Coconut oil and heart disease risk in people
What it found
No trials or long-term studies have looked at whether coconut oil affects heart attacks, heart failure or stroke.
Shorter trials show it raises LDL cholesterol less than butter but more than unsaturated vegetable oils.
What they found
Studies in people
Cholesterol vs butter
In a UK trial of 96 healthy people, 50g a day of virgin coconut oil for 4 weeks raised LDL cholesterol less than the same amount of butter. Coconut oil also raised HDL cholesterol more than butter or olive oil. There were no differences in weight, body mass index, belly fat, fasting blood sugar, or blood pressure between the three groups.
Cholesterol vs vegetable oils
A network meta-analysis of 54 trials found no clear difference in LDL cholesterol or triglycerides between coconut oil and unsaturated rich oils. But safflower, sunflower, canola and corn oils lowered total cholesterol compared with coconut oil.
Metabolic syndrome trial
In 48 people with metabolic syndrome, 30g a day of virgin coconut oil improved HDL cholesterol and triglycerides compared with a control group. But it raised LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and asymmetric dimethyl arginine. There were no differences in body measurements or blood pressure.
Lauric acid effect
When 1% of energy from carbohydrates was replaced with lauric acid, the main fatty acid in coconut oil, total cholesterol rose slightly, as did LDL and HDL cholesterol, while triglycerides fell slightly. These were calculated from a meta-regression analysis.
Observational studies
Populations that traditionally eat a lot of coconut, such as Tokelau Islanders, Kitava and Samoans, did not show harmful links with heart health. A systematic review of 13 observational studies found no adverse cardiovascular outcomes with coconut flesh or squeezed coconut in traditional diets. But the authors warn these study designs are prone to bias.
Other findings
No heart disease trials
No randomised controlled trials or prospective cohort studies have looked at whether coconut oil affects heart attacks, heart failure or stroke. The authors say such a trial is unlikely because it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and need many participants for a long time.
What the authors conclude
“So far, there is insufficient evidence on the intake of coconut oil and risk of CVD to draw clear conclusions.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say there is insufficient evidence on coconut oil intake and heart disease risk to draw clear conclusions.
- They note that coconut oil seems to have less detrimental effects on total and LDL cholesterol compared to butter, but not compared to cis-unsaturated vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower and canola oil.
- They advise that further research priorities could help people make effective changes to reduce saturated fat intake and maintain them long term, and that public health policies such as improved labelling, pricing initiatives and better availability of healthier foods may yield huge advances.
How it was done
Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and cutting saturated fat is a main way to prevent heart disease. The authors wanted to summarise the latest research on coconut oil and heart disease risk.
They reviewed published studies on coconut oil and heart disease or its risk factors. These included trials in people that measured blood cholesterol and other markers, plus observational studies of populations eating coconut.
What it can’t tell you
- No trials or long-term studies have looked at whether coconut oil affects heart attacks, heart failure or stroke, so it cannot show cause and effect for these outcomes.
- The observational studies can show links, not cause and effect, and are prone to bias.
- Most trials did not report which type of coconut oil was used, so the authors could not compare virgin and refined coconut oil.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany; Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany
The paper
- Title
- Coconut Oil and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Schwingshackl L, Schlesinger S (2023). Coconut Oil and Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Current atherosclerosis reports. doi:10.1007/s11883-023-01098-yFree full textPubMed 36971981DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error