Is Coconut Oil Good for Testosterone?

Key takeaways:

• Consuming coconut oil hasn’t been shown to boost testosterone production.

• It’s unclear whether certain types of saturated fats (like those in coconut oil) offer health benefits for humans, let alone men’s health specifically.

• If you’re concerned about low testosterone, get in touch with a medical provider about testing and treatments.

It happens all the time. Your feeds are suddenly dominated by claims that a food can do wonders for hormone health. But as you probably know, miracle cures (especially those that aren’t FDA-approved) are often exaggerated at best.

There’s been some buzz that coconut oil might help increase testosterone levels or even sexual function. Is coconut oil good for testosterone? These claims are unsubstantiated. Eating coconut oil is unlikely to affect your hormone levels unless you’re on an extremely fat-restricted diet.

Keep reading to learn more about coconut oil, including its potential effects on hormone health and other ways more likely to improve testosterone levels.

Before we get into coconut oil’s potential effects on hormones, let’s take a look at the composition of coconut oil.

Coconut oil contains:

• Saturated fat

• Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)

• Lauric acid

Keep scrolling for details on what effects these components may have on your body.

Saturated Fat

The first thing to note about coconut oil is that it’s mostly saturated fat. In fact, saturated fat makes up over 80 percent of the weight of coconut oil. For a tablespoon, this works out to be almost 10 grams.

The predominant fatty acid is lauric acid, making up 40 to 50 percent of the fatty acids in coconut oil.

For years, saturated fat has gotten a bad rap as a major contributor to heart disease, the idea being that it raises levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) in your blood. But modern nutritional science has painted a more nuanced picture. Simply substituting saturated fat for other types of fats doesn’t always lead to lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

Still, the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat consumption to less than 6 percent of your total calories.

Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)

A significant portion of the saturated fat in coconut oil comes from medium-chain triglycerides. These fatty acids are what many people attribute to the health benefits of coconut oil.

Unlike long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in many other fats, MCTs have a shorter chemical structure. This means they metabolize differently in the body. MCTs are rapidly absorbed from the gut and transported directly to the liver, where they can be quickly converted into energy.

Researchers are still investigating whether MCTs may have benefits for weight loss, but research at this time is mixed.

MCTs are also found in large amounts in other coconut products, like coconut milk, as well as palm oil.

→ Learn more: Testosterone and Weight Loss: What’s the Connection?

Lauric Acid

About half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is a specific type of MCT called lauric acid.

Some animal and in-vitro study data suggest lauric acid may affect oxidative stress, blood pressure, or certain metabolic pathways. But human data are limited and mixed. In controlled human trials, lauric acid tends to raise cholesterol levels.

Research is underway examining the potential health benefits of lauric acid.

Now that you know what’s in coconut oil, we’ll discuss whether it can have any positive effects on testosterone.

So, is there any research linking coconut oil (or any of the substances inside it) to higher testosterone levels or improved overall health? Let’s take a look.

Current Research on Coconut Oil for Testosterone

Randomized controlled clinical trials performed on humans are considered the highest-quality studies when looking at how certain substances affect human health.

Unfortunately, there’s no high-quality human clinical trials showing coconut oil increases circulating testosterone. Any claims of coconut oil being “scientifically proven” to increase testosterone levels are jumping the gun and should be viewed with skepticism.

In theory, if consuming coconut oil improves cardiovascular health, it may also lead to improvements in your hormone health as a whole. However, there’s currently no evidence linking it to better cardiovascular health than other oils.

Small Studies Looking at Coconut Oil for Testosterone

One very small study with 29 participants found that coconut oil consumption may increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein) — known as “good cholesterol” more than soybean oil. But we’d need much larger trials to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Several animal studies, primarily on rodents, have explored the relationship between coconut products and testosterone. For instance, in a small 2022 study, researchers noted sex hormone improvements and improved markers of sexuality in rats given coconut husks.

While interesting, the information from these findings is still theoretical. It can’t be directly applied to humans since rodent metabolism and diet differ significantly from ours.

→ Read: What To Know About Testosterone’s Effect on Energy Levels

Coconut Oil for People on Reduced-Fat Diets

Your body needs saturated fat to build cholesterol. Cholesterol is a molecule that’s necessary for testosterone production.

Very low-fat diets — and low saturated-fat diets, in particular — may lead to lower testosterone in men. How so? This way of eating could reduce how many “building blocks” your body has available to produce testosterone.

In theory, adding more dietary fat — whether from coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, or other sources — may help restore testosterone levels in men eating very low-fat diets.

However, there’s no evidence that coconut oil is uniquely beneficial compared to other fats. Any benefit seen from adding dietary fat from coconut oil would simply be because it contains fatty acids, which your body needs to create testosterone.

Also, lots of foods contain saturated fat, including red meat. Eating too many fatty meats and other unhealthy foods could contribute to high cholesterol levels. There is such a thing as too high when it comes to cholesterol levels, so you’ll want to be careful there.

There’s currently no evidence that coconut oil improves testosterone levels. On the other hand, there’s also no evidence that it harms testosterone levels, either.

But here’s a general thought when thinking about fat in your diet:

• Cardiovascular disease and testosterone. Diets high in saturated fat seem to be linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. This chronic condition (and related medical issues) may negatively impact your testosterone levels.

• Heart disease and testosterone. Studies show that when people use coconut oil instead of healthier oils like olive oil, their LDL cholesterol cholesterol (the “bad” one) goes up, which raises the risk of heart disease.

Remember, experts like the American Heart Association recommend limiting saturated fat to roughly 6 percent of daily calories, especially for people who need to lower their LDL.

We need more research on whether MCTs and lauric acid in coconut oil could have the same effect as saturated fat from other sources, like dairy, meat, or junk food.

→ Read: Does Testosterone Make You Gain Weight?

Low testosterone (sometimes called “low T”) is a relatively common health concern in males. Scientifically, it’s known as hypogonadism.

Low testosterone has many possible causes and contributing factors:

• Aging, with both free testosterone and total testosterone levels generally declining with age

• Certain lifestyle habits, like not getting daily physical activity, a poor diet, and not getting enough rest

• Obesity — one of the top risk factors for low testosterone

• Genetic conditions like Klinefelter syndrome

• Testicular injuries or infections

• Long-term use of opioids, glucocorticoids, and chemotherapy

If you think your levels might be low, get in touch with your healthcare provider about testing and possible treatments.

Depending on the underlying cause of your low testosterone levels, you might see improvements with lifestyle changes, like exercising more and improving your diet.

If lifestyle changes alone don’t increase your testosterone concentrations, your healthcare provider may recommend trying testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). TRT involves taking prescription testosterone to restore normal levels.

Through Hims, you can do an online consultation with a licensed healthcare provider specializing in testosterone treatments.

If you enjoy coconut oil, you can still include it in your diet even if it may not have a big impact on your testosterone levels. Here’s how you can use it:

• As a cooking oil. Coconut oil has a high smoke point (meaning its chemical composition stays the same at high temperatures), which makes it suitable for sautéing or baking.

• In smoothies. A tablespoon of coconut oil can add a creamy texture and a dose of healthy fats.

• As a flavor-enhancer. Try using coconut oil in curries or Asian-inspired dishes with complementary flavors.

→ Read: Coconut Oil for Hair Growth: Does It Actually Work?

Coconut oil can be a part of a healthy diet, but you shouldn’t expect it to be a magic bullet for testosterone.

Here’s what to keep in mind about coconut oil for testosterone:

• There’s essentially no scientific research to suggest that coconut oil can increase testosterone levels in humans.

• There’s also no research to suggest it has a positive effect on male reproductive health, such as lowering rates of erectile dysfunction (ED).

• Researchers are still trying to figure out if the specific types of saturated fat found in coconut oil may have health benefits for humans.

If you enjoy the taste of coconut oil, you can still include it in your diet, even if it’s unlikely to have a significant effect on testosterone levels.

Some people take MCT supplements to try to improve their overall health, but their effects — including on testosterone levels — are still mostly unknown. It’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional for medical advice before taking any supplements. They can also offer guidance on possible testosterone treatments.