New research reveals significant metabolic and health risks associated with long-term coconut oil supplementation, including hormonal changes, weight gain, and inflammation. Lead researcher Marcio Alberto Torsoni advises against consuming coconut oil without guidance and recommends consuming it in moderation according to dietary guidelines.

In experiments on mice, scientists at the State University of Campinas observed changes in the mice's eating patterns, weight gain, signs of anxiety and increased inflammation in the brain, fat tissue and liver.

An article published in the Journal of Functional Foods reports on a study that showed significant changes in eating habits, weight gain, anxiety levels, and inflammation in the central nervous system, adipose tissue, and liver of mice after oral supplementation with extra virgin coconut oil.

The researchers also found that the ability of the key metabolic hormones leptin and insulin to activate cellular mechanisms responsible for satiety and control of blood sugar levels was impaired, and biochemical mechanisms involved in fat synthesis were stimulated.

"The results show that, although the process is slow and silent, long-term coconut oil supplementation can lead to significant metabolic changes that contribute to the development of obesity and related comorbidities," said Marcio Alberto Torsoni, a researcher at the Laboratory of Metabolic Disorders (LabDiMe) of the School of Applied Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCA-UNICAMP) in São Paulo, Brazil. He has a PhD in functional and molecular biology and completed postdoctoral research at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas and the University of Michigan in the United States.

The LabDiMe laboratory is affiliated with the Obesity and Complications Research Center (OCRC), one of FAPESP's Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs), and the Center for Metabolic Programming and Perinatal Management (MPPM), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Risks of animal fats and coconut oil

Excessive consumption of animal fats is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. One component of this diet is cholesterol, but this type of fat also contains saturated fatty acids, which activate inflammatory processes through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and may contribute to disease.

Saturated fatty acids can also be obtained from other sources such as plants. For example, they make up 90% of the lipids in coconut oil. While short-chain fatty acids make up a large proportion, and these fatty acids are beneficial to the body because they reduce inflammation, the saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are enough to activate inflammatory pathways and cause damage to different types of cells.

"Consumption of coconut oil has increased significantly among the population as part of the daily diet or as a food supplement. The problem is that in most cases people consume coconut oil without the guidance of a nutritionist, who can adjust the daily dose according to the needs of the individual concerned," Torsoni said.

Experimental model

To find out whether long-term daily consumption of coconut oil could cause health problems, the team used an animal model in which healthy mice consumed a certain amount of coconut oil every day for eight weeks. This amount of coconut oil contains calories equivalent to one tablespoon (13 grams) per day, or 5 percent of the calories from saturated fat in the diet of an adult of the recommended weight and height.

Torsoni says coconut oil should be used sparingly as part of a dressing or sauce, and is best paired with fresh or less processed vegetables. This is the recommendation of the Ministry of Health's Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, which also recommends "an adequate and healthy diet... in harmony with quantity and quality, meeting the needs of variety, balance, moderation and pleasure".

"Coconut oil is not recommended as a supplement to treat illness or restore health," Torsoni said.

References "Carbon dioxide supplementation induces lipogenesis, leptin and insulin resistance in adipose tissue of healthy Swiss mice" published by Alana Carolina Costa Veras, Larissada Silva Bruzasco, Ana Beatriz Profiro Lopes, Beatrizda Silva Franco, Alessandro Sp Encer de Souza Holanda, Andrea Maculano Esteves, Marciane Milanski, Adriana Souza Torsoni, Leticia Martins Ignacio-Souza, and Marcio Alberto Torsoni, June 4, 2023, Journal of Functional Foods.

DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2023.105600

Compiled source: ScitechDaily