Loading...
Proponents of the increasingly popular high-fat and purportedly natural diets often promote coconut oil as a heart-healthy ingredient. To examine the evidence for cardiovascular effects of coconut oil, investigators conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials published by June 2019 that compared coconut oil, consumed for at least 2 weeks, with other vegetable oils, and that assessed cardiovascular risk factors.
Pooled results of 17 trials involving 730 participants indicated that, compared with other nontropical vegetable oils, coconut oil was associated with significantly increased LDL by a mean of 10.5 mg/dL and HDL by a mean of 4 mg/dL. Similarly, in four studies comparing coconut oil with palm oil, another oil high in saturated fat, coc…