Coconut oil and blood cholesterol compared with other cooking oils in people
What it found
In people, coconut oil raised both LDL and HDL cholesterol more than other vegetable oils.
It did not change body fat, blood sugar or inflammation markers.
What they found
Studies in people
LDL cholesterol rise
Compared with other vegetable oils, coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by 10.47 mg/dL. This held true even when the authors removed lower quality trials.
HDL cholesterol rise
Coconut oil also raised HDL cholesterol by 4.00 mg/dL compared with other vegetable oils.
Body fat and weight
Coconut oil did not change body weight, percentage of body fat or waist size compared with other vegetable oils.
Blood sugar and inflammation
Fasting blood sugar and C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker, were about the same whether people ate coconut oil or other vegetable oils.
What the authors conclude
- They found that eating coconut oil leads to higher LDL cholesterol than eating other vegetable oils.
- They suggest this information should guide what people choose to cook with.
How it was done
Coconut oil contains a lot of saturated fat, which might raise cholesterol levels. But some people have also suggested it could help the heart in other ways, so the authors wanted to compare it with other cooking oils.
The authors gathered 16 clinical trials that lasted at least 2 weeks. They compared people eating coconut oil with people eating other fats. They looked at blood fats, body weight, waist size, blood sugar and inflammation markers.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These trials lasted at least 2 weeks, so they cannot show what happens over many years.
- Because the studies compared coconut oil only with other fats, they cannot show what happens if you eat no added fat at all.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, MA (R.M.v.D.)
The paper
- Title
- The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Neelakantan N, Seah JYH, van Dam RM (2020). The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Circulation. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043052PubMed 31928080DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error