| RATIONALE FOR HOW COCONUT IS SAFE - Ramesh Kumar Sharma |
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| Posted on Thu 23 Apr 2009 by admin (337 reads) |
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The coconut tree, cocos nucifera, world’s one of the top 10 most economically useful trees, grows best where the mean average temperature, with no vigorous seasonal variation, is above 22°C and the annual rainfall is in excess of 102 cm. The tropical tree, cultivated mostly in Asia, is known for its oil enriched, nutritious, delicious fruit, eaten raw or prepared into candies or shredded into pastries. The coconut fruit is too much enjoyed, the green fruit for its watery liquid and the matured fruit for its milk juice, especially the soft jellylike flesh of immature coconut fruit can be eaten with a spoon. Also the sugary sap collected from cut and unopened flower clusters can be served as a fresh beverage, while the dried white oily part of the ripe fruits is the valuable source of edible oil, distinguished by excessive lauric acid content and medium chain triglycerides. ALMOST SATURATED NATURAL VEGETABLE OIL The coconut oil, comprised of approximately 92% saturated and 8% unsaturated fats but proved quite safe for health in several surveys including the one conducted by The Coconut Development Board of India, presents a challenging scenario before D.M. Hegsted’s conclusion based on review of 420 dietary observations in 1991, published in Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 57(6) 875,1993. Hegsted concludes that saturated acids increase serum cholesterol and are primary in that effect. The question is, how coconut oil consisting of 92% saturated acids can be claimed as a safe fat when Hegsted’s proposition is verified in trials. However Hegsted adds somewhat more to the statement. He adds that not all saturated acids have the same effect; stearic acid (Ć18) has little or none. Further clinical, animal and epidemiological studies demonstrate that increased intakes of lauric (Ć12) , myristic (Ć14) and palmitic (Ć16) acids may increase the levels of serum total and LDL cholesterol and may lead to atherosclerosis and increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). As far as coconut oil is concerned, contrary to above conclusion, despite of its high lauric content (47%) and low stearic content (4%), it has been claimed to be safe for health. RATIONALE FOR COCOUNT’S SAFETY In 1993 R.K.Sharma conducted a survey on oil and fat (of course not coconut oil) consumption pattern of eastern Rajasthan. He asked people about health aspect of oil, fat consumption and tried to know consumer preference. He concluded that all the troubles particularly inflammation in digestive system and vibration in body after taking meals come to those, who consume vegetable oils (of course no coconut oil consumer appeared in sample survey) alone and don’t consume even a trace amount of butterfat (Oils & Fats Today, Feb-2009). In fact, butterfat is an important source of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and coconut oil too is. In the beginning of the 21ST century, some clinical trials and minute observations remained favourable to MCT rich fat sources. In 2002 David H. Alpers, William F.Stenson and Dennis M.Bier mentioned in their book “Manual of Nutritional Therapeutics” that medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which contain carbon chain less the 12, because of their greater solubility in water, can be hydrolysed and absorbed with minimal amounts of pancreatic enzymes and without bile salts. Perhaps Sharma’s conclusion regarding his survey on oil and fat consumption pattern can explain the exceptional edibility and digestibility of lauric acid (Ć12) rich coconut oil. It seems, lauric and other long chain triglycerides are well digestible in combination with medium chain triglycerides. The coconut oil fantastically contains 14% medium chain triglycerides, even more than the butterfat does that contains 10% only. CONCLUSION The consumer should not get frightened of coconut oil for its very high saturated fat content, because it simultaneously contains medium chain triglycerides, capric (C10) and caprylic (C8) in appropriate amount. There is evidence that the medium chain triglycerides, below C12, are metabolized promptly and probably have no effect on blood lipoprotein levels. Furthermore, according to the survey findings of R.K. Sharma these might be digestive enough to metabolize long chain triglycerides too. As such coconut seems to be safe for health, particularly for heart. Article By: RAMESH KUMAR SHARMA Former Quality Control Chemist, Tilam Sangh Rajasthan, Bikaner-INDIA |
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