Is coconut oil really that harmful? Researchers continue to argue!

Expert dispute continues: consumers increasingly insecure

"Coconut oil is one of the worst things you can eat," said Professor Dr. Dr. Karin Michels in her previous day. It's even pure poison, Michels said. As you can see in the (already deleted) video, a murmur went through the crowd. Also the readership whispered, which does not want to accept this sentence. In fact, the effects of coconut oil are highly controversial.

Worse than lard?

Professor Dr. Dr. Karin Michels, director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumor Epidemiology at Freiburg University Hospital, said in a public lecture series on "Prevention - for a healthy life" that no positive aspect of coconut oil is proven by a human study. It is even worse than lard! Coconut oil is one of the saturated fats and there share the place with butter, lard and palm fat. These fats are instrumental in clogging the coronary arteries, increasing the risk of developing heart disease and premature cardiac death.

Coconut oil is used both as a beauty product and in the kitchen. Advocates point out the health benefits of vegetable fat. Critics doubt it, however. On the contrary: coconut oil is taken orally harmful. (Image: aedkafl / fotolia.com)

"Coconut oil is not poisonous, of course"

"Coconut oil is of course not poisonous," on the other hand, also conjured by a recognized nutritionist, Dr. med. Wolfgang Feil. Rather, coconut oil is according to numerous studies, a very healthy food that would even protect against cardiovascular disease. For example, it has been proven that coconut oil would also improve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. On the one hand, this potential of coconut oil in Alzheimer's disease is triggered by the proportion of medium-chain fatty acids, as these form ketone bodies, which has already led to improvements in Alzheimer's symptoms in other studies with medium-chain fatty acids (Cunnane 2016, Reger 2004). On the other hand, coconut oil also contains polyphenols that prevent the formation of amyloid plaques. In addition, coconut oil is said to prevent gingivitis and plaque formation, prevent the progression of Parkinson's disease, reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, and, unlike nutritionist Michels, be good for the heart and blood vessels.

Even good for the heart?

For example, Prior et al (1981) had already shown that people on the South Pacific island of Tokelau do not know cardiovascular diseases, although 63% of the total energy intake is made from coconut oil. Lindeberg and Lundh (1993) came to the same conclusion: in Papua New Guinea, where coconut oil is also a major source of energy, the population does not know a heart attack. Further studies on this topic would show how good coconut oil is for the heart and blood vessels. For example, the study by Assuncao et al (2009). Here, one study group was given 30 ml of soybean oil daily, the other group received 30 ml of coconut oil daily. The result: Compared to the soybean oil group, the coconut oil group lost both the total cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol - the protective HDL cholesterol also improved in the coconut oil group. The human study by Cardoso et al (2015) also showed a coconut oil-enhanced HDL-C value, which is a lower risk of heart attack. In another human study with women, coconut oil showed a greater reduction in inflammation even compared with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and moreover reduced the risk factor Lp (a) for heart attack more. Müller et al (2003).

Video off the talk turned off

At the time of writing, the much-watched video of Prof. Karin Michels' lecture was no longer available on the YouTube platform. In an interview, the scientist surprisingly apologized for one of her statements in the lecture. "The phrase 'coconut oil is the pure poison' is pointed and pointed. He fell as part of a public lecture for the general population. He has led to a big discussion. Professor Michels's intention was not to unsettle people, but to inform. For the unfortunate choice of words she would like to apologize at this point, "it says in a statement.

However, Michels is strengthened by the scientists Dr. med. Stacey Lockyer and Sara Stanner of the British Nutrition Foundation. Coconut oil is not healthier than other oils. The authors of the study, published in the journal "Circulation" published by the American Heart Association, point out that the consumption of fats and oils plays an important role in the development and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

According to the experts, a lower consumption of saturated fatty acids leads to a lower risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system. But coconut oil contains a lot, namely 82 percent saturated fatty acids.

Pork lard, on the other hand, accounts for only 39%, beef tallow 50% and butter 63%. Instead, more unsaturated fatty acids should be on the menu. They are among others in greasy fish, nuts, legumes and avocados.

Outdated arguments?

The science journalist Dipl. Oec. troph. Ulrike Gonder recently criticized the criticism of coconut oil. According to the expert, the work of the scientists of the "British Nutrition Foundation" refers to "outdated arguments". That coconut oil is rich in saturated fat and therefore harmful to health, according to Gonder one of the oldest arguments against coconut oil, which makes it but not true. Although coconut oil actually amounts to around 92 percent of saturated fatty acids, it is scientifically untenable to conclude from this fact that it has any health significance.

The expert pointed to several studies and meta-analyzes that conclude that saturated fats per se have no causal relationship to the onset of heart attack or other cardiovascular disease.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE), however, confirms the statement of the Director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumor Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg, according to which the superfood oil is "the pure poison". Consumers, on the other hand, should resort to other oils such as rapeseed and olive oil.

And so the dispute continues merrily, whose end is not yet foreseeable. To the detriment of consumers, who can only wonder that the dispute over experts takes on such features. (Sb)