Why Americans Aren’t Buying Coconut Oil Anymore

Coconut oil: it’s yummy, it’s great for your skin and hair, and, according to a recent sales nosedive, it’s pretty much over. That’s right, the all-natural product that was once praised as being as good for your beauty routine as it was for your waistline is now being ignored by the very consumers who made it one of the biggest health food trends of all time.

So, why is coconut oil currently on “the outs?” To tell you the truth, we were surprised to hear the news. Over the years, we’ve dedicated quite a bit of time to sharing with you the awesome benefits of coconut oil—but we were perhaps naïve to think that it would have a never-ending impact.

For starters, coconut oil experienced peak sales back in 2009. Ever since then, countless brands have ridden the wave of this product’s popularity. If you walk through the aisles of your local grocery store, you will see everything from crackers, to potato chips, to shampoo that has coconut oil proudly advertised on the box. That’s a sign of a fad, if we’ve ever seen one.

Of course, fads are wonderful for those who are producing a popular product, but statistics show that superfood trends only last roughly 5-7 years. The drop in sales is simply a cyclical occurrence that affects products with a similar level of “hype” surrounding them.

In other words, Americans haven’t necessarily fallen out of love with the oil, they have just become distracted by other options.

Tough luck, coconut oil!

The scientific studies that sullied this “miracle oil’s” reputation

For the better part of the past decade, folks have sung the praises of coconut oil. Celebrity chefs, like Martha Stewart, included the ingredient in her signature meals and even supermodel, Miranda Kerr, promoted the oil (she reportedly eats 4 tablespoons of the stuff per day!).

Yep, everyone seemed to jump on the bandwagon fast, but the good times came to a screeching halt when, in June of 2017, the American Heart Association came out against the uber-popular ingredient.

According to the organization, they simply can’t, in good conscience, promote the ultra-fatty oil. The truth is that coconut oil is higher in saturated fat than beef fat, butter, and lard. That’s right, lard!

Because of this, the AHA recommends that folks—especially those who are at risk for heart disease—stop ingesting the stuff altogether.

That said, this new guideline doesn’t go for the beauty element of the ingredient. Coconut oil will still make your hair shiny and your skin soft, no matter how high its fat content may be.

Who knew that coconut oil was so passé—and potentially dangerous? To hear even more theories about why the once-hot natural food item is experiencing such a massive sales plunge, be sure to watch the video below. We don’t know about you, but we’re still going to stay loyal to our trusty coconut oil. It’s simply been too good to us to say goodbye!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on coconut oil’s slow demise. Have you stopped using coconut oil? If so, what made you ditch it? What do you think will be the next big natural food trend?

Source: Food Dive

American Heart Association