Coconut Oil Lowers Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease: American Heart Associated

It has been long debated which is the healthiest fats and lately the American Heart Association (AHA) has released a report to end such confusion.

A survey conducted by New York Times found 37 percent of nutritionists think coconut oil is healthy and 72 percent of Americans agree to it.

Risk of cardiovascular disease can be lowered by about 30 percent with saturated fats found in coconut oil or butter with vegetable oils like corn or peanut, writes AHA in its report.

Dr. Tara Narula, CBS News medical contributor, said many believe coconut oil is healthy as manufacturers tout it is anti-aging, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and prevents dementia.

Coconut is made of saturated fat by 80 percent which is similar to the 60 percent saturated fat found in butter.

Narula added, “Saturated fat raises the LDL or the ‘bad’ cholesterol so coconut oil is going to have that same effect as butter and beef fat.”

Since the 1960s the AHA documents read saturated fat is detrimental to cardiovascular health.

Lately AHA has come up with several recommendations and warns saturated fat increases cardiovascular risk.

For example, if replacing it with poly-unsaturated fat, including vegetable oils like corn, soybean, and peanut oil, can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 30 percent.

She further continued saying, “If you replace it with mono-unsaturated fats, things like olive oil or avocado, that’s good, too [though] not as good as poly-unsaturated fat, but it’s pretty good.”