Nutritional Milestone of Coconut Oil in the Philippines
by: Jesus Lim Arranza
Immediate Past Chairman
United Coconut Associations of the Philippines

	Other Articles ...   The Truth about the Virgin Coconut Oil by: Gemma C. Delmo

“Coconut oil will cure diseases of nervous and metabolic processes; it will increase semen and will nourish the body; it will promote the discharge of urine; it will cure tuberculosis, breathing troubles, cough and diabetes; it will sharpen the intelligence; and it is effective in healing wounds". - Rajah Nighandu

INTRODUCTION:

The above statement must have been a studied observation of several years on the nutritive and curative benefits that coconut oil offers. Although published without the statistical blurb of scientific papers, its validity is emerging. A growing number of scientific papers bare the many virtues of coconut oil or its derivatives, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and monodiglycerides, among others.

The Philippines is the principal supplier of coconut oil in the world market. It produced an average of 1.235 million MT of the oil yearly during the last five years and out of this volume about 80% or 967,000 MT were exported as coconut oil. The other form of coconut oil-based export is as oleochemicals which account for 4% of production. Domestic utilization of coconut oil is small, about 16-20% of total output, mainly as edible oil.

Last year, coconut oil shared 5.5% or 1.456 million MT of total world fats and oils trade amounting to 26.671 million MT. The Philippines provided 60% of the global coconut oil business. This share is expected to expand in the near term as government programs to improve productivity via fertilization and hybridization from local cultivars are in place. Recently, the Philippine Coconut Authority launched its new batch of coconut selections that are early bearing and whose yields are four times more than the current varieties. Thus, supply of coconut products from the Philippines for the external markets would remain adequate even with the anticipated expansion in world trade brought about by the GATT.

COCONUT OIL EXTRACTION, PROFILE AND FOOD USES

Coconut oil is commercially extracted from dried coconut meat by crushing through mechanical expellers, followed by refining, bleaching and deodorizing. (Ref Figure 1).

A household procedure is done by squeezing out the milk from grated coconut meat. The cream, which separates after a few hours, is the source of 'virgin" oil upon heating to drive off the moisture. The milk, rich in oil, protein and tocopherol (vitamin E) is an excellent ingredient for sweet spreads, and for meat or fish dishes - not to mention a popular cocktail, “Piña Colada".

Coconut oil is light cream in color and a liquid at 23oC. It is bland and uniquely stable to oxidative rancidity while exhibiting a long shelf life unmatched by any other natural triglyceride. Table 1 following shows that coconut oil is unique.

A high content of C6 to C12 medium chain triglycerides (MCTS) is what makes coconut oil unique. It is the principal commercial source of MCTs which are now being harnessed for their desirable qualities and functions in the field of medicine and nutrition. In contrast, the other oils listed consist of long chain triglycerides (LCTS).

As indicated in Table 1, 92% of coconut oil fatty acids are saturated. The saturated character of the fatty acids accounts for the stability of coconut oil as it resists rancidity due to oxidation and other form of degradation. Aware of this good quality in coconut oil, food processors give it a high preference in their formulations, especially in products requiring long shelf life.      

Coconut oil should not be simply classified as a saturated fat simply because of its high content of saturated fatty acids. Sub-groups exist in saturated fats in the same way as polyunsaturated fats for better identification. In the latter, the sub-groups are the omega 6 group (of the vegetable oils) as distinguished from the omega 3 group (of the fish oils).

The saturated fats are similarly classed as medium chain saturates (of the kernel oils or lauric fats) as distinct and different from long chain saturates. This is because their fatty acid composition, their metabolic characteristics and their absorption and oxidation rates as compared with long chain triglycerides are distinct and different. It is for this reason that coconut oil, a typical medium chain triglyceride, is used in medical foods, infant feeding formulas, and such other uses where quick and high energy is needed for the patient.

MCFAs VS. LCFAs

Studies have shown that medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are metabolized differently in the body. MCFAs are metabolized faster as they follow a shorter route in the digestive system. They are transported by portal circulation directly to the liver for metabolic degradation while LCFAs are absorbed by the lymphatics and are circulated systemically before finally reaching the liver. (Ref Figure 2).

MCTs enter the mitochondria of liver cells without assistance by carnitine, and are rapidly oxidized to carbon dioxide with liberation of energy. It therefore behaves like simple carbohydrates as energy provider without the need of insulin and for this reason, has been used as food for newborn and pre-mature infants. Because of their rapid degradation, MCFAS. do not provide much material for their incorporation into VLDL (very low density lipoprotein); therefore, MCTs contribute little, if any, to the lipoprotein transport of lipids, the normal route for the LCTS, and little for deposition in fat stores of the body.

RP COCONUT OIL STUDIES/USES IN THE FIFTIES

Studies on the use of coconut oil in the Philippines commenced in the fifties. At that time, coconut oil was mainly used as cooking or frying oil and as a component for margarine and shortening manufacture. Coconut oil is still a popular vegetable oil in the country today for these purposes.

The use of coconut oil in local filled milk formulation in the country started in the mid-fifties. It replaced butterfat in local evaporated milk along with com oil at a ratio of 90:10 coconut oil: corn oil blend. The modified evaporated milk product was, and still is, called 'filled milk' for such brands as Alaska, Bear Brand and Carnation.

Coconut oil is an important component in imitation dairy products like filled cheese, coffee whiteners, milk shake mix, chocolate filled milk; ice cream; dessert topping; spray oil for crackers, cookies and cereals. It is used in these products not only because it resists oxidation but also because it is bland in flavor, It is extremely stable on storage and it possesses a unique liquefying property that contribute to 'mouth feel' of the food of which it is a component.

LATE SIXTIES: STRUCTURED LIPIDS AND TAILORED FATS

In the late sixties, a chemist by the name Vigen K. Babayan synthesized MCTs using C8 and C10 from coconut oil. He introduced the concept of structured lipid (SL) and later obtained a patent for “structuring” MCT essential fatty acid (EFA)-rich safflower oil.

Broadly defined, structured lipids include lipids that have been restructured to alter the position of fatty acids in the glycerol moiety from one or more native triglycerides. This offers a convenient means of producing 'tailor made" fats for dietary and medical foods purposes.

STRUCTURED LIPIDS STUDIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

In the late 80s, structured lipids based on coconut oil and corn oil was developed in the Philippines.  Corn oil was used to satisfy essential fatty acid requirement of coconut oil. The restructured product was tested on humans, in the rehabilitation of malnourished children, by Dr. Carmen LI. In and co-workers. This was compared with soybean oil.

This study, which was conducted in a slum area in Tondo, Manila, involved 95 malnourished free-living children aged 10-44 months. They were regularly brought to the feeding center at specified times for supplemental feeding that consisted of I one full midday meal and an afternoon snack given daily except Sundays for 16 weeks. The SL diet was given to 47 children while the SBO diet was given to 48 children. These diets were similar in every way except for the fat source, approximately 2/3 of which came from either the SL or SBO.

Prior to the program, the children were dewormed when found parasite-infested and during the duration of the program a pediatrician visited the subjects weekly for check up, consultation and medication. Baseline weights of the two groups are presented in Table 2.

Weight was the only measurable parameter used during the study and these were taken in the morning before the midday meal. Results showed that the SL diet produced significantly faster weight gain and improvement in nutritional level than the SBO diet.

Figure 3 illustrates the weight gains of the children at monthly intervals on the two experimental diets. There was a definitely faster weight gain in the children on SL diet over those on SBO diet. A mean gain of 2.08 kg after 4 months was recorded for the SL group, almost twice as much as the weight gain of the SBO group of 1.22 kg.

COCONUT OIL PROTECTION FROM E. COLI ENDOTOXIN SHOCK

The protective effect of coconut oil from E. coli endotoxin shock on rats was likewise studied in the Philippines by Dr. Pilar Lim Navarro and co-workers.

The study determined the protection of coconut oil against an LD-50 dose of E. coli endotoxin with survival as criterion.

A total of 180 male 1 month old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, 180-2W gram body weight were used in two experiments. The first study involved 90 SD rats randomized into 3 groups of 30 per group. The first group was given coconut oil at 5% of a daily 60-calories diet; the second group 20%; and the third was the control group, diet of which did not have coconut oil. These were given by oral tube for a month. After one month, the rats were challenged intraperitoneally with an LD-50 dose of E. coli endotoxin and the number of survivors monitored at intervals of up to 96 hours. The second experiment was a replicate of the first.

Results showed that rats given coconut oil at 5% and 20% of total calories had survival rates of 77% and 72%, respectively. The control group, as may be expected from an LD-50 dose, had a 48% survival rate. The failure of 20% coconut oil to give increased protection may be due to intolerance of rats to too much dietary fat.

COCONUT OIL AS DIETARY FAT

Some investigators still question the desirability of coconut oil as dietary fat, particularly as regards coronary heart disease. They pointed to its high content of saturated fatty acids which is blamed for enhancing chore levels and promoting artherosgenesis in various animal feeding experiments. This is a myth considering that early coconut oil feeding trials in various animal species have been flawed by the unphysiological amounts of coconut oil given to these animals. They failed to provide the needed supplement of essential fatty acids, which coconut oil is deficient in, from EFA-containing oils. A diet with coconut oil as the only source of fat does not reflect the free-living diets for either man or animals. In a mixed diet, coconut oil is 'in disputably considered a healthy source of energy.

Medical researchers have shown that coconut oil causes no adverse effects on the lipid profile that can contribute to coronary heart disease.1 A study of the PCRDF (Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation) conducted at the New England Deaconess Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, revealed the beneficial effect of diet rich in coconut oil in that it increased the HDL (high density lipoprotein), the so called "good cholesterol'.

The study was designed to determine whether lipid metabolism is affected differently by fats of varying carbon chain lengths. It compared the effect of coconut oil, the source of medium chain fatty acids - a 92% saturated oil; soybean oil, as source of polyunsaturated fatty acids - 60% polyunsaturated oil; and hydrogenated soybean oil, as source of hydrogenated polyunsaturates and trans fatty acids (TFA) - 17% TFA; on lipid metabolism. These oils were supplied through specially prepared muffins and given to healthy American males 20-50 years old.

The study, which took 6 months to complete, consisted of 6 weeks dietary oil intervention periods with a minimum of 4-week washout phases in between each oil intervention phase. During Each intervention phase, half of the fat in the subjects' diets which was maintained at 37% of daily caloric intake, was replaced with one of the three test oils in a randomized crossover design.

At various points during the study, blood samples were collected and analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL (low density lipoprotein, also known as "bad cholesterol"), VLDL (very low density triglyceride levels, and the TC\HDL ratio. The latter is an important indicator of cardiovascular risk. Table 3 shows the serum lipid and lipoprotein levels of the subjects during the study.

The study gave the following conclusions: (1) coconut oil intake levels of up to 50% of total fat in a diet have no effect on serum total cholesterol when compared to baseline values; (2) by raising instead HDL, the coconut oil supplemented diet improved the TC/HDL ratio (a lower value is always most favorable), assuring safety and Potential beneficial effects from coconut oil use in healthy subjects and those with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases; (3) there were no adverse effects observed in lipid profiles during any of the three dietary phases which suggests that perhaps the overall fat content of the typical American diet rather than specific fatty acids contribute to hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease.

VIRTUES OF COCONUT OIL DERIVATIVES UNVEILED

Studies on coconut oil derivatives as antimicrobial has likewise been done. Monolaurin has been investigated extensively as an antimicrobial agent for foods and cosmetics. Monocaprin and monocaprylin were also reported to have antimicrobial activity in certain foods.

The mono-and diglycerides of caprylic (C8) and capric (CIO) acids have found use in the dissolution of cholesterol gallstones in humans. At the Mayo Clinic and the University of Wisconsin Hospital, the safe and efficient manner in which such products dissolved gallstones was demonstrated.

Monogcylglycerol MAG) synthesized from coconut oil and milkfat have been evaluated for anti-listerial activity. At the University of Wisconsin, monotrylglycerol derived from lipasecatalyzed glycerolysis of coconut oil was found to be a potent bactericide against Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen which continues to be a problem of the dairy industry.