More and more younger people are vegetarian (and even vegan), which I think is the market for "fake beef". I would not take whether or not you (or I) personally would eat it as a criteria for its potential in the market.
I've not eaten, except for a few exceptions, beef or pork for three or four decades. I'm not a full-fledged vegetarian, but my animal protein is usually from fish, fowl or cheese. So the idea of beef burgers (which I loved growing up) are now disgusting to me. I've eaten veggie burgers for decades, and look for ones that taste good in their own right, not ones that pretend to be meat.
But regarding your discussion, there is a difference in saturated fats, depending on whether they are medium-chain or long-chain.
So, actually, coconut oil is not as bad as it seems, and may even be beneficial as many claim. I would definitely not consider beef tallow equal or healthier. It sounds like eating candles. Eeeeewwww...
Saturated animal fat is not healthy, nor is canola oil (IMO) which has gotten a lot of positive hype merely because it is low in saturated fats. It is highly refined (ie, heated, which causes oils to go rancid) and usually comes from GMO seeds. Those features in themselves are, IMO, reasons to avoid it.
But there may be a saving grace. Coconut oil’s saturated fat is made up mostly of medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. Some people say your body handles them differently than the longer-chain fats in liquid vegetable oils, dairy, and fatty meats. (Emphasis added)
Is coconut oil a superfood?
(I love this show. It's produced in England by the BBC. Their results are no more definitive than any other single research, but they take common beliefs or disbeliefs and put them to scientific test.)
But the big surprise was the coconut oil. Not only was there no rise in LDL levels, which was what we were expecting, but there was a particularly large rise in HDL, the "good" cholesterol, up by 15%
On the face of it that would suggest that the people consuming the coconut oil had actually reduced their risk of developing heart disease or stroke.
But what's interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives "good" HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so.
Saturated fat is divided into various types, based on the number of carbon atoms in the molecule, and about half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is the 12-carbon variety, called lauric acid. That is a higher percentage than in most other oils, and is probably responsible for the unusual HDL effects of coconut oil. But plant-based oils are more than just fats. They contain many antioxidants and other substances, so their overall effects on health can't be predicted just by the changes in LDL and HDL.
. . .
But, for now, I'd use coconut oil sparingly. Most of the research so far has consisted of short-term studies to examine its effect on cholesterol levels. We don't really know how coconut oil affects heart disease. And I don't think coconut oil is as healthful as vegetable oils like olive oil and soybean oil, which are mainly unsaturated fat and therefore both lower LDL and increase HDL. Coconut oil's special HDL-boosting effect may make it "less bad" than the high saturated fat content would indicate, but it's still probably not the best choice among the many available oils to reduce the risk of heart disease.
My own doctors have felt that my very high levels of HDL compensate and protect against the somewhat high levels of LDL. I most likely have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol, since my dad battled it his whole adult life. My personal preference is extra virgin olive oil, but that is not what is used in the fake meats.
Moral of the story, do not discount coconut oil merely because it has a lot of saturated fats. Look at the bigger picture. And even if coconut oil is not the "superfood" many believe, it is still probably healthier than beef tallow (ie, candles).
BTW, IMO (and I'm still learning) coconut oil is not the same as palm oil, as an ingredient. Yes, coconuts grow on palm trees, but as I understand it, palm oil refers to different palm trees, and their commercial value is having a devastating effect on the environment.
