Coconut oil: Does it live up to the hype?
Rarely has a food gone through as dramatic a transformation from dietary villain to superhero as coconut oil and, indeed, all things coconut. But is it all its cracked up to be? Berkeley Wellness assesses the health claims.
January 15, 2015
Rarely has a food gone through as dramatic a transformation from dietary villain to superhero as coconut oil and, indeed, all things coconut.
The claims for its health-giving properties now verge on the miraculous: It is said to promote weight loss; prevent heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic diseases; improve digestion; treat AIDS and herpes infections; strengthen the immune system; rejuvenate skin and hair; fight gum disease and cavities; even, as one book suggests, “cure” Alzheimer’s disease.
But is there any truth to any of the claims? Experts from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health and their writer/editor collaborators take on the issues one by one in a recent post from Berkeley Wellness.