There are many things that divide people, particularly in this time. That sentence probably evoked images of politics or religion, but not necessarily food. Yet food is a polarizing subject. Vegetarians grapple with their family’s Thanksgivings, dairy free converts balk at lattes in coffee shops and people argue about the cholesterol in eggs.
Food. It’s kind of a big deal.
Coconut oil is certainly one of the ingredients that bring out opinions (and a lot of science). It was originally vilified when in 1994 the Center for Science in the Public Interest put out a study claiming that coconut oil popped popcorn was so highly saturated, that it delivered as much fat as six big Macs in one large bag. (1) Movie theatre goers that also cared deeply for their health bemoaned the loss of the classic combination of popcorn and a film.
Twenty years later, you would think that coconut oil was the surefire ticket to lifelong health and wellness. From using it to oil pull bacteria from your gum line to adding it to smoothies, it is hard to meet a yoga tote carrying hippie without being told that it is the cure all for everything from dandruff to seizures. (2)
Of course, what goes around comes around. The scrunchie has unironically returned and when that happens, we have to assume that our newfound health habits might also be called into question.
A scientist from Harvard recently called coconut oil “pure poison” and the news made international headlines. It likely exploded because, fair or not, Harvard is synonymous with credibility. Also, wasn’t coconut oil supposed to boost brain function, help you lose abdominal fat and prevent Alzheimers? (2)
Coconut oil is on the American Health Association’s (AHA) list of foods that are best avoided, as it contains 82% saturated fat, which for the record, is much higher than the saturated fat in butter or even lard. (3) The Harvard Scientist is Karin Michaels and he agrees with the AHA, although Live Science maintains that the terms “pure poison” may be a little bit of a stretch. (4) However, Dr. Michaels did raise a red flag to the influencers who were eating it by the spoonful with every meal.
Saturated fat – bad? Not so fast. Coconut oil seems particularly adept at giving good, HDL cholesterol a boost. (3) Using it sparingly seems like a no brainer when you look at it from that angle. However, most positive studies about coconut oil are only short-term and there are other oils that raise HDL while lowering LDL (the bad cholesterol), such as olive oil (3).
Coconut oil has been scrubbed and polished and made over, like the “after” photo from its shabby 1994 “before” photo. As Reader’s Digest suggests, coconut oil is probably neither a hero nor a villain. It is more likely somewhere smack dab in the middle. (4)
We as human beings like to hold our opinions close to our chests. It is what makes our personalities unique. Sometimes our food beliefs become entangled in who we are (which is why those Thanksgivings with the family can seem so charged). Whether coconut oil is your secret sauce, on the list of foods you avoid, or a special treat depends on which study or which person you believe the most.
From this perspective, we are all right. And we are all wrong.