Coconut oil is a fat consisting of over 90% saturated fat extracted from coconuts and used in cosmetics and baking. It is rich in lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid. Non-hydrogenated coconut oil melts at 20-25°C. It is among the most stable of all vegetable oils and has the highest smoke point of all cooking oils.
Saturated fats have been found by some studies to be harmful and artery-clogging. Critics of these studies contend that they did not differentiate between saturated and trans fats, which they say are to blame. Studies have found that unhydrogenated (also called "virgin") coconut oil increases metabolism and weight loss, and recent research has found that consuming coconut oil actually reduces cholesterol. Some studies show that coconut oil consumption may lower a woman's risk of getting breast cancer.
Coconut oil has also been shown to cause severe cellular damage when applied on the skin in rats .
Coconut oil provides seven per cent of the total export income of the Philippines, the world's largest exporter of the product.
It has also been trialled for use as a biodiesel engine fuel, though the high melting point makes its use difficult.
See also: Fatty acid, Palm oil, Coconut
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