Coconut oil & abdominal fat

Coconut oil is discussed my many proponents of health and wellness but can it really reduce belly fat, like some people claim? In an open ended study, men ate two tablespoons of coconut oil each day and within a month, saw a reduction of on average, an inch off their waistlines. This study didn’t have a control group so there is the possibility that some men were simply watching what they ate because they knew they were in a dietary study. During another study in 2015, 100 men and women consumed one tablespoon of coconut oil a day for three months and lost an inch of belly fat in comparison to the control group. The participants who ate the oil did consume fruit too which can be associated with weight loss. Another study directly compared consumption of coconut oil vs. consumption of soybean oil and in this study, no visible difference was noted. What could be noted was that insulin resistance was better in those people who had consumed coconut oil vs. this who hadn’t. A more recent study in 2017 had similar outcomes being that coconut oil did not reduce weight, waste, hips, or belly fat etc. compared to placebo groups. How then can proponents make such claims? They may quote other studies, for example one where Pacific Islanders who ate coconut based diets were slimmer than those eating a more modern diet with less coconut products. But the modern diet that the heavier islanders were eating consisted of sausage, eggs, and processed foods so it would make sense to begin with that they would be heavier than their coconut eating counterparts (negating the claims of the study saying coconut oil causes weight/fat loss).

Key Takeaways:

• Initial studies comparing dairy, coconut and animal fat showed no discernible effect on test subjects with regards to hunger, fullness, energy or satisfaction.
• The view of coconut oil as a health supplement for weight loss formed from old, “open label” study with no control group, making results and conclusions for the study hardly concrete.
• Further studies compared the effect of a tablespoon of coconut oil a day for 3 months compared to nothing in the control, this again brings the results into doubt given the placebo effect in a study.

“I think in this instance, as in most, moderation is the key. Too much of anything isn’t good for you.”

Read more: https://www.healthnutnews.com/coconut-oil-abdominal-fat/