Scientific Study Finds Coconut Oil Decreases Obesity

Scientific Study Finds Coconut Oil Decreases Waist Size. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com. Photo © AdobeStock 32363593 (under license)

Here’s some amazing news for fans of natural foods: Did you know that a 2009 scientific study of 40 women aged 20-40, each with abdominal obesity, found that consuming just 30ml of coconut oil a day led to a significant reduction in waist circumference? ^[1] (1 Imperial tablespoon = 17.76 ml – so this amount is just under 2 tablespoons per day.)

Now how could it be that eating something can lead to weight loss? The “simple answer” is that coconut oil is high in Medium Chain Fatty Acids, which are easily digestible. It is reported that these fats are highly digestible – and unlike the long chain fatty acids typically found in animal fats, MCFAs are able to be absorbed directly by the liver and converted directly to energy, rather than being stored as fat in the body. This rapid availability in turn stimulates metabolism. ^[2]

Another interesting fact about coconut oil is that it is considered antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral – which may help the immune system. It is thus also not only considered beneficial to the digestive system, but also a good base to use in any natural deodorant formula as it is bacteria that cause odor problems.

How to eat coconut oil: The best thing to do is to start including it gradually in your diet. One teaspoon per day is suggested to start with. You can add it to all kinds of recipes including cakes, oatmeal, even putting it in coffee! Another simple way to eat it is to put it on toast instead of butter. I would also strongly suggest to only go for organic extra-virgin coconut oil. The quality is worth it.

Coconut also has higher high temperature stability than numerous other oils. It is considered a healthier choice for use as a cooking oil than olive oil for example. Olive oil is great for low temperature use but breaks down at higher temps, creating compounds that are potentially bad for health if used in cooking.

Coconut oil is also amazing for your skin. Just massage a little in, especially to dry skin or after shaving. Ladies, this is a super tip for the most amazingly soft and gorgeous skin.

Further Reading / Source:

Thanks to the awesome Lucy Bee’s Definitive Guide To The Benefits Of Coconut Oil (no affiliation) for the inspiration behind this post.

6 Comments

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  By Shane Woods, February 23, 2014 @ 12:48 am

  The study implies that oil alone does the trick. then of course, look at the age bracket. the following little snippet comes from friend of mine. her and her husband are ‘livaboard’ yachties so a full regime of ‘gym’ is out of the question but they don’t live a sedentory live. they are in their late 50’s: “if anything I have put weight on? Even though I have been having low carbs, lots of salad & small amounts of meat & only drinking one night a week. I’m going to email them. Even been doing colon cleanse once a week”. I would suggest that you encourage readers deciding to follow this study to increase their physical training regime or at least start one. oil alone, appears not to work.

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  By Dave Cummins, June 15, 2014 @ 12:06 pm

  I think your article has actually misrepresented the study and that the message here is about substitution rather than supplementation! You also failed to mention that the 20 women were on a hypocaloric diet AND walked for 50 minutes per day for 12 weeks.

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  By eloy cuellar, August 10, 2014 @ 4:15 pm

  I will want to know more.

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  By Thandi, October 20, 2014 @ 12:18 pm

  Coconut Oil has worked woners for me and my husband. We were just consuming it because its healthy and tastes good. We were pleasantly surprised when we realized how much weight we had lost. Everyone we told about it is getting the same result. Coconut is the way to go! A natural wonder!!!

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  By Sylvia, December 8, 2014 @ 2:53 pm

  I love coconut oil and I’ve used it for everything including weight loss. I also drink coconut water besides using the oil. I haven’t done anything else differently from before I started using it. Of course everyone’s results will differ based on their genetic makeup. Regardless of whether or not the coconut oil causes weight loss, it’s a much safer replacement for the “vegetable oil” that’s been proven to cause significant health problems. It’s a beneficial source that can provide many uses. Well worth the money to buy organic too.

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  By Monet, May 19, 2015 @ 10:45 am

  In the morning i do a sip of olive oil in an empty stomuch with lemon. Is it also possible to replace the olive oil with coconut organic oil?

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