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Food

22nd Jan 2018

Coconut oil isn’t actually the ‘healthy alternative’ we thought it was

It's full of saturated fats.

Orlaith Condon

Another ‘healthy alternative’ is being taken from us.

It seems with every passing day we’re told about another food item that’s doing us more harm than good.

And the latest one is coconut oil.

The AHA is reminding the public that the so-called ‘healthy alternative’ isn’t all that healthy.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says that coconut oil is full of saturated fats which has a seriously negative effect on our cholesterol.

They say the oil contains 82 percent saturated fat. That’s higher than butter (63 percent), beef fat (50 percent) and pork lard (39 percent).

While some say that the blend of fats in coconut oil makes it a healthier option, the American Heart Association (AHA) says there is no solid proof of that.

So, what should we be using?

Well, the AHA says that we should replace it with unsaturated vegetable oils, olive oil and sunflower oil.