http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11746-014-2562-7
Abstract
The primary fatty acid of coconut
oil is lauric acid, which is present at approximately 45–53 %. The
metabolic and physiological properties of lauric acid account for many
of the properties of coconut oil. Coconut oil is rapidly metabolized
because it is easily absorbed and lauric acid is easily transported.
Detailed studies have shown that the majority of ingested lauric acid is
transported directly to the liver where it is directly converted to
energy and other metabolites rather than being stored as fat. Such
metabolites include ketone bodies, which can be used by extrahepatic
tissues, such as the brain and heart, as an immediate form of energy.
Studies on the effect of lauric acid on serum cholesterol are
contradictory. Among saturated fatty acids, lauric acid has been shown
to contribute the least to fat accumulation. Lauric acid and monolaurin
have demonstrably significant antimicrobial activity against gram
positive bacteria and a number of fungi and viruses. Today there are
many commercial products that use lauric acid and monolaurin as
antimicrobial agents. Because of the significant differences in the
properties of lauric acid relative to longer chain fatty acids, they are
typically differentiated as medium-chain fatty acids covering C6–C12,
and long-chain fatty acids covering C14 and longer.
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