So, What Is Coconut Oil?
According to:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil
Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It has various applications. Because of its high saturated fat content, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidification, lasting up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without spoiling.
The oil is made up of around 90% saturated fat, 6% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. Unlike other highly saturated and unsaturated fats, coconut oil is mostly made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). The saturated fat content makes coconut oil very heat-stable and enables a long shelf life. It is well-known for its healing, anti-inflammatory properties and its metabolism-boosting medium chain tryglycerides. It has many uses from dietary, medical and industrial applications.
Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs)
According to: http://wellnessmama.com/2072/benefits-of-coconut-oil/
Most of the fats we consume have a long chain fatty acids that must be broken down before they can be absorbed. Coconut oil is high in short and medium chain fatty acids, which are easily digested and sent right to the liver for energy production.
Because MCFAs are sent right to the liver for digestion, no bile or pancreatic enzymes are needed for digestion, making coconut oil a healthy food even for those with diabetes or those who have liver gallbladder issues and have challenges breaking down oils.
MCFAs can help increase metabolism since they are sent directly to the liver and give the body an instant source of energy. Most of the MCFAs in coconut oil are the highly beneficial Lauric Acid.
Lauric Acid
Lauric acid is found in abundance in the human breast milk and converts to a substance called monolaurin in the body. Monolaurin has been shown to be useful in increasing immunity.
Lauric acid in coconut oil in combination with oregano oil, has even been found more effective in fighting the staph bacteria than antibiotics.
Coconut Oil is over 40% lauric acid, the richest source naturally available.
What About The Saturated Fat?
If you are still concerned about saturated fat, consider taking a second look, you most likely will change your opinion after reading this research. Even if you still avoid and limit saturated fats, it is important to note that not all saturated fats behave the same way in the body. Coconut oil, due to its high lauric acid content, is actually beneficial to the body.
It is also fascinating to note that countries like Thailand eat very high amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil and lard, and have very low levels of health problems related to these kinds of fats on average.
In fact, people consuming a traditional diet in Thailand have less instances of heart disease and the lowest rates of cancer for all 50 countries studied by the World Health Organization. Diabetes is TEN times more frequent in the United States then in Thailand, despite (or perhaps because of) their high fat consumption, pretty astonishing isn’t.
What do the Thai people eat? A large part of their diet consists of coconut, fermented foods, meat, a variety of vegetables, and rice. If you’ve ever tasted Thai food, you know that they also have a bold taste in seasonings and make use of potent herbs and spices like curry, lemongrass, basil, and chilis. Their major draw back is that they tend to use sugar in most of their cooking.
Overall, the Thai people consume very little soy, except for fermented condiments.
Their living conditions are considered to be less sanitary and more difficult, so these factors cannot account for the lower instances of disease.
Other countries, including some in the Mediterranean, show similar trends, even with a high consumption of saturated fat. Even here, saturated fat is getting a second look from the medical community.
Can saturated fat causes heart disease?
This has been the refrain for the last several decades, but history doesn’t back it up. As I have discussed before, there really is no scientific backing to the idea, and in fact, the lipid hypothesis has been largely discredited.
Think about it: Currently, coronary heart disease and related problems are the number one cause of death in the United States. The field of cardiology didn’t even exist prior to 1940, and there has been a 60% increase in cardiologists since that time.
Also, coconut oil and other saturated fats were not taken in consideration since that time, and has been replaced with healthy vegetable and seed oils.
In fact, rates of heart disease have risen despite doctors best attempts to get us to eat low-fat whole grain diets low in saturated fats, stress has its toll on the hear land is one of the biggest challanges in the overall health.
Saturated fats are necessary for cell function and growth, and have been linked to increased health and even weight loss. Coconut oil is an all-star among saturated fats with many benefits beyond its strict nutritional content.
Over 1/3 of the world’s population depends on coconut for food, and if you haven’t already, you may want to give it a try and consider incorporating coconut oil into your diet!
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