Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Ameliorates High Fat Diet (HFD)-Induced Obesity, Dyslipidemia and Bestows Cardiovascular Protection in Rats

Effects of hot process-derived virgin coconut oil (VCO) on antiobesity, lipid-lowering and cardio-protection in male Wistar rat models fed with high-fat diet (HFD) were investigated for 7 weeks. The marked increase in body weight, liver weight, epididymal fat weight, and specific growth rate of HFD-fed rats were significantly attenuated when the HFD was supplemented with VCO. Serum lipid profile of VCO-fed rats showed significantly reduced levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and increment in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level. Significant decrease in cardiac risk indices and CHOLINDEX in all the VCO-treated animal groups were observed. Hepatic enzymatic biomarkers associated with HFD-induced liver damage were reversed with the VCO supplementation. Thus, dose-dependent VCO supplementation can be considered as an effective dietary approach to attenuate obesity and to alleviate the risks of cardiovascular diseases.