Effect of virgin coconut oil on total cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia: A quasi-experimental study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35816/jiksh.v15i2.394Keywords:
cholesterol, hypercholesterolemia, lipid metabolism, virgin coconut oilAbstract
Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is closely associated with increased cardiovascular risk and is influenced by unhealthy dietary patterns, aging, obesity, and limited physical activity. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been widely introduced as a complementary nutritional therapy because it contains medium-chain fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidant compounds that may improve lipid metabolism. Nevertheless, findings regarding its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol levels remain inconsistent. This study aimed to analyze the effect of VCO administration on total cholesterol levels among patients with hypercholesterolemia in Padukuhan Tegalsari, Pakembinangun, Yogyakarta.
Research Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental pre–post test design with a control group approach. A total of 66 respondents with total cholesterol levels >180 mg/dL were selected using purposive sampling and were equally allocated to the intervention (n=33) and control (n=33) groups. The intervention group received VCO at a dose of 2 × 20 mL daily for 14 consecutive days, while the control group received no intervention. Total cholesterol levels were measured using peripheral blood samples before and after the intervention period. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test with a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Most respondents were elderly (89.4%) and female (59.1%). Risk-related behaviours remained common, including daily consumption of fried foods (46.96%) and low physical activity (<3 times/week; 46.96%). Before treatment, both groups showed comparable cholesterol levels (p=0.326), with most respondents classified in the very high cholesterol category. After the intervention, the proportion of respondents in the very high cholesterol category increased from 63.8% to 84.8% in the intervention group. Statistical analysis demonstrated no significant difference in total cholesterol levels between the intervention and control groups after treatment (p=0.200).
Conclusion: Administration of VCO at a dose of 2 × 20 mL for 14 days did not significantly reduce total cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Lipid profile management requires a comprehensive approach that takes various risk factors into account. The limitations of this study include the relatively short duration of the intervention (14 days) and the fact that a complete lipid profile assessment was not carried out. Future studies are recommended to employ a longer intervention period and to evaluate lipid profiles comprehensively, including HDL, LDL and total cholesterol.
Downloads
References
Ahanchi, N. S., Khatami, F., Llanaj, E., Quezada-Pinedo, H. G., Dizdari, H., Bano, A., Glisic, M., Eisenga, M. F., Vidal, P.-M., & Muka, T. (2024). The complementary roles of iron and estrogen in menopausal differences in cardiometabolic outcomes. Clinical Nutrition, 43(5), 1136–1150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2024.03.026
Al-Saleh, I., Elkhatib, R., Alswayeh, R., Al-Rouqi, R., Baali, M., Aljerayed, Y., De Padua, S. S., Alnuwaysir, H., Hussein, G., Sultana, H., Yousaf, N., Waqar, A., Alhusayn, K., Khan, S., Shammama, A., Aldowaish, A., Alkattabi, F., Almansour, G., Mohamed, G., & Devol, E. (2026). Associations between exposure to environmental pollutants, metabolic syndrome risk, and obesity-related anthropometric indices. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 272, 114720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114720
Araújo Bidô, R. de C. de, Pereira, D. E., Alves, M. da C., Moura, R. de L., da Silva, E. B., Dutra, L. M. G., dos Santos, S. G., de Souza Araújo, D. F., Guerra, G. C. B., & Soares, J. K. B. (2026). Maternal Supplementation with Baru Almond and Oil (Dipteryx alata Vog.) Improves Hepatic and Cardiometabolic Health in Adult Offspring Rats: Role of Phenolics and Unsaturated Fatty Acids. The Journal of Nutrition, 101578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101578
Barbagallo, F., Cavallaro, A., Cannarella, R., Crafa, A., Condorelli, R. A., La Vignera, S., Cucinella, L., Nappi, R. E., & Calogero, A. E. (2025). A preliminary analysis of the relationship between follicle-stimulating hormone and metabolic parameters in postmenopausal women. Gynecological Endocrinology, 41(1), 2562195. https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2025.2562195
Bassole Epse Brou, M. A. M., Fujiyoshi, A., Higashiyama, A., Okami, Y., Kita, Y., Miura, K., Ikezaki, H., Furukawa, T., Tamura, T., Nishimoto, D., Nishiyama, T., Takashima, N., Kuriki, K., Ishizu, M., Lin, Y., Kasugai, Y., Koyanagi, Y. N., Oze, I., & Matsuo, K. (2026). Liver diseases and low serum albumin as potential confounders in the association between low total cholesterol and elevated all-cause and cancer mortality: The Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 20(2), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2025.11.009
Chomiuk, T., Niezgoda, N., Mamcarz, A., & Śliż, D. (2024). Physical activity in metabolic syndrome. Frontiers in Physiology, 15, 1365761. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1365761
Duarte, A. C., Spiazzi, B. F., Zingano, C. P., Merello, E. N., Wayerbacher, L. F., Teixeira, P. P., Farenzena, L. P., de Araujo, C., Amazarray, C. R., Colpani, V., & Gerchman, F. (2022). The effects of coconut oil on the cardiometabolic profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Lipids in Health and Disease, 21(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-022-01685-z
Giles, L. A. (2024). Hyperlipidemia Prevention and Management Utilizing Lifestyle Changes. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 69(3), 361–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13637
Gouni-Berthold, I., & Laufs, U. (2024). Special aspects of cholesterol metabolism in women. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 121(12), 401. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0063
Huang, J., Chen, J., Li, X., Wei, Y., Liu, Y., Zhu, Q., & Wang, L. (2026). Cafestol alleviated hyperuricemia by inhibiting uric acid synthesis through the regulation of PPARγ/PPARα/XOD pathway. Journal of Future Foods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfutfo.2026.04.004
Husen, F., Ratnaningtyas, N. I., Hidayah Khasanah, N. A., & Yuniati, N. I. (2022). Peningkatan Kadar Kolesterol dan Usia Pada Ibu Rumah Tangga. Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada, 11(2 SE-Articles), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.35816/jiskh.v11i2.775
Juliani, F. C., Freitas, F. R., Miname, M. H., Rocha, V. Z., Lima, J. M. da H. S., Freitas, R. A. M. S., Damasceno, N. R. T., Krieger, J. E., Maranhão, R. C., & Santos, R. D. (2026). Metabolic and functional aspects of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in familial hypercholesterolemia with or without subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 20(2), 378–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2025.11.014
Kosmas, C. E., Rodriguez Polanco, S., Bousvarou, M. D., Papakonstantinou, E. J., Peña Genao, E., Guzman, E., & Kostara, C. E. (2023). The Triglyceride/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) Ratio as a Risk Marker for Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease. Diagnostics, 13(5), 929. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13050929
Maia, K. P., Miname, M. H., Maia, F. P., Bittencourt, M. S., Mizuta, M. H., Rocha, V. Z., Marte, A. P., Jannes, C. E., Pereira, A. C., Krieger, J. E., & Santos, R. D. (2025). Cardiovascular disease and cholesterol lowering therapy in women and men with molecularly defined heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia from Brazil. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 19(4), 1044–1054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2025.05.006
Mansouri, E., Asghari, S., Nikooei, P., Yaseri, M., Vasheghani-Farahani, A., & Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J. (2024). Effects of virgin coconut oil consumption on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and oxidative stress biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized clinical trial. Nutritional Neuroscience, 27(5), 487–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2023.2223390
Matos-Silva, M., Lira, F. S., & Antunes, B. M. (2025). Immunometabolic insights into women’s health across all ages. Maturitas, 202, 108719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108719
Ramos-Pardo, S., Ramírez-Alarcón, K., González-Contreras, C., Valdebenito, E., Sureda, A., & Martorell, M. (2026). Effect of a Chilean diet supplemented with Gevuina avellana molina versus a low-fat diet on cardiometabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory biomarkers in Chilean adults with hypercholesterolemia: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 36(6), 104608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2026.104608
Rohman, A., Irnawati, Erwanto, Y., Lukitaningsih, E., Rafi, M., Fadzilah, N. A., Windarsih, A., Sulaiman, A., & Zakaria, Z. (2021). Virgin Coconut Oil: Extraction, Physicochemical Properties, Biological Activities and Its Authentication Analysis. Food Reviews International, 37(1), 46–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/87559129.2019.1687515
Rong, Y., Wen, J., Ren, L., Zhao, J., Kang, Y., Lv, D., Zhou, H., Wang, Q., Zhang, W., & Shuang, W. (2025). Effect of Oral estrogen on overactive bladder in women: A research based on NHANES and network pharmacology. International Immunopharmacology, 150, 114293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2025.114293
Setyawati, A., Sangkala, M. S., Malasari, S., Jafar, N., Sjattar, E. L., Syahrul, S., & Rasyid, H. (2023). Virgin Coconut Oil: A Dietary Intervention for Dyslipidaemia in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus. Nutrients, 15(3), 564. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030564
Solanelles Curco, À., Garcia, E., Polishchuk, A., La chica-Lhoëst, M. T., & Llorente-Cortes, V. (2025). Impaired cholesterol and LDL uptake pathways in the development of oncological and cardiovascular diseases. Seminars in Cancer Biology, 116, 84–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2025.09.004
Srivastava, S., Muhammad, T., & Saravanakumar, P. (2023). Factors associated with discordance of actual and preferred living arrangements among older adults: an analytical cross-sectional study in India. Journal of Population Research, 40(3), 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-023-09313-y
Yan, J., Liu, Y., Guo, Y., Xu, R., Ye, Z., & Liu, Y. (2025). Comparative in vivo study on the digestion behaviors of three typical saturated dietary fats in Sprague Dawley rats. Food Research International, 213, 116619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116619
Zheng, W., Zhang, J., Huang, Y., Wang, S., Gao, X., Yang, Z., Zong, Y., & Yang, Z. (2024). Independent Association of Individual Lipid Abnormalities with Cardiovascular All-cause Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study. High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention, 32(1), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-024-00694-6
Zou, Y., Shi, Y., Yang, Z., Li, E., Liu, F., & Li, Q. (2026). Mulberrin from Morus alba modulates lipid metabolism associated with PPARα/CPT-1-mediated fatty acid oxidation and CYP7A1-related cholesterol metabolism. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 27, 102903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2026.102903
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fransisca Anjar Rina Setyani, Chatarina Setya Widyastuti, Hiasinta Anastasia Purnawijayanti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Statement:
The authors retain the copyright of this work and grant Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada the right of first publication. The work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the initial publication in this journal are properly credited.
The authors are permitted to copy and redistribute the published version of the work, including posting it to an institutional repository or including it in a book, with acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan Sandi Husada.
