Coconut oil

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Heart and cholesterol effects³

  Studies in Asian countries suggest coconut oil may help heart health, but more long-term studies are needed.

• No harm found

  Heart and metabolic health⁴

  In people, coconut oil did not improve heart or metabolic health in randomized trials.

• Open question

  Cholesterol levels⁵

  Coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol more than other vegetable oils, but also raised HDL cholesterol.

• Open question

  Heart and blood cholesterol⁶

  In short-term studies in people, coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol less than butter, but not less than safflower, sunflower, or canola oil.

• Concern

  Heart health⁷

  Studies show eating coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol, which could affect heart health.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels in adults⁸

  In adults, coconut oil raised good cholesterol and affected LDL cholesterol less than butter did.

• Open question

  Weight loss claims⁹

  Research on coconut oil, satiety and weight loss is not consistent, the report says.

• Concern

  Cholesterol and weight¹¹

  Coconut oil raises LDL, HDL and total cholesterol versus other vegetable oils, and it failed as a weight loss strategy.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels in men¹²

  In men with obesity, coconut oil raised HDL cholesterol and lowered the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio.

• Open question

  Blood fats after eating¹³

  In people, coconut oil raised blood fats less than canola oil did after a meal.

• Open question

  Blood fat levels¹⁴

  In a 4-week study, eating coconut oil doubled two fats in people's blood, but these changes mostly didn't link to health markers.

• No harm found

  Blood pressure in adults¹⁵

  In people with high blood pressure, coconut oil did not lower it, alone or with exercise.

• Benefit

  Anxiety and daily function in MS¹⁶

  In people with MS, coconut oil plus EGCG improved state anxiety and daily function, though IL-6 fell in both groups.

• Concern

  Heart health in men¹⁷

  In men, eating virgin coconut oil raised total and LDL cholesterol but left other heart risk markers unchanged.

• Open question

  Heart and blood sugar effects¹⁸

  In adults with metabolic syndrome, coconut oil lowered triglycerides and blood sugar but raised cholesterol and ADMA.

• Benefit

  Belly fat and cholesterol¹⁹

  In women with large waists, coconut oil led to less belly fat and better cholesterol than soybean oil.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels in people²⁰

  In people, adding psyllium husk fiber to coconut oil lowered cholesterol, mainly the bad LDL kind.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Heart and weight effects²²

  Scientists do not yet know whether coconut oil helps with weight loss or heart health, so more studies in people are needed.

• Open question

  Dietary fat effects²³

  Recent information suggests coconut oil may have some beneficial effects, but more understanding is needed.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Liver cholesterol²⁴

  In lab studies, coconut oil's processing contaminants raised cholesterol-making activity in liver cells.

How it’s made and used

• Appetite and fullness¹⁰

  In people, coconut oil did not cut how much was eaten later, unlike MCT oil.

• Running performance²¹

  In runners, coconut oil added to coffee did not improve 1600 m times or effort levels.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.