vegetable oil requirements. In addition to its effect on cholesterol levels, coconut oil is also popular because it is easily digestible. This is probably due to the fact that coconut fat – in contrast to butter, for example – contains mainly medium-chain fatty acids. Scientific proof of the health-promoting effect of coconut oil or coconut fat is still lacking, however. Whether the fat often advertised as a “superfood” is really so healthy is therefore controversial.
Oil quality particularly crucial
With coconut oil and coconut fat, it is particularly crucial to pay attention to the quality of the product, because many commercially available coconut fats are industrially hardened. This process produces trans fatty acids from the natural fatty acids, which can have a harmful effect on health. Although the trans fatty acids in coconut fat have the same composition, they have a different structure than the natural fatty acids. This is because the curvature of the natural fatty acids is lost when the coconut fat is hardened, so that after hardening they are no longer in curved form but in straight form. However, the straight trans fatty acids can only be poorly processed by our body. In addition, they increase the “bad” LDL cholesterol in the body and simultaneously lower the level of the “good” HDL cholesterol. This can significantly increase the risk of a heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases. Likewise, the consumption of foods containing trans fatty acids is said to significantly increase the risk of diabetes as well as obesity. If you want to benefit from the health-promoting effects of coconut fat, you should therefore definitely use a high-quality oil or an unhydrogenated fat. Such products are available for sale in health food stores, for example.
Health-promoting effects of coconut oil
The saturated fatty acids of coconut oil include lauric acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid. In addition, coconut fat also contains unsaturated oleic acids and small amounts of minerals such as calcium, iron, copper and potassium and vitamin E. Above all, lauric acid, which occurs in particularly large quantities in coconut oil and coconut fat, is said to have health-promoting effects. It is said to have an antimicrobial effect and thus support the body in its fight against bacteria, yeasts, fungi and certain viruses. In the case of viruses, the mechanism of lauric acid is particularly effective – it simply dissolves the fatty components of the envelope, thereby inactivating the virus – at least in animal and laboratory tests. Due to its antimicrobial effect, coconut oil is also said to be able to help with colds as well as sore throats. To relieve the symptoms, simply add a little coconut oil to a warm tea. Creams containing coconut oil are also said to promote the wound healing process and protect the skin from infections. In addition, coconut oil is popularly used for oil pulling. However, even with regard to these aspects, the health effects of coconut oil are not considered proven.
Positive effect in Alzheimer’s disease
Whether coconut oil has a positive effect in Alzheimer’s disease is still controversial. Proponents cite the case of an American man whose Alzheimer’s disease was not cured by taking coconut oil daily, but allegedly improved significantly.However, scientific studies on the effectiveness of coconut oil in Alzheimer’s disease are still lacking. Allegedly, the positive effect of coconut oil is due to the many medium-chain fatty acids contained in the oil. They are converted to ketones in the liver and then transported to the brain via the bloodstream. There, they can be used as an alternative energy source to glucose. Since certain areas of the brain are no longer able to absorb glucose in Alzheimer’s disease, the ketones are thought to improve the brain’s energy supply.
Coconut fat for weight loss?
Incidentally, it is precisely these medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), due to which coconut oil is sometimes considered a means of losing weight. This is because the ketone bodies formed when these MCTs are metabolized signal a feeling of satiety. Long-lasting weight loss effects of coconut oil could not be confirmed in studies, however. One possible reason for this is that coconut oil consists of only about 14 percent of such medium-chain fatty acids and is therefore not comparable to pure MCT fats in its effect on the feeling of satiety.
How is coconut oil extracted?
To obtain coconut oil, the flesh of the coconut – known as copra – must first be crushed and dried. Drying reduces the water content of the coconut to about five percent, while the fat content increases to 60 to 70 percent. After drying, the pulp is squeezed out, thus extracting the fat.
Use of coconut oil and coconut fat.
Since coconut oil has many saturated fatty acids, it is highly heatable and thus suitable for cooking, baking and frying – but ideally it should only be heated at low temperatures. To buy coconut fat is usually in the form of a solid block, because coconut fat has a solid aggregate state at room temperature. At 22 to 25 degrees, however, the fat begins to melt and turns into oil. When melting, coconut fat can absorb an extremely large amount of melting heat and thus provides a cooling effect. The confectionery industry makes use of this effect of coconut fat, for example, in the production of ice confectionery. In addition to ice cream confectionery, coconut oil is also used in the production of other sweets such as ice cream and wafer fillings. Likewise, it plays a central role in margarine production as well as an ingredient in prepared foods.
Coconut oil: good for skin and hair
In addition to cooking, coconut oil is also used in cosmetics, where it is used in hair shampoos, sunscreen, massage oil and various creams and soaps, among other things. Coconut oil has a cooling effect and has a moisturizing effect, but the oil hardly penetrates the skin. Coconut oil is said to have a particularly positive effect on hair, as it moisturizes dry and damaged hair. Simply massage a little coconut oil into damp hair and leave on for at least an hour. Alternatively, the oil can also act overnight. After soaking, thoroughly rinse out the coconut oil. Due to its moisturizing effect, coconut oil is used not only for hair care, but also in skin care – especially for the care of dry skin. In addition, a drop of the oil massaged under the eyes in the evening is said to prevent dark circles the next morning. But be careful: like other oils, coconut oil can equally lead to blackheads.
