Coconut oil, fullness and weight loss in people
What it found
Coconut oil did not increase fullness or reduce food intake compared with other fats in short studies of people.
The authors found no long trials testing coconut oil for weight loss.
What they found
Studies in people
Fullness and food intake
Two studies in people found coconut oil did not increase fullness or change how much they ate compared with other fats. In one study people ate more snacks later after having coconut oil ice cream, wiping out any small drop at dinner.
Energy use over 14 days
A study in people giving coconut oil for 14 days found no effect on total daily energy use. Basal metabolic rate rose after 7 days but not after 14 days.
Other findings
Coconut oil is not MCT oil
Coconut oil contains about 23% of the specific fats found in pure MCT oil. Only 20 to 30 percent of its main fat goes straight to the liver for energy like pure MCT oil does.
Doses needed are large
To get 5g of the relevant fats from coconut oil you would need about 21.6g of the oil. That amount nearly reaches the UK daily limit for saturated fat for women, which is 21g, and most of the men's limit of 31g.
What the authors conclude
- They say there is no consistent evidence that coconut oil increases fullness or aids weight loss in people.
- They note that no long clinical trials have tested coconut oil for weight loss or compared it directly to MCT oil.
- They conclude that using coconut oil as a practical way to feel fuller is not supported by the current research.
How it was done
Media reports often claim coconut oil helps with weight loss by citing research on a different product called MCT oil. The author wanted to check whether that research actually applies to coconut oil.
The author reviewed existing studies on coconut oil, MCT oil, fullness and energy use. She looked at two short feeding trials in people using coconut oil and one 14 day trial measuring energy use. She also compared the fat makeup of coconut oil to pure MCT oil.
What it can’t tell you
- No long trials have tested whether coconut oil causes weight loss in people over time.
- The short feeding studies cannot show what happens to body weight across weeks or months.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Oxford Brookes University, UK
The paper
- Title
- They say coconut oil can aid weight loss, but can it really?
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Clegg ME (2017). They say coconut oil can aid weight loss, but can it really?. European journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2017.86Free full textPubMed 28589949DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error