2. Claim: Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

Many studies have concluded that even though coconut oil may be slightly better in reducing the risk of heart disease, it is actually more harmful than oils like corn, safflower, soybean and sesame. It increases the LDL or “bad” cholesterol in our bodies just like other fats, and a recent review of 21 research papers stated that it does not reduce blood cholesterol or risk of heart disease.

But, still many will point to studies and statistics of those who consume coconut as a main part of their diet, like the Pacific Islanders or the people of Kitava who are lean and healthy. What they fail to realize is that it isn’t the coconut that helped them stay that way, but their entire diet and active lifestyle. Their diets also consisted of things like seafood, fruit, and vegetables as well, while being low in fat, alcohol, sugar, dairy, salt, and processed foods.

See what we mean?

Driving this point home is the fact that these studies were based on the lives of people who lived a while ago. Coconuts have not made any impact on changing diets and lifestyles.

Today, Pacific Island is at the top in world obesity charts, as well as having high rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes (3 times more prevalent than in Australia). The Samoan people had a diet that consisted of 900 more calories in 2007 than in the 1960s. And all of this was despite the fact that coconut still played a major role in their diets.