Typing the subject brought up a thread asking this same question, but it’s dated 2001. Rather than bring up a 20 year old thread, I thought I’d ask again. This is because when I do online research on the question, I get mixed results. Most of them seem to be variations of “the jury is out on whether coconut fat is heart healthy.”
What’s the story? I’m advised to eat a heart-healthy diet, and I’d like an occasional coconut milk ice cream, but not if it’s bad news.
The jury has been returning verdicts re coconut oil (which is high in saturated fat but promoted by enthusiasts* as good for you), and they seem to be increasingly unfavorable.
“Coconut oil may be viewed as one of the most deleterious cooking oils that increases risk for cardiovascular disease. Even in comparison with palm oil, another tropical oil with high saturated fat content, coconut oil increased LDL cholesterol. Replacing coconut oil with nontropical unsaturated vegetable oils, especially those rich in polyunsaturated fat, will have a health benefit. We believe that the results from the present meta-analysis can inform the development of nutrition recommendations and US Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines. In culinary practice, coconut oil should not be used as a regular cooking oil, although it can be used sparingly for flavor or texture.”
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.044687
Coconut milk and cream are relatively high in both calories and fat, so limited intake is regarded as a good idea.
*urged on by the Weston Price Foundation and unsurprisingly, by the coconut oil industry.
Thanks. I saw results like that while I was searching, and just wanted confirmation. So ice cream of any origin looks like it’ll be verboten for me from now on.