Coconut Cooking Oil

Coconut cocoking oil is very different from most other cooking oils and contains a unique composition of fatty acids. The fatty acids are about 90% saturated. But coconut oil is perhaps most unique for its high content of the saturated fat lauric acid, which makes up around 40% of its total fat content. This makes coconut oil highly resistant to oxidation at high heat. For this reason, it is very suitable for high-heat cooking methods like frying.Â

Coconut oil is relatively rich in medium-chain fatty acids, containing around 7% caprylic acid and 5% capric acid. Epileptic patients on ketogenic diets often use these fats to induce ketosis. However, coconut oil is not suitable for this purpose as it has a relatively poor ketogenic effect. While lauric acid is often considered a medium-chain fatty acid, scientists are debating whether this classification is appropriate.