Virgin Coconut Oil, Regular Coconut Oil, Fats & Fatty Acids, Calories, & Cholesterol

COCONUT OIL & VIRGIN COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is oil extracted from the meat of a mature coconut (niyog)--the young coconut (buko) does not have any oil. There are two different types of coconut oil in the market today:

(1) VCO - Virgin Coconut Oil

VCO is extracted from fresh mature coconut meat (niyog) without using extreme heat, chemicals, or additives, thus preserving the integrity and purity of the oil, and retaining its high lauric acid content (see section below on Fatty Acids for more on lauric acid).

VCO is extracted without using extreme heat or chemicals, using either the Wet Method or the Dry Method (also called Cold-Pressed Method). In the wet method, fresh coconut milk is extracted from grated coconut meat either manually or by hydraulic press; the milk is then processed in several ways to separate the oil from the water (via fermentation, using food-derived enzymes, cooking over low heat; or using a mechanical centrifuge); the oil is then heated to further evaporate the water, then strained. In the dry method, the coconut meat is dried (using industrial dryers, solar dryers, or drying ovens) and the oil extracted; the oil is further dried (via heating or vacuum drying) until the moisture content is very, very low.

(2) RBDO - Refined, Bleached, & Deodorized Oil

RBDO is extracted from copra (coconut meat that is dried either under the sun or in mechanical dryers then pressed for its oil); it is then processed using intense heat (to extract the oil), and chemicals to remove impurities and microorganisms, after which it is bleached and deodorized to make is tasteless, odorless and colorless. This process lowers the oil’s lauric acid content.

WHAT ARE FATTY ACIDS?

Found in fats and oils, the three types of fatty acids are: (1) MCFAs or Medium-Chain Fatty Acids, which are composed of small molecules; (2) LCFAs or Long-Chain Fatty Acids, which are composed of large molecules; and (3) Lauric Acid.

MCFAs are water-soluble and rapidly absorbed in the digestive tract at a rate four times faster than LCFAs; they go straight to the liver where they are quickly converted to energy, and circulate in the body as fatty acids and not as triglycerides so little or none are deposited in adipose tissue (the body fat mostly located beneath the skin, but is also found around internal organs). The fatty acids in coconut oil are MCFAs.

LCFAs take much longer to digest; they enter the bloodstream before going to the liver so they take longer to be converted to energy, and may be deposited in adipose tissue (body fat). The fatty acids in meats and dairy (butter, margarine) are LCFAs.

LAURIC ACID is the most important fatty acid that our body needs. It is also found in mother’s milk, and is medically and scientifically proven to be a potent agent against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Unlike other vegetable oils and other oils, more than 50% of VCO’s total volume is lauric acid, which is retained because of the oil’s natural processing.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FATS?

SATURATED FATS are fats from animal sources (meat, butter, dairy), as well as fats from coconut oil and palm kernel oil. However, the important difference is that fats from animal sources are LCFAs while the fats from coconut and palm kernel oils are MCFAs.

UNSATURATED FATS are either (1) Monounsaturated (found in olive, canola, and peanut oil); or (2) Polyunsaturated (found in corn, soya, safflower, cottonseed, and sunflower oils). All unsaturated fats are LCFAs. Since polyunsaturated fats are unstable and susceptible to oxidation (the oil turns rancid and nutritional quality is reduced), to make them more stable and prolong their shelf life, manufacturers resort to Partial Hydrogenation (adding hydrogen to the oil), which can lead to the production of transfats or transfatty acids.

TRANS-FATS or TRANSFATTY ACIDS are also known as “PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED oils.” Companies use trans-fats in their food products because they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce, last a long time, and give foods a desirable taste and texture. Trans-fats are commonly used by many restaurants and fast-food outlets to deep-fry foods.

Trans-fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels; they increase your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. They are also associated with a higher risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. Trans-fats can be found especially in fried foods like French fries, doughnuts, and baked goods including pastries, pie crusts, biscuits, pizza dough, cookies, crackers, and stick margarines and shortenings. Always check the ingredients list of packaged foods, and look for the ingredients referred to as “partially hydrogenated oils.”

WHAT ARE CALORIES?

A calorie is a unit of energy. We ingest calories from the food that we eat. Our bodies “burn” the calories through metabolism, by which enzymes break down the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol and fatty acids, and the proteins into amino acids. These molecules are then transported through the bloodstream to the cells. The amount of calories our body burns depends on your metabolism rate. If you consume more calories than your body is able to burn, you gain fat. Coconut oil is lower in calories than any other oil because its fatty acids are MCFAs. Its effective energy value is 6.8 calories per gram, compared to 9 calories per gram of other oils.

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL? Understanding HDL and LDL

Cholesterol is a fat (lipid) produced by the liver; it is crucial for normal body functioning, but becomes harmful in excessive quantities.

Lipoproteins, which contain both lipid (fat) and protein, are molecules that carry cholesterol in the bloodstream, and are classified into three types: (1) Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL), also known as “bad” cholesterol; (2) High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), also known as “good” cholesterol; and (3) Triglycerides (the fat/lipid in our blood).

LDLs carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells, while HDLs carry cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, to be broken down or expelled from the body as waste. 

Triglycerides are the fats found in our blood. A high buildup of LDLs increases the risk of arterial disease, while HDLs have been known to prevent it. Calories that you don’t burn are converted into triglycerides, and having a high level of triglyceride can increase your risk of heart disease.

All edible vegetable oils contain very little cholesterol, but coconut oil has the least amount and VCO is the only oil that is naturally processed and contains no chemicals or additives.

Sources:

Dr. Conrado S., Dayrit, “The Truth About Coconut Oil,” Anvil Publishing, 2005. 

Cris C. Abiva, “The Coconut Facts Book,” Anvil Publishing, 2011.

Bruce Fife, “Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut,” Piccadilly Books, Ltd., 2005.