Does Coconut Oil Have Health Benefits?

"Every time I visit the nutritional functional medicine clinic, patients always ask me what kind of oil to use when cooking the main dish?" Liu Boren, director of the Cobot Functional Medicine Clinic, mentioned this dietary issue that troubles many people in his book, "Liu Boren's Undisclosed New Path of Functional Medicine."

Liu Boren recalled a real case: Many years ago, a mothermemory loss, knee arthritis, and high blood lipids. After her first visit, the mother followed the nutritional functional medicine prescriptions and her cholesterol levels dropped smoothly. However, when she returned for a follow-up appointment six months later, her total cholesterol had climbed to 230mg/dl, and her low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, also known as "bad cholesterol") had reached 150mg/dl. Confused by the rebound, the mother asked, "I've been following the doctor's instructions, so why is my condition getting worse?" At this point, the daughter who accompanied her to the clinic asked Liu Boren if this was related to her mother's use of coconut oil for cooking over the past three months. The daughter further explained, "They said on TV that coconut oil can reduce the risk of dementia and enhance memory, so Mom bought a lot of coconut oil from TV and has been using it for all three meals a day."

This case led to a discussion on the relationship between coconut oil and cholesterol. Liu Boren pointed out that coconut oil is a vegetable oil rich in saturated fat. Some scholars believe that coconut oil can help improveImprove brain cognitive function, and prevent dementia. The core reason is that it is rich in medium-chain fats (MCFA) - this type of fat is easily absorbed by the human body and can be converted into ketone bodies after entering the liver, and ketone bodies can provide energy for brain cells.

Although studies have shown that consuming coconut oil may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, also known as "good cholesterol"), Liu Boren cited a 2016 New Zealand meta-analysis of 28 papers, pointing out that long-term use of coconut oil may lead to increased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and is not completely risk-free for blood lipid control.

In fact, regarding dietary adjustments for patients with high cholesterol, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines White Paper released by the United States has already clearly recommended:People with high cholesterolConsumption of sugar, salt, saturated fat, and trans fat should be reduced, while consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains should be increased. Coffee consumption is also recommended in moderation. Notably, the guidelines remove direct restrictions on cholesterol intake and instead emphasize limiting saturated fat intake—its intake should not exceed 10% of total daily calories. Lard, butter, and coconut oil are all high in saturated fatty acids, with butter at approximately 52% saturated, lard at approximately 42%, and coconut oil at a staggering 90%, far exceeding the saturated fat content of the other two.

Liu Boren further explained, "The benefits of coconut oil are often mentioned, as it contains a high amount of saturated fat and 12-carbon medium-chain fats (lauric acid). However, people often overlook the fact that coconut oil also contains long-chain fatty acids (such as myristic acid). Long-chain saturated fatty acids are one of the key factors that may increase total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol."

This shows that coconut oil isn't a panacea for everyone. Liu Boren advises that the effects of coconut oil on human metabolism need to be determined based on individual constitution, dosage, and frequency of consumption. As for whether coconut oil can reduce the risk of dementia, he believes that current research evidence is insufficient and that longer-term follow-up studies are needed to draw definitive conclusions.

Finally, Liu Boren gave practical advice on oil usage: "Never think of coconut oil as a panacea. The smart rule for using oil is to rotate it. When cooking daily, give priority to oils with high content of monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil and camellia oil, which can bring more benefits to your health." At the same time, he especially reminded people with related diseases such as dyslipidemia to be sure to have blood drawn every three months to test their cholesterol levels. Because everyone's genes are different, there are differences in the ability to decompose and metabolize food components. Regular testing can help to adjust diet and treatment plans in a timely manner.