GradedHealth

Does Coconut Oil Raise Cholesterol?

Trials show coconut oil raises LDL 'bad' cholesterol compared with vegetable oils, though it also raises HDL. Here is what the evidence means for your heart.

Published October 2026

Short answer

Yes. Clinical trials show coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol compared with vegetable oils like olive or sunflower. It also nudges HDL up, but raising HDL does not counteract higher LDL for heart risk. Evidence grade B (Moderate). Meta-analyses of randomised trials consistently show coconut oil raises LDL and HDL compared with plant oils; downgraded once because blood lipids are surrogate markers for cardiovascular disease.

Key takeaways

  • In meta-analyses of clinical trials, coconut oil increased LDL "bad" cholesterol by about 10 mg/dL compared with nontropical vegetable oils [1][2].
  • Coconut oil also raised HDL "good" cholesterol by roughly 3 to 4 mg/dL across pooled trials [1][2].
  • Compared with butter, coconut oil produces somewhat lower LDL cholesterol, but it is less heart-healthy than unsaturated plant oils [3][4].
  • Higher HDL does not compensate for elevated LDL, as trials and genetic studies show raising HDL does not lower cardiovascular risk [1].

The short version

Yes, coconut oil raises blood cholesterol [1]. Across randomised trials, consuming coconut oil significantly raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—the "bad" cholesterol linked to cardiovascular disease—by about 10 mg/dL compared with unsaturated plant oils [1][2]. While it also raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by roughly 4 mg/dL, raising HDL does not counteract the cardiovascular risk associated with higher LDL [1].

What the studies show

Coconut oil has been promoted for metabolic health, but extensive clinical trial data paint a clear picture of its effects on blood lipids [1][5]. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Circulation pooled 16 clinical trials and found that coconut oil consumption significantly increased LDL cholesterol by 10.47 mg/dL compared with nontropical vegetable oils [1]. It also increased HDL cholesterol by 4.00 mg/dL and raised total cholesterol, with no meaningful changes observed in body weight, body fat percentage, or fasting blood glucose [1].

A second meta-analysis of interventional trials similarly observed that coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by 10.14 mg/dL and total cholesterol by 15.42 mg/dL compared with other oils [2]. In a randomized crossover trial of adults with elevated cholesterol, diets supplemented with 54 g daily of coconut oil increased LDL cholesterol by 4.6% and non-HDL cholesterol by 5.8%, whereas corn oil lowered both markers [6]. In a network meta-analysis of 54 trials evaluating various dietary fats, unsaturated vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, and rapeseed oil were considerably more effective at lowering LDL cholesterol than coconut oil, although coconut oil ranked highest among all tested fats for raising HDL [3].

The nuances

The type of fat coconut oil is compared against matters greatly [3][4]. Compared with butter—an animal fat rich in palmitic and myristic acids—coconut oil leads to lower LDL cholesterol by about 14.90 mg/dL and higher HDL cholesterol by 4.38 mg/dL [2]. In a four-week trial of 94 healthy adults in the UK, consuming 50 g daily of butter raised LDL cholesterol significantly (+0.42 mmol/L compared with coconut oil), whereas extra virgin coconut oil resulted in similar LDL changes to extra virgin olive oil while raising HDL by 0.16 mmol/L over olive oil [4]. However, when pooled across all available trials, coconut oil consistently raises LDL when replacing liquid vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats [1][3].

The fatty acid profile explains this behaviour [1][7]. Coconut oil is roughly 90% saturated fat, predominantly lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) [1]. Although marketing frequently classifies lauric acid as a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), physiologically it is absorbed via chylomicrons and processed like long-chain saturated fatty acids, which downregulate LDL receptors and slow LDL clearance from the blood [1][7]. Furthermore, higher HDL levels do not guarantee protection: major trials testing medications that raise HDL failed to reduce heart attacks, indicating that higher HDL cannot be relied upon to offset the atherogenic risk of elevated LDL [1].

What this means for you

If you are aiming to lower or maintain healthy cholesterol levels, substituting unsaturated vegetable oils—such as olive, canola, or sunflower oil—for coconut oil is supported by clinical trial evidence [1][3]. Using coconut oil occasionally for cooking or flavour is unlikely to cause harm, but treating it as a daily supplement or primary cooking fat may worsen lipid profiles, particularly in individuals with pre-existing hypercholesterolemia [1][2]. For details on doses, side effects, and precautions, see our full guide on Coconut Oil.

Go deeper

  • Coconut Oil — Coconut oil reliably increases 'good' HDL cholesterol in clinical trials, but it also raises LDL cholesterol by about 10 mg/dL compared with vegetable oils.

References

  1. The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.. Circulation, 2020.
  2. Effect of coconut oil on cardio-metabolic risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies.. Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2020.
  3. Effects of oils and solid fats on blood lipids: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.. J Lipid Res, 2018.
  4. Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women.. BMJ Open, 2018.
  5. Health effects of coconut oil: Summary of evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analysis of interventional studies.. Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2021.
  6. Corn Oil Lowers Plasma Cholesterol Compared with Coconut Oil in Adults with Above-Desirable Levels of Cholesterol in a Randomized Crossover Trial.. J Nutr, 2018.
  7. Effects of coconut oil, olive oil, and butter on plasma fatty acids and metabolic risk factors: a randomized trial.. J Lipid Res, 2024.