Coconut oil (also known as copra oil), is an edible oil that is extracted from the kernel of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut tree. Just like any fat, coconut oil too is a blend of fatty acids. Lauric and myristic acids are the two major fatty acids present in the oil (44 percent of lauric acid and 16.8 percent of myristic acid), which are responsible for most of the benefits the oil provides.