Coconut oil tolerates high temperatures when frying, it brings a dash of exotic flavor into the food and is sometimes praised as a panacea. But coconut oil is not the healthiest oil and should only be consumed occasionally, advises the Stiftung Warentest, which has examined 15 products.
Only five coconut oils have convinced the testers so much that they received the grade "good". Seven were "satisfactory" and two "sufficient". One even rated "poor", the foundation reports in its magazine "test" (issue 12/2018).
There were good grades, among others, for the organic products of dm (13 euros per liter of oil), Edeka (13.60 euros per liter) and Lidl (11 euros per liter). They smell and taste according to the Stiftung Warentest after dried coconut and have in the mouth a smooth or creamy consistency.
Advertising with health promises
Not all coconut oils can do that: some are slightly grainy in the mouth or have roasted aromas. This is not dangerous, but it is a mistake, judge the testers. They gave point deductions in the case of Danlee oil (15.60 euros / liter), because on the glass lauric acid - one of the saturated fatty acids of coconut oil - as "antibacterial" is touted. Because advertising with health promises for coconut oil is prohibited. The testers rated the GutBio coconut oil from Aldi Nord (11.10 Euro / liter) as deficient because it contained mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. The oil was then taken out of commerce, reported Stiftung Warentest.
Long before the hype surrounding coconut oil, coconut oil has already been used in European cuisine - in the form of Palmin. The white fat blocks are one hundred percent coconut oil, suitable for hot, or for the children's birthday cake classic cold dog. The testers give the product the grade "good". The price, which is well below the cost of coconut oils at € 5.95 / kg, was included in the rating.
In the video: The truth about fat
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Coconut oil is firm to creamy up to 25 degrees, white to slightly glassy. At higher temperatures it will become liquid. Because it contains mostly saturated fatty acids, it increases the risk of lipid metabolism disorders, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases. According to Stiftung Warentest, two teaspoons of coconut oil already make up two-thirds of the body's daily intake of saturated fat. Other saturated fatty acids come from meat, sausage, cheese, pastries, chips and chocolate.
Nutrition experts recommend, in particular, to take polyunsaturated, vegetable fats. Instead of coconut oil, rapeseed oil is particularly suitable for hot heating. For salads, for example, olive oil.