South Indians in Kerala. The allegation that coconut
ingestion is related to the high incidence of CHD has
political and economic connotations, since coconut and
coconut oil are integral to the agro-economy of Kerala.
There have been attempts to import and popularize
other oils such as palm oil, which are claimed to be
cardioprotective. Even though coconut oil is believed to
be highly atherogenic and thrombogenic, the present
study did not reveal any significant difference in the
coconut consumption between patients and controls.
Considering these results, it cannot be implicated as a
major causative factor for CHD in South Indians from
Kerala