by Last Updated: Oct 24, 2015
Coconut oil may be healthier than other types of saturated fat. Photo Credit phittavas/iStock/Getty Images
Whether coconut oil is a source of healthy fat is somewhat controversial because of its high saturated fat content. The saturated fat in coconut oil, however, consists mainly of medium-chain triglycerides, unlike the long-chain triglycerides found in animal-based sources of saturated fat. This type of fat doesn't seem to raise your cholesterol the way other types of saturated fat do. It may also offer some health benefits, including potentially helping you reduce your belly fat.
Coconut oil is pure fat, with 117 calories and 13.6 grams of fat per serving. As with any high-calorie food, if you eat too much of it, you may gain weight. When used as part of a low-calorie diet, however, coconut oil may help you lose belly fat. Men who consumed virgin coconut oil each day for four weeks had a reduction in belly fat of about 1 percent in a study published in "ISRN Pharmacology" in 2011.
