evidence: Coconut Oil: Good or Bad? [...] Coconut oil is made up of around 82% saturated fat (butter is at around 63%, by comparison). The anti-coconut camp therefore argues that it can cause an increase in 'bad' cholesterol - cue clogged arteries and inevitable death - and so should be replaced by plant oils, which are seen as healthier options. Olive oil, for example, has been around the circuit for longer than coconut oil, and its health-promoting claims are backed by a far greater number of research studies. [...] The stance against coconut oil also fails to take into consideration the potential difference between saturated fats themselves. I'm no scientist, but I can't quite believe that the saturated fat in coconut oil is as bad as that in cakes and biscuits, for example. Indeed, there has been a fair amount of hype on this very point: that the saturated fat found in coconuts (called medium-chained triglycerides) is healthier. However, it must be mentioned that not enough 'hard science' is available to back this up yet. But what we do know is that saturated fat is divided into various types, according to the number of molecular carbon atoms, and approximately 50% of the saturated fat in coconut oil is the 12-carbon variety: lauric acid.