Coconut vs. Olive....the Dieters Debate

I find myself in nutritional and health conversations during almost every random part of my day. 
Just the other day while picking my kids up from school I got into a conversation with a fellow mom at the school about diets. She had been told by a few friends that were doing the paleo diet that she needed to switch to coconut oil instead of olive oil. She had gone to the store and found that the coconut oil was much more expensive then her olive oil, so she went home to do some research, and after fishing through a bunch of random websites that came up when she googled each she was still confused, so she stopped me at the school to ask me. I, sadly, had not done a compare/contrast sort of research on the oils. I told her what I knew about each oil and the benefits of each, but that I would come home and research them and let her know if there was enough of a difference to warrant her needing to buy the more expensive oil. 
So, away I went, and after getting the basic nutritional information from my nutrition book, I too went to the web to see what I could find. There was so much for each that it was tough to weed through the fad diet websites and just try to find a good solid website for the science of them both, but my patience was rewarded, and I am going to give you all the important information I have found. :)



Olive Oil

Types of Olive Oil:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO):  This is the one that everyone talks about the most. This oil is extracted from olives using the lowest pressure and no heat at all. It keeps the most of the flavor and nutrition this way and is best served room temperature or cold. Used in salad dressings, or tossing cooked pasta in, etc.

Heating this oil and cooking with it completely ruins the virginity of the oil and therefore it's basically a waste to spend the money to buy extra virgin to then cook with it. 
(it is actually one of my pet peeves when chefs on tv and whatnot tell you to add extra virgin olive oil to a hot skillet and cook with it....such a waste of perfect olive oil)

Virgin Olive oil: this is pressed at a higher pressure but still cold. 

Light Olive oil: this oil is pressed using the same pressure as Virgin but heated to a moderate temperature. It is considered Light by color only. 

Pure Olive Oil: is any oil extracted like the Light Olive oil but is a mixture of light and dark olives. It will have a different flavor. To me, this is the best oil to cook with because it has a bolder flavor and is more cost effective to use for everyday cooking. 

After these oils have been extracted, they then heat the press more and up the pressure and squeeze out everything else, this is considered Crude olive oil and that is what is used in beauty products and non food items. There are also some chemicals that they use to extract certain portions of the olive oils in between pressing it and then using it in products. Do not think that just because it is listed as pure olive oil that it is edible. If it is not packaged and sold for food use, then do not eat it. 

Nutritional Data:

Serving size: 1 tbsp
Calories:                      119g
Fat:                             13.5g
Saturated fat:                 1.9g
Monounsaturated fat:     9.8g
Polyunsaturated fat:       1.4g

Omega 3 fatty acids:  103mg
Omega 6 fatty acids: 1318mg
Vitamin E         1.9mg  10%DV 
Vitamin K      8.1mcg  10%DV

Trace amounts of:
Calcium
Iron
Potassium
Sodium

Olive Oil nutritional data
Olive Oil Times is a good website to check out that has a bunch of information.


 











COCONUT OIL:

Sadly, my nutritional book did not have as much information on coconut oil as it did on olive oil, so I had to do some more searching. 

Coconut Oil information can be found here at the website. I have read a few of the articles and there is quite a bit of information. 

Nutritional Data:

Calories:                      116 g
Fat:                              13.5g
Saturated fat:                11.7g
Monounsaturated fat:        .8g
polyunsaturated fat:           .2g

Omega 6 fatty acid:    243 mg
Omega 3 fatty acid:       none

No trace amounts of vitamins or minerals in enough of a degree to list.
Coconut oil nutritional data   

I think it is one of those things that it depends on what you are wanting from your diets. Neither oil is bad for you and they both have their healthy benefits, coconut is hydrating and has anti-inflammatory properties and has been said to help with things like Alzheimer and arthritis, and Olive oil has been known to help with heart disease and lower cholesterol.  
If you are trying to cut down on saturated fats then I would suggest olive oil over coconut oil, since coconut oil has more saturated fat per serving then whole butter. ;)  I cook with them based on flavor profile alone, but suggest to my clients that they stick to olive oil, coconut oil, and whole butter as their fats only.  I think any change from margarine or other fatty oils to these three to any degree is a step in the right direction.  

Now, back to my friends question: Is it worth spending the extra money to cook in only coconut oil??. 
I would say no. 
Not unless you are wanting to treat a specific disease or discomfort that some people have been treating with coconut oil, but if you are just wanting to lose body fat and get healthier, I would say that either oil is great for you. 

Just please, please, please, do not go buy any virgin oil and then cook with it. ;)  

Happy Cooking!!