Hi Dr Dennis, Coconut oil has three probable cardiovascular benefits

It has strong antioxidative property

It can reduce bad LDL cholesterol

It can reduce body weight

All these factors are beneficial for human heart

However there are very few studies have with coconut oil compared to Olive oil in human regarding cardiovascular benefits.. Thanks

Is coconut oil just a fad?

Coconut oil is good for the heart. That might seem surprising since it contains more than 90% saturated fat, the type that is considered unhealthy. Saturated fat tends to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels correlate with risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events. (For comparison, butter is closer to 60% saturated fat.) The American Heart Association and other groups have consistently recommended limiting intake of saturated fats. If coconut oil is truly heart-healthy, it would represent a major departure from the "limit saturated fats" advice.

The reason coconut oil has been touted as heart-healthy (despite its fat makeup) is because of the suggestion that it can raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and because of the type of saturated fats it contains: it's high in "medium chain triglycerides" while most other saturated fats found in plant-based oils have more "long chain triglycerides." Still, there's precious little evidence to disprove that coconut oil is not healthy. For example, a small 2015 study found that people with coronary artery disease who added extra-virgin coconut oil to their diet lost weight and had small increases in levels of HDL. However, other studies have demonstrated increased LDL levels as well, so the net impact of coconut oil on blood lipids and, more importantly, on future cardiac events and premature death, is unknown. Other evidence comes from studies in test tubes or animals, or that are too small and too brief to rely upon.

A 2016 review of coconut oil found that

"...due to existing knowledge regarding saturated fatty acids and heart disease, evidence presented here suggesting that coconut oil raises plasma lipids and a lack of large, well-controlled human studies published in peer-reviewed journals demonstrating clear health benefits of coconut oil, frequent use of coconut oil should not be advised."

A second review last year analyzing existing evidence suggested that when it comes to improving blood lipids and lowering cardiovascular disease risk, it might be best to switch from coconut oil to polyunsaturated fats.

"But we'll need more and better research to understand whether its newly found popularity is well-deserved, or just the latest flavor of the day "— Robert H. Shmerling, MD Harvard Health Publishing