COCONUT OIL, What’s all the FUSS about?

Coconut oil seems to be catching on these days. Most vegetable oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Some plant oils are also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Animal fats are generally the most saturated. But you have to know your oils! it is not enough to select foods with vegetable oils over those containing animal fats.
Coconut oil does come from a plant, but it disobeys the rule that plant oils are less saturated than animal fats. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (approx 64% saturated fat), and beef fat (40%); and may add to heart disease risk because it raises BAD Cholesterol levels (LDL). Oops, such a bad bad news for our hearts🤷🏻‍♀️
BUT what’s interesting about coconut oil is that it seems to be especially potent at giving HDL cholesterol a boost.
Several studies have been conducted to examine coconut oil’s effect on cholesterol levels, yet we don’t really know how 🥥 oil affects heart disease. Furthermore, we don’t think coconut oil is as healthful as vegetable oils like olive oil and sunflower oil, which are mainly unsaturated fat and thus both lower LDL and increase HDL. Although, Coconut oil’s peculiar HDL-boosting result may make it “less bad” than the high saturated fat content would indicate, it’s still probably not the best choice among the numerous available oils, and I would use it sparingly. Maybe, I would replace butter or vegetable shortening with it to bake goods that require a solid source of fat since it has a wonderful flavor! Don’t be fooled by what the advertisers claim. Know your food.