Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is a tropical oil with many applications. It is extracted from copra (the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut). Coconut oil constitutes seven percent of the total export income of the Philippines, the world's largest exporter of the product. Coconut oil was developed as a commercial product by merchants in the South Seas and South Asia in the 1860s.

Coconut oil is a fat consisting of about 90% saturated fat. The oil contains predominantly medium chain triglycerides, with roughly 92% saturated fatty acids, 6% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 2% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Of the saturated fatty acids, coconut oil is primarily 44.6% lauric acid, 16.8% myristic acid , 8.2% palmitic acid and 8% caprylic acid. Although it contains seven different saturated fatty acids in total, its only monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid while its only polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.

"Fractionated coconut oil" is a fraction of the whole oil, in which most of the long-chain triglycerides are removed so that only saturated fats remain. It may also referred to as "caprylic/capric triglyceride" or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil because it is primarily the medium-chain triglycerides caprylic and capric acid that are left in the oil. Because it is completely saturated, fractionated oil is even more heat stable than other forms of coconut oil and has a nearly indefinite shelf life.

Blood tests performed on rats showed decreased risk factors for heart disease (reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein and increased high-density lipoprotein) in rats fed virgin coconut oil, when compared to rats fed copra oil. In addition, the polyphenol fraction of unprocessed coconut oil prevented in vitro oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. A study of Polynesian populations that consumed mainly coconut meat found that increased consumption of coconut was associated with significantly higher levels of serum cholesterol but this was not associated with higher rates of death due to heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular disease.