Coconut oil: an overview of cardiometabolic effects and the public health burden of misinformation

Recent data from meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) suggest that dietary intake of coconut oil, rich in saturated fatty acids, does not result in cardiometabolic benefits, nor in improvements in anthropometric, lipid, glycemic, and subclinical inflammation parameters. Nevertheless, its consumption has surged in recent years all over the world, a phenomenon which can possibly be explained by an increasing belief among health professionals that this oil is as healthy as, or perhaps even healthier than, other oils, in addition to social network misinformation spread. The objective of this review is to present nutritional and epidemiological aspects related to coconut oil, its relationship with metabolic and cardiovascular health, as well as possible hypotheses to explain its high rate of consumption, in spite of the most recent data regarding its actual effects.

Keywords
Coconut oil; social media; misinformation; internet; saturated fatty acids

Authorship

Bernardo Frison Spiazzi

Figure design

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Médicas: Endocrinologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BrasilUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulBrasilPorto Alegre, RS, BrasilPrograma de Pós-graduação em Ciências Médicas: Endocrinologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

Departamento de Medicina Interna, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BrasilUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulBrasilPorto Alegre, RS, BrasilDepartamento de Medicina Interna, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

* These authors share co-first authorship.

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6392-3054

Ana Cláudia Duarte

Concept and design

Drafting of the manuscript

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

* These authors share co-first authorship.

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7176-4580

Carolina Pires Zingano

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

Divisão de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, BrasilHospital de Clínicas de Porto AlegreBrasilPorto Alegre, RS, BrasilDivisão de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9170-1950

Paula Portal Teixeira

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7109-7661

Carmen Raya Amazarray

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7307-7509

Eduarda Nunes Merello

Figure design

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9680-5545

Laura Fink Wayerbacher

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9884-0654

Laura Penso Farenzena

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6371-8069

Poliana Espíndola Correia

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7648-7378

Marcello Casaccia Bertoluci

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8307-3162

Fernando Gerchman

Concept and design

Supervision

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5873-9498

Verônica Colpani Correspondence to: Verônica Colpani, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2.350, 4° andar, sala 401, Divisão de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, 90035-003 – Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. vecolpani@gmail.com

Supervision

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content

read and approved the final manuscript

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7908-4213

Correspondence to: Verônica Colpani, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2.350, 4° andar, sala 401, Divisão de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, 90035-003 – Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. vecolpani@gmail.com

*
These authors share co-first authorship.

Disclosure: no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Figures

Figures (3)

Thumbnail

Figure 1
Coconut oil fatty acid composition. C4:0 = butyric; C6:0 = caproic acid; C8:0 = caprylic acid; C10:0 = capric acid; C12:0 = lauric acid; C14:0 = myristic acid; C16:0 = palmitic acid; C18:0 = stearic acid; C18:1: = oleic acid; C18:2 = linoleic acid.

Thumbnail

Figure 2
Model of the process that pervades coconut oil misinformation generation originating from inadequate interpretation of scientific evidence. The model demonstrates the steps which were likely taken to result in an increased dietary consumption of coconut oil. These steps occurred after publication of studies that were typically conducted with methodological limitations and biases (and can possibly also be applied to explain the emergence of health misinformation in general). This can result in a skewed interpretation of scientific data, subsequently leading to inappropriate clinical applications and triggering health care-related misinformation spread on social media.

Thumbnail

Figure 3
Conceptual framework of coconut oil knowledge distribution. Iceberg model on coconut oil knowledge distribution. Misinformation is generated when looking only at the “surface” concepts, failing to acknowledge the information presented “underwater”.

Figure 1 Coconut oil fatty acid composition. C4:0 = butyric; C6:0 = caproic acid; C8:0 = caprylic acid; C10:0 = capric acid; C12:0 = lauric acid; C14:0 = myristic acid; C16:0 = palmitic acid; C18:0 = stearic acid; C18:1: = oleic acid; C18:2 = linoleic acid.

Figure 2 Model of the process that pervades coconut oil misinformation generation originating from inadequate interpretation of scientific evidence. The model demonstrates the steps which were likely taken to result in an increased dietary consumption of coconut oil. These steps occurred after publication of studies that were typically conducted with methodological limitations and biases (and can possibly also be applied to explain the emergence of health misinformation in general). This can result in a skewed interpretation of scientific data, subsequently leading to inappropriate clinical applications and triggering health care-related misinformation spread on social media.

Figure 3 Conceptual framework of coconut oil knowledge distribution. Iceberg model on coconut oil knowledge distribution. Misinformation is generated when looking only at the “surface” concepts, failing to acknowledge the information presented “underwater”.

How to cite

copy

Sociedade Brasileira de Endocrinologia e Metabologia Rua Botucatu, 572 - Conjuntos 81/83, 04023-061 São Paulo SP Brasil, Tel: (55 11) 5575-0311 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: aem.editorial.office@endocrino.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

Versão para download de PDF

PDF

Inglês

Versões e tradução automática

Versão original do texto

English

Tradução automática

Google Translator
Microsoft Translator

Como citar

RIS

BIBTEX

Outros formatos de citação e exportação:

SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online
Rua Dr. Diogo de Faria, 1087 – 9º andar – Vila Clementino 04037-003 São Paulo/SP - Brasil
E-mail: scielo@scielo.org

Leia a Declaração de Acesso Aberto

Métricas

Coconut oil: an overview of cardiometabolic effects and the public health burden of misinformation

PlumX

Mensagem

[1] Correspondence to: Verônica Colpani, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2.350, 4° andar, sala 401, Divisão de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, 90035-003 – Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. vecolpani@gmail.com