Coconut oil is widely known as one of the healthiest oil to consume. The health-conscious community has been religiously eating this oil for health benefits and energy.

So, you attempt to eat it as well. You take a spoonful of it and immediately feel your stomach turning. 

You’re thinking, “Why Does Coconut Oil Make Me Nauseous?”

Scientifically, the lauric acid in the oil makes you nauseous. Also, the reason for nausea can be your liver’s inability to process the fatty acid in oil. Or, it can be a signal to some other health issues you may have. In that case, you should consult a health professional for diagnosis.

There is more to talk about feeling nauseous after eating coconut oil. In this article, I will talk about this in detail. 

So, hang around here for a while if you want to know more.

Why Coconut Oil Might Make You Nauseous: 3 Reasons

As I said above, there are a few reasons why coconut oil makes you feel nausea. Let’s know more about the reasons – 

Reason 1 of 3: Because You are Taking It Raw

Are you literally drinking coconut oil? If you are drinking a spoonful of coconut oil and feeling nauseous, you should stop doing so.

Why, you ask? 

It’s because of the composition of coconut oil. Let’s see – 

The Composition of Coconut oil

Coconut oil is composed of these fatty acids. 

• Caprylic acid (C-8:0), 
• Capric acid (C-10:0), 
• Lauric acid (C-12:0), 
• Myristic acid (C-14:0), 
• Palmitic acid (C-16:0), 
• Stearic acid (C-18:0), 
• Oleic acid (C-18:1/6%) 
• Linoleic acid (C-18: 2%)

Lauric acid forms up to 50% of coconut oil. It is recognized to be quite a strong stomach irritant.

Especially if you have it raw, you’re taking the fatty acid too much in a short time. This is why your liver and stomach have a hard time processing the fatty acid. Just like how apples may make you feel nauseous.

As a result, you feel your stomach turning when you gulp down some raw coconut oil.

Solution

To Get around nausea from eating coconut oil, here’s what you can do. 

• Mix desired amount of coconut oil in your coffee.
• Make a salad dressing with coconut oil.
• Use coconut oil in baking.
• Use coconut oil as a frying oil.

Ingesting coconut oil as it tastes quite unpleasant. Incorporating it with other food will help your stomach and liver digest it better. And you won’t feel nauseous as well.

Reason 2 of 3: You are allergic to Coconut Oil

Yes, you can be allergic to coconut oil without being allergic to nuts.  

And, no, coconut is not a tree nut. Like any other allergy, coconut oil allergy can cause nausea, vomiting, rashes, hives, dermatitis, diarrhea, and hives.

Or even anaphylaxis in worst cases, the symptoms being whizzing and shortness of breath.

Coconut oil-related anaphylaxis is quite uncommon. Those who are intolerant to coconut oil may get contact dermatitis. It shows up as skin blisters or rashes.

To find out for sure whether you are intolerant to coconut oil, speak with your doctor. And make sure to undergo allergy testing. You should dial 911 right away if you experience an acute reaction after consuming coconut products. Be careful if you also have trouble breathing.

Solution

As healthy as those influencers say, refrain from consuming coconut oil altogether.

For an alternative, you can start eating avocado oil. Because avocado oil is packed with many benefits.

Reason 3 of 3: You Have Other Health Problems

The Reasons I stated above are quite rare cases. The feeling of nausea most likely happens because of the unpleasant taste of the oil. 

Another reason could be that you have some other health problem due to which you feel nauseous. To find out what really is causing you to feel nauseous, you can do these – 

• Routinely note down the food you consume. 
• Request for a thorough diagnosis of your health.

Solution

Consult with your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing. Your doctor will then tell you what is causing you nausea. 

Myth Busting of Coconut Oil Benefits

Now, we all know coconut is really good for your health and so on. But is it really good for the health as the health enthusiasts claim? 

Hint: No it’s not. 

In the next section, I will debunk the myths that surround coconut oil.

Myth Busting 1: Coconut Oil Helps you lose weight

The use of coconut oil to lose weight is widely marketed. The benefits of coconut oil sound wonderful, but the data is less certain. 

Results from the few research that have examined coconut oil’s role in weight loss are conflicting. The body mass index (BMI) & waist size of individuals have decreased in certain research. However, it may not be in others.

The studies have all been of brief duration. Researches with better designs has looked at coconut oil when combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise routine. 

There is no proof that merely including coconut oil in your diet would help you lose weight.

If you are looking to reduce weight, maintain a healthy body fat proportion to stay consistent. 

Myth Busting 2: Coconut Oil Improves Cardiovascular Health

Saturated fat content in coconut oil is excessive; it exceeds butter in content by around 50%.

However, supporters contend that some triglycerides in coconut oil (known as medium-chain triglycerides) are less risky. It may even increase levels of healthy HDL cholesterol. 

Despite the fact that saturated fat is considered to raise bad cholesterol. It is linked with an increased risk of heart disease.

Other oils like olive or canola and coconut oil have been found to increase cholesterol levels. And it increase is in both the good and bad categories. In reality, the majority of the saturated fats in coconut oil are not composed of medium-chain triglycerides.

The alleged benefits of coconut oil for CVH have yet to be validated in extensive human studies.

Myth Busting 3: Coconut Oil Improves Cholesterol Level

It is still widely accepted that consuming coconut oil increases good cholesterol oil. Which is actually not true.

The impact of coconut oil on cardiovascular events can be high. Myocardial infarction, heart failure, or stroke has not been studied in a randomized clinical trial. 

It is doubtful that a controlled trial with coconut oil and its effect will be conducted. Because trials require an enormous amount of budget and an abundance of participants. treatment with coconut oil and a suitable control fat, 

One of the worst cooking oils that raise the risk of cardiovascular disease is coconut oil. Coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol even when compared to palm oil. It was the same with other tropical oil with a high amount of saturated fat. 

Some tests have been shown to have increased the bad cholesterol more than the good ones. A healthier alternative to coconut oil is non-tropical fatty vegetable oils, particularly those high in polyunsaturated fat.

Myth Busting 4: Coconut Oil helps with Digestive Issues

South Asians have been using coconut oil as a cooking oil. Which also led to believe that it helps with constipation, diarrhea, and such. 

Actually, there is no study that scientifically observed the correlation between coconut oil and gut health. There is no data to back the claim that it helps prevent inflammation. 

If you want to cure your gut health, I recommend these supplements to improve digestion – 

FAQs

Why Does Coconut Oil Make Me Gag?

The taste of coconut oil is not pleasant to our taste buds. So if you are trying to eat coconut oil directly, I’d suggest you stop. Incorporate coconut oil in other foods for your desired intake. Then the unpleasant taste will be masked by other flavors. Or you can use it as a cooking oil.

Is coconut oil considered a tree nut?

No. Despite the name itself, coconut is not a tree. It is a fruit. The hard shell might convince you otherwise. But coconut by definition and feature is a fruit. If the coconut oil confuses you, you can extract oil from any food that has fat. Coconut oil is extracted from its flesh. 

Is it safe to swallow coconut oil?

Coconut oil is frequently ingested when swallowed orally. However, the saturated fat present in coconut oil might raise cholesterol levels. It should be used in moderation, much like all saturated fats. Short-term usage of coconut oil as medicine may be safe. Remember to start with small amounts.

Conclusion

That is everything to possibly know about ‘why does coconut oil make me nauseous’. It is important to know what is good for your body and what is not. 

If you can’t have coconut oil anymore, grapeseed oil and perilla seed oil are great alternatives. 

That’s all for now. Take Care!