BBC
Coconut oil 'as unhealthy as beef fat and butter'
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40300145
常有人宣稱椰子油的脂肪酸較其他飽和脂肪酸有益，但美國心臟協會澄清椰子油不比牛油
、奶油好到哪裡去，沒有有力研究支持其特別的健康觀點。飽和脂肪酸會增加血中低密度
膽固醇的量造成動脈阻塞，而根據協會椰子油中有82%的飽和脂肪酸、奶油63%、牛油50%
、豬油39%。或許曾聽說椰子油的脂肪酸組成仍然使它成為較健康的選項，不過協會說還
是沒有證據支持這看法。
油脂對人體十分重要，惟正確的油脂攝取應建立在較少飽和脂肪酸上。可用較低飽和脂肪
酸的植物油如橄欖油、葵花油等取代飲食中的動物脂肪，多避免油膩的烹調方式。英國公
共衛生局建議一般男性一日飽和脂肪攝取應低於30克，女性則為20克。
Coconut oil is as unhealthy as beef dripping and butter, say US heart experts.
It is packed with saturated fat which can raise "bad" cholesterol, says the
American Heart Association in updated advice.
Coconut oil is commonly sold as a health food and some claim the fat in it
may be better for us than other saturated fats.
The AHA, however, says there are no good studies to support this.
Healthy myth?
The advice around which fats to eat can be very confusing.
Animal fats, such as lard, are generally seen as bad, while plant oils, such
as olive and sunflower, are seen as healthier options.
That theory is based on how much of one particular type of fat - saturated
fat or "sat fat" - these products contain.
Sat fat
Saturated fat is said to be bad for our health, although not everyone agrees.
Eating a diet high in saturated fat can raise the level of "bad" (LDL)
cholesterol in the blood, which, in turn, may clog the arteries and increase
the risk of heart disease and stroke.
According to the AHA, 82% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. That's more
than in butter (63%), beef fat (50%) and pork lard (39%). And, like other
saturated fats, studies show it can increase "bad" cholesterol.
Some claim that the mixture of fats in coconut oil still make it a healthy
option, but the AHA says there is no good-quality evidence for this.
It says people should limit how much saturated fat they eat, replacing some
of it with unsaturated vegetable oils - olive oil and sunflower oil, and
their spreads.
Healthy swaps
According to the AHA, studies show swaps such as this can lower cholesterol
by the same magnitude as cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Dr Frank Sacks, lead author of the AHA advice, said: "We want to set the
record straight on why well-conducted scientific research overwhelmingly
supports limiting saturated fat in the diet to prevent diseases of the heart
and blood vessels."
In the UK, Public Health England advises people to cut down on saturated fat:
the average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day
the average woman should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day
Nutritional labels on food display how much saturated fat is in products.
But experts stress that fat is still an essential part of a healthy, balanced
diet. We shouldn't cut out too much. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids
and helps the body absorb vitamins, such as A, D and E.
Victoria Taylor from the British Heart Foundation said: "To eat well for your
heart health it is not just about reducing fat but reducing specific types of
fat and taking care over what these are replaced with - unsaturated fats and
wholegrains, rather than sugars and refined carbohydrates.
"Any change should be viewed in the context of a whole diet approach. The
traditional Mediterranean diet has benefits for a range of risk factors for
heart disease, not just cholesterol levels.
"We recommend replacing the saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats
- using oils instead of butter and choosing foods like avocado, oily fish,
nuts and seeds instead of foods high in saturated fats like cakes, biscuits,
chocolate and fatty meat."
Low fat tips
Grill, bake, poach or steam food rather than deep frying or roasting
Trim visible fat and take skin off meat before cooking
Spoon off fats and oils from roasts, casseroles, stews and curries
When making sandwiches, try leaving out the butter or spread: you might not
need it if you're using a moist filling
Good fat vs bad fat
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that can be found in some foods
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is said to be 'bad' because it can
be deposited in the walls of arteries and cause hard plaques to build up that
can cause blockages, resulting in heart attacks and stroke
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is 'good' because it carries LDL
cholesterol to your liver where it is disposed of. A high ratio of good to
bad cholesterol is healthiest
備註:
植物性不代表比較好，重點還是脂肪酸。