Latest research in the US had revealed that coconut oil intake could help those affected by Alzheimer's disease and even HIV virus to effectively fight the illness, ICAR Deputy Director General H P Singh told reporters here.
HIV infected persons who took their medicine along with food cooked in coconut oil showed better immunity among other things, he said.
He stressed the need to promote the medicinal value of coconut oil so that coconut farmers would also get better price for their produce.
He dismissed the theory that coconut oil contained high saturated fat and said it was spread by some vested interests who wanted to sell corn, sunflower and soya oil.
Totally 12 new coconut varieties, including hybrid, had been developed in the country recently, he said adding the focus was on widespread cultivation of coconut as the trees were best suited to fight heat and carbon pollution.
Research was on to produce more products from coconut, Singh, here to attend the 21st All-India Research Group Meeting on Palms, said.
