Coconut oil vs. Butter — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

In this article, the nutritional content, health impact, downsides, usage accessibility, and myths about coconut oil and butter will be discussed in detail.

Actual differences

Butter is a dairy product processed from cow milk. When refrigerated, it’s in a solid form. However, at room temperature, it becomes a semi-solid emulsion. It has various forms of usage such as baking, frying, cooking, and used as a spread. Nearly all gastronomic cuisines use butter while preparing dishes.

On the other hand, coconut oil is a plant-based oil. It is the result of the processing of the coconut’s white part, known as the flesh. At room temperature, it is in a semi-liquid state, mostly liquid, with some solid parts suspended in it. Coconut oil is not as abundant in every region, given that it is produced from coconuts, a fruit that is found in tropical regions. It is commonly used in Indian and Filipino cuisines as an alternative to butter.

Nutrition

Butter is a dairy product that has low amounts of protein, 0.9g in 100 grams, to be specific. It has high amounts of fats, 81g per 100 grams, of which 50g are saturated fatty acids. The carbohydrate content in butter is negligible.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Coconut oil

2

Protein: 0 g

Fats: 99.06 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 0.03 g

Other: 0.91 g

Butter

3

Protein: 0.85 g

Fats: 81.11 g

Carbs: 0.06 g

Water: 17.94 g

Other: 0.04 g

Contains more FatsFats	+22.1%
Contains more OtherOther	+2175%

Contains more ProteinProtein	+∞%
Contains more CarbsCarbs	+∞%
Contains more WaterWater	+59700%

Cholesterol

Another aspect that should be considered when consuming butter is the amount of cholesterol in it. Butter contains 215 mg of cholesterol which is 71% of the daily recommended amount.

It is also good to note that butter has 19mg of choline per 100 grams, however, this amount is not remarkable relative to the daily recommended value.

When it comes to coconut oil, it is a plant-based oil that contains negligible amounts of cholesterol. However, coconut oil has high amounts of saturated fatty acids at 82g in 100g, which is 410% of the daily recommended value. In addition to this, coconut oil is considered to be one of the oils that have remarkable amounts of trans fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Coconut oil

0

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 82.475 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 6.332 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.702 g

Butter

3

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 50.489 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 23.43 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 3.01 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-38.8%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+270%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+76.9%

Vitamin content comparison

Butter is considered among foods that contain high amounts of vitamin A at 2500UI. It also contains considerable amounts of vitamins E and K and a small amount of vitamin B12.

Coconut oil, on the other hand, has negligible amounts of any vitamins.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Coconut oil

0

Butter

11

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E	+2009.1%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+1066.7%
Contains more FolateFolate	+∞%
Contains more CholineCholine	+6166.7%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

Mineral content comparison

Given that butter is a dairy product, it contains calcium (24 mg per 100g). It also contains selenium and sodium, however, in small amounts.

Coconut oil has a negligible mineral profile.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Coconut oil

2

Butter

8

Contains more IronIron	+150%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-100%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+2300%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+∞%
Contains more CopperCopper	+∞%
Contains more ZincZinc	+350%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+∞%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+∞%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+∞%

Health impact

Butter and coconut oil have linoleic acid as a component in their fat profile. Linoleic acid is known to reduce obesity (1).

Butter contains butyric acid, which has proven to be a very beneficial compound in food intake. Butyric acid consumed by individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has shown a decrease in symptoms (2).

Butyric acid is also a beneficial compound for patients who suffer from acute and chronic constipation (3).

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is a fatty acid, and reduces the risk of developing enlarged prostate and prostatic cancer (4).

For individuals who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it was observed that a diet with coconut oil showed improvement in the main cognitive functions (5).

Downsides

Butter and coconut oil are among foods that contain high amounts of saturated fatty acids. They lead to increased concentration of Low-density lipoproteins in the blood (LDL cholesterol). Individuals who have a family history or have already been diagnosed with blood lipid disorders should be careful while consuming butter and coconut oil (6)(7).

Butter and coconut oil are considered to be high-caloric foods. Butter has 717 calories per 100g, and coconut oil has 862 calories per 100g. So while consuming both butter and coconut oil, one must be careful of the daily caloric intake.

Usage and accessibility

Butter has different usages in cuisines. For instance, it can be used as a spread accompanied by bread and jam. However, the content of carbohydrates from the jam and bread and the content of saturated fats from the butter should be taken into consideration. 
Butter can also be used for cooking purposes, sauce-making, and pan-frying.

Coconut oil can be used for cooking purposes as a vegan alternative to butter. It is also used for cooking and making vegan mayonnaise. 
Coconut oil has an additional advantage over butter since it can be safely used for cooking at high temperatures.

Another aspect of coconut oil is that it can be used as a skin moisturizer and protection against UV. Even though using coconut oil as a moisturizer has no nutritional benefits, it has medical importance.

Myths

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4574006/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4027835/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5497138/#cit0020
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6201718
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30056419/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26135349/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29974400/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5492032/