Is Coconut Oil healthy?

Question

I always thought it was worse for you than other oils (olive oil, canola oil, etc) but lately I've been reading about some of it's benefits. So is it better for use in cooking, etc?

Answer 1

I don't recommend it for cooking, but I do recommend it as a beauty product.  This really helps sunburns and promotes healing.  I love using this and use it every other day on my super dry legs.  

Answer 2

I prefer extra virgin olive oil or canola oil but I have high cholesterol so my options are limited. LOL

Coconuts are high in saturated fats, and consumption of coconut oil is associated with hypertension.Blood tests performed on rats showed improved measures of heart disease (lowering triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein and raising high-density lipoprotein) when compared to rats fed copra; uprocessed coconut oil also prevented in vitro oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. A study of Polynesian populations that consumed mainly coconut meat found that increased consumption of coconut was associated with significantly higher levels of serum cholesterol but this was not associated with higher rates of death due to heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular disease.

Reducing the consumption of coconut oil and replacing a portion of it with polyunsaturated fats resulted in changes to blood cholesterol levels that are associated with a reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking, especially when frying. In communities where coconut oil is widely used in cooking, the refined oil is the one most commonly used. Coconut oil is commonly used to flavor many South Asian curries.