Animal oils have a lot of saturated fatty acids and are solid at room temperature, so long-term consumption of large quantities will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and should be controlled.
But among vegetable oils, coconut oil is a special case, which is solid at room temperature. Coconut oil has 87 percent saturated fatty acids, even more than lard.
In June 2017, the American Heart Association published an updated bulletin on fat intake and cardiovascular disease risk in Circulation, a scientific journal it sponsors. It specifically mentioned coconut oil, saying that it inevitably increases bad cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of coronary atherosclerosis.
However, the saturated fatty acid in coconut oil is not stearic acid, which is found in lard, or palmitic acid, which is found in palm oil, but lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid. It can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and there are some findings that suggest coconut oil may be less fattening when consuming the same amount of calories and fat. That may be good news, but it's still among the fats that are limited in countries' dietary guidelines.
No matter what the oil is and what health benefits it has, intake should follow the principles of the dietary guidelines or it will burden the body.
Intake: Regarding whether fatty acid intake is balanced or not, the latest version of the "Dietary Nutrient Reference Intake for Chinese Residents" gives a reference: for the average adult, the total fat supply ratio of 20% to 30% in a day, and saturated fat <10%.
No matter which kind of cooking oil, the total amount should be controlled within 30 grams per day.
Oil variety: do not be too specialized in a particular oil, it is best to rotate different types of cooking oil to eat, which is conducive to fatty acid balance.