Oh Snap, Now Coconut Oil Is Worse for Your Heart Than Butter and Beef?

RIP, coconut oil, another in a long line of fad diet trends bites the dust.

The problem with coconut oil isn’t a surprise. Here’s why:

So now it turns out that coconut oil isn’t healthy and it’s never been healthy. What will be the next health myth falling from grace, red wine?

I regularly counsel my patients and discuss fad diets and diet trends. There’s been so much coverage on coconut oil and promoted claims of enormous health benefits; finally we can take a step back with science and see that it is high in saturated fat.

A new study now shows that coconut oil is worse for your heart than butter and beef. The “only yesterday it was thought-to-be healthy” oil is 82 percent saturated fat – while butter contains just 63 percent, according to The Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease Advisory.

The artery-clogger is also more likely to send cholesterol levels through the roof than beef, which is 50 percent saturated fat, and pork lard, which contains 39 percent of the “bad” fat, according to the report, which was published last Thursday.

“The widespread misconception that coconut oil is healthy may be linked to past studies that claim plant-based oils are better than animal products,” according to USA Today.

Welcome Back, Olive Oil?

Frank Sacks, lead author of the new study, advises people to boost heart health by cooking with less saturated fats. “This recommended shift from saturated to unsaturated fats should occur simultaneously in an overall healthful dietary pattern,” he writes. The American Heart Association added, “We advise against the use of coconut oil.”

Luckily, science has not yet debunked that coconut oil is a good moisturizer or hair conditioner.  “You can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body,” Sacks said.

Okay researchers, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I can live without coconut oil on my palette, but if you start screwing with my red wine, I am going to be VERY unhappy.  I just want to be very clear about that! :)

Thaïs

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