A new study revealed that coconut oil negatively impacted the utilization of essential hormones, leptin and insulin, in mice. This disruption in hormone function, particularly insulin resistance, is a key feature associated with type 2 diabetes. The study was published in the Journal of Functional Foods.
In the current study, the 60 mice were divided into three distinct groups, each administered a liquid supplement. The first group, known as the control group, was given water, while the second group received 100 microliters of commercial extra-virgin coconut oil, and the third group was provided with 300 microliters of the same oil.
Nutrition scientist Dr. Taylor Wallace says: “What they found was a bit concerning: the coconut oil seemed to mess with the normal signaling pathways in the brain and other tissues that these hormones use to communicate their messages.”