I personally found that coconut oil does not raise cholesterol after I started eating it since 2006. Honestly, whether before or after coconut oil, I've never had any cholesterol issue. The reason for coconut oil having a neutral effect on cholesterol levels probably stems from its medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs).
As MCFAs take up more than half of coconut oil, they convert to energy in our body rather than converting to cholesterol. The remaining long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) may have also turned into energy due to an increase in metabolism from the effect of MCFAs.
However, whether coconut oil raises or lowers cholesterol shouldn't be of any concern to us. People are so concerned about cholesterol levels just because they're misled into thinking that high cholesterol levels indicate high risk of heart disease.
To substantiate my point, The Great Cholesterol Myth has stated:
"Emerging science is showing that cholesterol levels are a poor predictor of heart disease and that standard prescriptions for lowering it, such as ineffective low-fat/high-carb diets and serious, side-effect-causing statin drugs, obscure the real causes of heart disease."
Also, according to Dr. Bruce Fife (N.D.), author of The Coconut Oil Miracle, he said that many people who die of heart disease have normal or below normal total cholesterol levels and many people with high total cholesterol levels live long lives without experiencing heart problems.
On top of that, if you study the components that make up the plaque that clogs arteries which in turn trigger heart disease, you'll discover that the main components of arterial plaque are actually protein (scar tissue), platelets, calcium and triglycerides. It actually contains little or no cholesterol at all.
Having said all that, you should place your focus on managing your high triglyceride level, high blood glucose level and high refined carb diet. That's because these factors do indisputably and directly increase your risk for heart disease, rather than having high cholesterol level.
By eating coconut oil every day, it can help to reduce your triglyceride level and stabilize blood glucose level. Of course, the more you consume, the better it can help you. In short, coconut oil is good for heart health.
You might also like to find out...
- Is virgin coconut oil acidic or alkaline?
- Is coconut oil acid or alkaline-forming?
- Does coconut oil have omega-3 fatty acids?
- Does coconut oil cause green poop?
- Does coconut oil in coffee make you poop?
- Does coconut oil make coffee less acidic?
- Does coconut oil need to be refrigerated after opening?
- Can you heat coconut oil in the microwave?
- Can coconut oil cause gas and bloating?
- Is coconut oil a natural preservative?