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WATCH: Coconut oil the latest dietary craze in B.C.

WATCH: A reality check on one of the biggest health crazes to sweep the supermarket. Elaine Yong reports. 

Coconut oil is being touted as a kind of miracle food with claims running from modest to outlandish.

On store shelves, the number of coconut oil products has grown exponentially over the last few years.

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Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat, even more than butter, but it is a different kind of saturated fat that is more readily metabolized in the body.

Some call it a superfood, claiming it helps with everything from weight loss, to cholesterol, to stress relief and boosting immunity.

But experts caution there isn’t yet a lot of research to support those claims and proven science still stands behind the poly-unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils.

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However, proponents of coconut oil say the proof is in the history, with the use of coconut oil dating back hundreds of years.

There are also some intriguing research findings. For example, the benefits for brain health in Alzheimer’s patients.

With files from Elaine Yong

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