Many people use coconut oil when cooking as, what they see, as a healthy alternative.
A new study by the American Heart Association said coconut oil is just as unhealthy as beef fat and butter.
Some use the oil with the belief that it will boost metabolism and promote weight loss, but Sentara Healthcare reports the American Heart Association has denounced that.
“Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the American Heart Association said in the Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory.
The report also included a survey in which 72% of the American public rated coconut oil as a ‘healthy food’. Only 37% of nutritionists labeled it as healthy.
Katie Abbott, Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Sentara Healthcare, is in agreement with the AHA on the unhealthy benefits of the oil, Sentara said.
Abbott is a nutritionist for the Ornish Lifestyle Medicine Program at Sentara Princess Anne. Sentara said the program aims to reduce the risk of a heart-related event by reinforcing four key areas of lifestyle change—nutrition, activity, stress management and emotional support.
