Other research findings

Researchers have also looked at the effect of coconut oil on blood cholesterol levels. Coconut oil appears to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — but not as much as foods that contain long-chain fatty acids, such as meat or full-fat dairy products. Some studies show that coconut oil may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol — but whether this has a beneficial effect on heart disease is not known.

The entire body of evidence regarding dietary fats still supports the use of unsaturated oils, such as olive, canola, safflower or sunflower oil, instead of saturated fats or coconut oil for the management of cardiovascular risk factors.

Coconut oil also adds calories to your diet, about 120 calories per tablespoon of coconut oil, which is why it will likely not aid weight loss if it's not used with a calorie-controlled diet and physical activity.