Coconut oil is high in saturated fat and may, therefore, raise serum cholesterol concentrations, but beneficial effects on other cardiovascular risk factors have also been suggested.
Myth: Coconut oil is a heart-healthy cooking alternative.
The reality: Coconut oil has been shown to raise cholesterol levels — the good and the bad kinds — more than other plant-based oils like olive or canola.
Coconut oil and butter both affect your cholesterol levels. However, while coconut oil increases HDL or high-density lipoprotein, the good kind, butter, on the other hand, increases LDL or low-density lipoprotein, the bad kind.
Heart-healthy oils like canola, corn, olive, peanut, and sunflower oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They help to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and raise healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Olive oil and sunflower oil are mainly unsaturated fat, which can lower LDL cholesterol and at the same time increase HDL cholesterol. In a study published in February 2019 in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers found that high-polyphenol olive oil increased HDL cholesterol concentration by almost 50 percent.
Avocados. Avocados are a potent source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that adding an avocado a day to a heart-healthy diet can help improve LDL cholesterol levels in people who are overweight or obese.
Like many other fruits and vegetables, avocados have no cholesterol. Healthy avocados also contain good fats and can improve your intake of dietary fat, which in moderation helps with nutrient absorption, without raising LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.
Side Effects of Coconut oil:
Consuming coconut oil increases the level of low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. Due to the presence of saturated fatty acids, excess consumption can be unhealthy and can increase the risk of stroke and cardiac diseases.
Canola oil has zero cholesterol. High oleic canola oil has a high smoke point of 475 deg F, while refined canola oil's smoke point is 400.
Avocado oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat which has been linked to reducing LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol has been linked to strokes as well as to heart and artery diseases.
The Bottom Line. Hands down, avocado oil is a healthier option for regular use than coconut oil due to its fat profile and antioxidant properties. Fenn agrees: "We have solid scientific data that supports minimizing saturated fat in the diet to reduce your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Olive oil is packed full of beneficial antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol while leaving your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.
The fiber and potassium in bananas can reduce the level of cholesterol and blood pressure. Banana is especially known as a good source of soluble fibre which will gives one a healthy body and good immune system.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
Apples are the best fruit to lower cholesterol.
According to Harvard Health, there are many different foods that can help you lower your cholesterol in their own unique ways.
Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.
Walking raises your “good” cholesterol and lowers your “bad” cholesterol. A brisk 30-minute walk three times per week is enough to raise your “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lower your “bad” cholesterol (LDL) a few points. This amount of exercise, even without weight loss, is shown to improve your cholesterol levels.