Fractionated Coconut Oil has several health benefits. It contains several medium-chain fatty acids that might significantly impact your metabolism. Two medium-chain fatty acids make up the majority of fractionated coconut oil, which is derived from coconut oil. It has been promoted as a coconut oil that keeps well in the refrigerator. This is a thorough analysis of the health benefits of fractionated coconut oil.
Fractionated coconut oil: what is it? Regular coconut oil is converted into fractionated coconut oil. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are fatty acids with six to twelve carbon atoms, are abundant in both regular and fractionated coconut oils. They differ greatly in their fatty acid composition, though. The 12-carbon lauric acid (C12), the primary fatty acid in coconut oil, has been mostly eliminated from fractionated coconut oil. Additionally, coconut oil’s long-chain fatty acids have been removed.
The metabolism of MCFAs differs from that of other fats
From the digestive tract, they are delivered straight to the liver, where they can be used as an instant energy boost. Additionally, they can be converted into ketone bodies, which are substances that may help people with epilepsy (1Reliable Source).
In addition to being odorless and tasteless, fractionated coconut oil is typically more costly than ordinary coconut oil.
It resembles MCT oil a lot, if not exactly.
How is coconut oil fractionated?
Fractionation is the procedure used to create fractionated coconut oil.
Different kinds of fats that are naturally present in some oils can be separated using fractionation. It is frequently done to create new goods for customers. Fractionation is made feasible by the varying melting points of different types of fat. For instance, the melting values of long-chain fatty acids and lauric acid are higher than those of caprylic and capric acids. Consequently, when cooled, they will solidify sooner. Heating coconut oil above its melting point is how fractionation is accomplished. The solid portion of the oil is then separated from the liquid when it has cooled. Fractionation as a whole can take several hours.
Additional possible health advantages
Several other health advantages have been linked to the MCTs in fractionated coconut oil, including:
Decreased insulin resistance: According to a small study, MCTs may help persons with diabetes and excess weight by lowering insulin resistance and improving other risk factors. To validate this effect, more research is required (11Trusted Source).
Treatment for epilepsy: A ketogenic diet enhanced with MCTs may help children with epilepsy. They might be able to consume more protein and carbohydrates after taking the MCTs, which would make the diet simpler to follow (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Better brain function: According to one study, MCTs may help certain individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. But more research is required.
Lauric acid is absent from the majority of fractionated coconut oils.
One of the main ingredients in coconut oil is lauric acid. The oil contains over 50% lauric acid, making it one of the most abundant dietary sources of this saturated fat in the world.
Lauric acid has been associated with numerous health advantages. In addition to guarding against numerous diseases, it may eradicate dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi (15, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Lauric acid is either absent or present in very minute amounts in the majority of fractionated coconut oils.
As a result, fractionated coconut oil lacks some of the health benefits of pure coconut oil.
What is its purpose?
Three distinct names have been used to market fractionated coconut oil.
You might recognize it as:
Fractionated coconut oil: This oil is mostly used as a moisturizer, hair conditioner, and massage oil, among other personal care and home applications.
MCT oil is frequently used as a dietary supplement; a typical dosage suggestion is one to three tablespoons daily.
Coconut oil in liquid form: This oil is marketed as an edible cooking oil.
These are, after all, the same product that has been offered for many consumer applications.
Side effects and safety
For most people, fractionated coconut oil seems to be safe to consume.
Nonetheless, some people have reported having stomach issues.
These symptoms, which include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, appear to be more prevalent in kids following a ketogenic diet enhanced with MCT (18 Trusted Source).
A small number of people have developed a coconut and coconut oil allergy, despite the fact that this condition is highly uncommon (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Fractionated coconut oil may cause negative effects in some individuals.
The bottom line
Regular coconut oil’s various fats are separated to create fractionated coconut oil.
Two medium-chain fatty acids are all that are left, and they may help with weight loss and a number of other health benefits.
Fractionated coconut oil is more processed than conventional coconut oil, even though it might have some advantages. Moreover, one of the best fats, lauric acid, has been eliminated.
A Nutritious Cooking Oil
Coconut oil is a prime example of a contentious food. Although the media generally praises it, some scientists do not think it lives up to the hype.
Its high saturated fat content is the key reason for its negative reputation. However, recent research indicates that saturated fat may not be as harmful as originally thought.
Is coconut oil a healthy cooking oil or a junk food that clogs arteries? The evidence is examined in this article.
Coconut oil has a distinct fatty acid content and differs greatly from the majority of other cooking oils.
About 90% of the fatty acids are saturated. The saturated fat lauric acid, which accounts for about 40% of coconut oil’s total fat content, is perhaps what makes it so special (1Trusted Source).
Because of this, Fractionated Coconut Oil is extremely resistant to oxidation at high temperatures. It is therefore ideal for high-heat cooking techniques like frying (2Trusted Source).
With about 7% caprylic acid and 5% capric acid, coconut oil is comparatively rich in medium-chain fatty acids (1Reliable Source).
These lipids are frequently used to induce ketosis in epileptic patients following ketogenic diets.
Lauric Acid Is High in Coconut Oil
About 40% of coconut oil is lauric acid.
By contrast, it is present in trace amounts in the majority of other cooking oils. Palm kernel oil is an exception, as it contains 47% lauric acid (1 Reliable Source). The medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids are separated by lauric acid. Although it is frequently regarded as medium-chain, it is more similar to long-chain fatty acids and is digested and metabolized differently from real medium-chain fatty acids (4, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
According to studies, lauric acid raises blood cholesterol levels, primarily because it increases cholesterol that is attached to high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
Blood Lipids May Be Improved by Coconut Oil
Regular consumption of coconut oil has been shown in studies to enhance blood lipid levels, which may lower the risk of heart disease
91 middle-aged adults participated in a major, randomized controlled trial that looked at the effects of consuming 50 grams of butter, coconut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil every day for a month (10Trusted Source).
When compared to butter and extra-virgin olive oil, the coconut oil diet dramatically raised the “good” HDL cholesterol
Like extra virgin olive oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil did not raise the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. While soybean oil raised total and LDL cholesterol and decreased HDL, coconut oil raised HDL and decreased the LDL to HDL ratio in women with abdominal obesity, according to another study (11Trusted Source).
These findings partially contradict previous research that found that coconut oil increased LDL cholesterol in comparison to polyunsaturated fat-containing safflower oil, but not as much as butter (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
When compared to several other sources of saturated fat, such as butter and soybean oil, these studies suggest that coconut oil may offer some protection against heart disease.
There is currently no proof, nevertheless, that it has an impact on hard endpoints like heart attacks or strokes.
Coconut Oil Could Aid with Weight Loss
Coconut oil may aid with weight loss, according to some research.
When compared to soybean oil, coconut oil decreased waist circumference in a study of 40 women with abdominal obesity while also improving a number of other health indicators (11Trusted Source).
When added to a mixed meal, virgin coconut oil decreased hunger more than extra-virgin olive oil, according to a different controlled trial with 15 women (14Trusted Source).
Medium-chain fatty acids may be the cause of these advantages, which could result in a slight drop in body weight (15Trusted Source).
However, researchers have noted that the data about medium-chain fatty acids does not apply to coconut oil.
Past Populations With High Coconut Consumption Were Healthy
You would anticipate certain health issues in populations that consume large amounts of Fractionated Coconut Oil if it is unhealthy. Indigenous populations that relied heavily on coconuts for calories were formerly far healthier than many members of Western culture.
For instance, the Tokelauans were the world’s largest consumers of saturated fat and derived over half of their energy from coconuts. Up to 17% of the calories consumed by the Kitavans came from saturated fat, primarily from coconuts.
