So when it comes to heart health, Eyres puts it plainly: "It would be dangerous, and rather silly, to replace your extra-virgin olive oil with coconut oil." Coconut oil has a lot going for it from a culinary perspective. When it comes to coconut oil's impact on cholesterol, you often hear the argument that even though coconut oil raises LDL, it also raises HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in a neutral - even beneficial - overall effect. The people there have historically consumed a lot of saturated fat from coconut products (although notably not as coconut oil per se, but as grated coconut flesh, coconut cream and coconut flour, all of which are rich in fiber), but they have low incidences of cardiovascular disease. But the use of coconut oil as a major player in a typical Western diet does.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 13, 2016 23:30 UTC