Coconut oil is a thermogenic fat that raises your metabolism!
Nutritionists rave about the thermogenic effect of eating – this term refers to the energy expended by the body when chewing, swallowing, digesting, storing food etc. This is actually the basis for the disproven belief that eating every 2 to 3 hours increases your metabolism.
Out of all of the macronutrients protein uses up the most energy to digest and assimilate, carbohydrates the next most and then fat. This is one reason why relatively high protein diets are helpful for fat loss as well as for gaining muscle: eating protein increases your metabolism and therefore you burn more calories.
Another reason why you should eat a relatively high protein diet is that protein is the most satiating nutrient, so eating a diet containing adequate protein will make you want to eat less…
The standard line is that 30 percent of the calories in protein are burned to fuel its digestion, assimilation etc. leaving only 70 percent to satisfy energy needs. I’ve never quite trusted numbers like these – a venison steak, for example, must be more difficult to digest than a similar amount of whey protein, just like fibre rich vegetables are clearly more thermogenic carbohydrates than say a potato… But I’m getting a bit neurotic here, it is generally true that protein is more thermogenic than carbohydrates and fats.
Coconut oil is the exception to the rule – it’s more thermogenic than protein!
Unlike most edible oils which are made up of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), coconut oil contains primarily of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). These shorter chain fatty acids are absorbed quickly and are sent directly to the liver where they are almost entirely burned for fuel. This beta oxidation of MCFAs stimulates metabolism to an even greater extent than eating protein does.
Just like you should theoretically lose weight by substituting protein for the less thermogenic fat or carb macronutrients, if you start getting a higher percentage of your calories from coconut oil you will run a higher metabolism and should lose weight.
A number of pacific island populations traditionally eat diets containing upwards of 50 percent of calories coming from coconut fat – these people remain lean and muscular into old age and avoid diseases of metabolism such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.
Studies show that MCFAs are more than twice as thermogenic as long chain fats and one study indicated that, when MCFAs were given over a six day period, diet induced thermogenesis increased by 50 percent(1). Numerous studies also show that overfeeding with MCFAs results in minimal fat gain compared to the fat you put on when you overeat on long chain fats(2).
The thermogenic effect of MCFAs lasts for at least 24 hours so, if you eat a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil in your cooking every day, you will be constantly keeping your metabolism working at a higher level. Because coconut oil elevates your metabolic rate it makes many people feel more energetic as well as helping them to remain leaner.
Coconut oil may actually help your body to burn other types of fat!
Bruce Fife argues that ‘not only are medium-chain fatty acids burned for energy production, but they also encourage the burning of long-chain fatty acids'. This statement is backed up by a fair number of studies. One study found that the combination of MCFAs with n-3 fatty acids was particularly effective in encouraging the burning of long chain fats:
‘Combined dietary 72% MCFA and 22% n-3 LCPUFA without LCFA stimulate the fatty acid oxidation and release from adipocytes without affecting any safety parameters measured.'(3)
The worrying effects of fish oil supplementation such as increased lipid peroxidation may be reduced or even eliminated when consumed as part as a diet rich in coconut oil as coconut oil stabilises EFAs within the body. Coconut oil benefits dieters because you don’t have to consume nearly as many EFAs if your diet in rich in coconut oil – coconut oil has been shown to increase EFA effetiveness by as much as 100 percent(4).
Coconut oil benefits dieters by encouraging ketosis
Studies have shown that coconut oil is highly ketogenic(5), meaning it encourages the burning of ketones rather than glucose for energy. Ketosis is a state you can enter when you either restrict carbs or on certain types of high fat diet. Many people on ketogenic diets report less intense hunger feelings with greater satiety after meals.
Nutritionists in favour of ketogenic diets argue that they are effective for weight loss because they suppress your appetite and for many people this means they can eat at a calorie deficit without much effort.
There are many reported health benefits above and beyond simple weight loss that are gained by remaining in a state of ketosis for periods of each day – one example is burning ketones instead of glucose for energy is being linked to lower brain aging in humans(6). However, many people do well on higher carb diets so I doubt that this can be universal.
Coconut is so easily oxidised by the liver that, even in the presence of carbs, it will put you into ketosis. This is good news for athletes and bodybuilders because it means that you can enjoy all of the benefits of ketosis without suffering reduced performance due to low levels of stored glucose in the muscles and liver. Aside from this, studies have shown that coconut oil provides an additional energy source alongside glycogen to fuel aerobic activities.