Is coconut oil the new kale?

In the past few years, you've likely heard more than you ever wanted to hear about kale. Kale, the "super food".  Kale smoothies, kale soup, kale chips- we get it.  It is a super food. High in folate, potassium, vitamin K, lutein and low in calories to boot.  I wholeheartedly support kale consumption.  Eat your kale! But enough already.The latest 'it' food?  Coconut oil. It's been touted to do everything from raising your metabolism to preventing heart disease and dodging dementia.  But is all the hype for reals?Here's the scoop. All fats, whether they come from butter, olive oil or coconut oil- contain a mixture of fats- including saturated, trans, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated.  You've likely heard that butter is highly saturated.  Coconut oil is even more saturated- about 92%.  Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Unfortunately, saturated fat raises blood cholesterol.But coconut oil doesn't come from a cow or pig.  It's a plant fat, so it may have different properties.  Coconut fans say it's good for the heart.  But researchers haven't studied if individuals replacing dietary fat with coconut oil have less heart attacks or strokes.  What they do know is that coconut oil raises LDL ("lousy cholesterol") as well as HDL ("healthy cholesterol").  A Malaysian study found that after 5 weeks of either coconut or olive oil, the coconut eaters had higher LDL levels.  LDL is associated with increased risk for heart disease, not lower.Can coconut oil help you lose weight? Maybe.  In a small study of 40 obese women, subjects were given either soybean or coconut oil to cook with for 3 months.  Each group weighed the same and had little change in waist circumference.  Coconut oil does contain MCT (medium chain triglycerides), which are more readily absorbed in the gut and used as fuel.  And while there is a slight rise in metabolic rate, studies on dieters show about a 40 calorie deficit per day using MCT oil VS other oils. So perhaps over time it may help with weight loss, but by no means is it a magic bullet.In addition, MCT oils have been considered in preventing Alzheimer's disease.  In this type of dementia, the brain does not utilize glucose well, but can use a substance called ketones. Ketones can be produced in the liver when MCTs are metabolized.  But eating coconut oil or other MCTs does not increase ketones in the brain significantly enough.If you want to whittle your waist, prevent heart disease and protect your noggin- do this.  Eat a balanced diet high in anti-oxidants from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, moderate in healthy fats (from nuts, seeds,canola, olive oil and fatty fish), lean protein sources and low fat dairy products like Greek yogurt and 1% milk.  Also get off the couch to build muscle, reduce depression and keep blood flowing to your vital organs.  More research needed before coconut oil is "nutrigirlapproved".