Currently, there is a lot of confusion and contradictory research on the impact of saturated fats on your health. In the past 50 years, the majority of health care professionals told us that saturated fats are bad. Bad for your heart, bad for your cholesterol, and contribute to obesity. But, in studies on certain Pacific Island populations, there is a practically non-existent level of cardiovascular disease even though the majority of their daily fat intake comes from coconut oil. But, how could this be?
In essence, all saturated fats are not created equally. There are two types of saturated fats: naturally occurring saturated fats and man-made, artificially manipulated saturated fats. These man made saturated fats are created through a process called hydrogenation in which the oils have hydrogen atoms added to them while heated created a thicker oil that creates a longer shelf life and thus, increases corporate profits. The medical community recommends avoiding these type of vegetable and seed oils. These are also known as trans fats. Trans fats are now banned in certain cities and states. The vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has resulted in confusion over the health effect of naturally occurring saturated fats, such as coconut oil.