Coconut oil health effects reviewed across many studies
What it found
Coconut oil has limited but consistent evidence for skin and dental uses, but limited evidence does not support it for Alzheimer's disease, bone loss or blood sugar control.
Many other claims still need human studies.
What they found
Studies in people
Skin and dental uses
There is limited but consistent evidence that coconut oil helps prevent and treat atopic dermatitis when applied to the skin, and helps prevent dental caries when used in oil pulling.
Cholesterol compared to fats
Refined, bleached and deodorized copra oil seems to have less impact on total and LDL cholesterol than butter fat, but not compared to cis unsaturated vegetable oils.
Studies in people and animals
Hair damage
Coconut oil products may help prevent hair damage from protein loss during grooming and UV exposure, but more studies are needed to confirm this.
Alzheimer's, bones, blood sugar
Limited evidence does not support using coconut oil to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease, bone loss, or to control blood sugar.
Weight and heart disease
Evidence on weight loss and cardiovascular disease is not strong enough yet. Larger clinical intervention studies are needed.
Other findings
Types of coconut oil
Copra oil and virgin coconut oil have similar fatty acid profiles, but virgin coconut oil contains higher amounts of some nutrients like vitamin E and dietary bioactive compounds like polyphenols.
What the authors conclude
“In many instances, human clinical and observational studies are needed to confirm many claims on coconut oil products, which are largely based on animal and/or in vitro studies or studies of purified medium-chain fatty acids.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that in many cases human clinical and observational studies are needed to confirm many claims about coconut oil products.
- They note that these claims are largely based on animal studies, lab studies, or studies of purified medium-chain fatty acids.
How it was done
Coconut oil has become popular because people believe certain medium-chain fatty acids in it have health effects. The authors wanted to summarise the current research and the mechanisms behind coconut oil's health effects.
The authors reviewed the existing peer-reviewed literature on coconut oil products and the mechanisms behind their health effects. They looked at studies in people, animals and lab tests, as well as studies of purified medium-chain fatty acids.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Many of the claims about coconut oil come from animal or lab studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
- Studies of purified medium-chain fatty acids cannot be directly applied to coconut oil products because coconut oil contains a large profile of various fatty acids.
- Observational studies can show a link but cannot prove that coconut oil causes an effect.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- George Mason University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Health Effects of Coconut Oil-A Narrative Review of Current Evidence
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Wallace TC (2019). Health Effects of Coconut Oil-A Narrative Review of Current Evidence. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1497562PubMed 30395784DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error