FW: COCONUT OIL IN THE PACIFIC

[Robert Hughes]

>Colleagues

>

>Here in the Pacific there is much confusion about what nutrition advice

>should be given regarding coconuts.  We really need the latest and best

>estimate/consensus on what quantities can be consumed and by whom and whether

>they should be avoided by those with heart disease, CVD or hypertension.

>What is the chemical structure of the average coconut oil?  What proportion

>of those (harmful?) 14C triglycerides do they contain?  Below is a short

>extract from the PIN newsletter.  Feedback is most welcome.

>

>

>COCONUT FAT - GOOD OR NOT SO GOOD?

>

>Despite some claims that coconut fat may be linked to the development of

>heart diseases, the coconut is still the most useful and versatile food plant

>of the South Pacific. It is generally inexpensive, has many food and non-food

>uses and is an important staple in most atoll islands.

>

>The flesh of the young coconut provides a delicious snack, the juice a

>refreshing and nutritious drink, the trunk and leaves have multi-purpose

>household uses, and the flesh of the mature nut provides oils for cooking,

>and for domestic and commercial purposes.

>

>The controversial part of the nut lies in the oil extracted from the mature

>flesh. Some U.S. scientists believe it contributes to the development of

>heart problems. This stems from the fact that coconut fat is highly

>saturated, its chemical composition being approximately 91 percent saturated

>fat, 7 per cent mono-unsaturated fat and 2 per cent polyunsaturated fat.

>Saturated fats have been found to raise the blood cholesterol levels in the

>body. For this reason it has often been labelled a 'bad' fat.

>

>Coconut oil neither lowers nor raises blood cholesterol levels. This special

>neutral feature is due to the chemical composition of coconut oil. More than

>two thirds of the fatty acids in coconut oil are of medium chain lengths of

>8-12 carbon chains (C8-C12). Fats which are composed principally of

>medium-chain triglycerides do not raise blood cholesterol levels when taken

>as part of a normal diet consisting of a variety of foods every day. This is

>because medium chain fats are rapidly digested and used to provide energy for

>the body.

>

>A team of researchers from the Harvard Medical School, USA, and the Food and

>Nutrition Research Institute in the Philippines, has been studying the

>effects of various fats, particularly coconut oil, on health since 1980. They

>feel that instead of its being a 'bad' oil it may have substantial health

>benefits, based on its chemical structure.

>

>Also, studies have now been done on coconut oil as a part of a diet which

>contains linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid which coconut lacks). The

>results do not show that it affects the hardening of the arteries any more

>than other vegetable oils, even those that are highly polyunsaturated.

>

>Studies in the Philippines, where coconut oil is six per cent of the dietary

>calories, show no relationship between consumption of coconut fat and

>diseases of the heart and blood vessels. When compared to the United States,

>where coconut oil provides less than one per cent of the dietary calories,

>the Philippines has a much lower rate of cardiovascular disease. More

>research is needed to analyse the effects of dietary fatty acids on human

>health, but findings so far have prevented the passage of a Bill in the U.S.

>House of Representatives in 1987 to label products with coconut oils and

>other tropical oils as having saturated fat.

>

>Additionally, coconut oil is being used therapeutically in some parts of the

>world as a high-calorie regime for the treatment of malnourished children.

>Given a choice of corn, peanut or coconut oil in this dietary treatment,

>physicians at the Tropical Metabolic Research Unit of the University of the

>West Indies preferred the use of a coconut oil because, they say, it is the

>least susceptible to oxidation.

>

>Coconut fat or oil is, then, a very useful food, but can it be eaten freely?

>We are all only too aware that too much of any type of fat (including coconut

>fat) can be harmful to health, as fats are high in energy, and high intakes

>of them can lead to overweight and obesity.

>

>Coconuts are normally eaten together with a variety of other foods in the

>Pacific. For example, coconut cream added to green leafy vegetables and

>starchy staples enhances flavour and taste. The fats also assist in the

>digestion and utilisation of fat-soluble vitamins. Used this way, they do not

>pose a problem in the diet. However, if the total diet is high in other

>saturated fats from animal sources, then the total fat content of the diet

>could be too high and contribute to the rise in blood cholesterol levels in

>the body.

>

>Thanks

>

>Bob Hughes

>Nutritionist/Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiologist

>South Pacific Commission

>PO Box D5

>98848 Noumea Cedex

>New Caledonia

>Ph. (687) 26 00 00 ext 245

>fax  (687) 26 38 18

>

>