Coconuts are not the most common food but increasingly coconuts and their products are becoming available in developed nations. This has been driven largely by demand for healthy foods by Western consumers. One aspect of coconuts that has shown to be beneficial is the fatty acids that are present in the pulp of the nut. The major fatty acid from the coconut is lauric acid, and this is a medium chain fatty acid that is saturated. However, fatty components from coconuts have been shown to normalise elevated blood lipids in humans, and this may relate to the fatty acids or may relate to accessory components contained in the fatty part of the nut, particularly tocotrienols. The fatty component of coconuts may also prevent or reverse fatty liver disease, which suggests that the coconut may be reversing insulin resistance through the normalisation of blood lipids. This dispels the myth that saturated fats are bad for the health and that eating saturated fats in any form is bad for the health or increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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