The Uncomfortable Truth About Coconut Oil

Okay, so here’s the thing. This may be a bit uncomfortable, but it’s something you should know: coconut oil is a saturated fat.

A new advisory from the American Heart Association says that 82 percent of the fat in coconut oil is saturated fat. Compare that to 39 percent in pork lard and 50 percent in beef fat, and things are looking pretty bleak for coconut oil, which is oft touted as one of the healthiest oil alternatives. “Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the advisory report states.

So why do people believe coconut oil is healthy? It’s probably because there’s a belief that the benefits of the oil far outweigh its possible unhealthy consequences. But that’s not exactly true. A study published just this past April in the European Journal of Nutrition found that coconut oil didn’t do as much for weight loss as previously believed. It didn’t increase metabolism to help overweight study participants drop excess weight at all. And it actually ended up being not much different than olive oil.

All fat is not created equally and saturated fat is particularly bad for you, especially in large amounts. But replacing coconut oil with peanut or soybean oil can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.