Huile de coco: au delà de la mode, quelle la vérité scientifique connue?
Facts Behind the Headlines: Coconut oil – a nutty idea?
S. Lockyer Nutrition Bulletin Volume 41, Issue 1, pages 42–54, March 2016
The increasing popularity of edible coconut products, such as coconut oil and coconut water, is difficult to miss. Coconut oil, in particular, has been endorsed by celebrities and chefs for use in cooking and baking, with fashion models reportedly eating it in an attempt to speed up their metabolic rate. According to leading market research providers Mintel, coconut oil in food and beverages accounted for 26% of food and drink new product launches in 2012, and one in ten 16–24 year-olds currently buys coconut oil. Whole Foods reportedly sold six tonnes of coconut oil across the UK in the month of February 2015.
Recipe books, advertisements and some journal articles are claiming that coconut oil is a cure-all product that has weight reduction, cholesterol-lowering, wound healing and immune system, energy and memory-boosting effects and can be used to treat Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid conditions, diabetes, as well as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases (DebMandal & Mandal 2011; Positivemed.com 2015). Such claims have led to a significant amount of press coverage (The Independent 2014, 2015b, The Daily Mail 2015b; The Telegraph 2015a), comment from the scientific community (Cunningham 2011; DeDea 2012; Inayat et al. 2013; Varteresian & Lavretsky 2014) and the inclusion of coconut oil within food products as a perceived health-boosting ingredient, with companies using it as a unique selling point. Additionally, a recent story suggested that coconut oil produces fewer aldehydes than unsaturated oils when heated and is therefore better for health (The Telegraph 2015b), a claim that was based on unpublished data.
As a beauty product, coconut oil has been advocated as being useful for frizzy hair, stretch marks, as a moisturiser and make-up remover. Swilling around the mouth has even been encouraged to prevent tooth decay (The Independent 2015b). Whilst topical use of coconut oil and indeed the consumption of coconut water [containing around 20 calories per 100 g and providing small quantities of micronutrients (USDA 2015)] are unlikely to be of concern for public health, high consumption of saturated fatty acid-laden coconut oil may well be. In America, for example, big-brand food manufacturers have started selling fat spreads made with coconut oil (Foodnavigator.com 2015). Considering the widespread use of fat spreads as an everyday product, is this a good idea?
