“COCONUT OIL HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE “WORLD’S HEALTHIEST DIETARY OIL”. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OF HISTORICAL EVIDENCE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH TO VERIFY THIS FACT”
– BRUCE FIFE
Interesting Facts about Coconut and Coconut Oil
- Studies claim that societies that eat lots of coconut are considered healthiest people on planet.
- Regular use of coconut oil in diet curbs your hunger, helping you eat less naturally.
- Coconut Oil in diet can improve brain function in Alzheimer’s patient.
- The Philippines is the largest producer of coconut oil globally. The next-largest producers are Indonesia and India. The largest users of coconut oil are the Philippines, the European Union, the United States, and India.
Coconut oil, was disparaged since it contains saturated fat, in the recent years. In fact, it is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with about 90% of the saturated fatty acids in it. Nevertheless, recent information suggests that saturated fats are harmless. Major research involving thousands of individuals show that the entire “artery-clogging” phenomenon is a myth. There is no denying that coconut oil has a moment — it has been touted as a cure-all for everything from heart diseases to overweight.
People tend to gravitate towards news stories that cause debate rather than embracing the scientific community’s overarching consensus, and that does us far more harm than good. It is completely true that coconut oil has a higher saturated fat content compared to other plant-based oils. But just as, in isolation, it will not heal us or make us ill; it should also be considered for what it is: a condiment.
Coconut Oil and Health
Coconut oil contains Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length; where most of the most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids. The major difference lies in the varied method of its metabolism in the body. They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are utilized to quick source energy or turned into ketone bodies, which can have great therapeutic impact on brain disorders. As they are quickly absorbed in the liver, it prevents fat storage.
For the most part, coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is not MCT. Like other long-chain fatty acids, lauric acid is absorbed more slowly and metabolised. Thus, the health benefits reported from the specially constructed MCT coconut oil containing non-lauric acid medium-chain triglycerides cannot be directly applied to commercial coconut oils.
Like Olive oil for Indians, Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western culinary world, primarily consumed by health conscious individuals. However, coconut is a dietary staple in some parts of the world that people have been thriving on for many generations. To be specific, the south pacific population consumes 60% of their calories from coconut. These people are healthy, with no evidence of heart disease.
Top 7 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
- Regular intake of coconut oil benefits heart health
This might be quiet surprising as it contains more of saturated fat. Coconut oil contains natural saturated fats that improve your body’s levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. They can also assist in converting LDL ( bad ) cholesterol into a less damaging form. By increasing HDL, many experts agree that, relative to many other fats, coconut oil will improve heart health.
Researches also found that individuals who regularly include coconut oil in diet has less chances for stroke and other circulatory diseases.
2. Coconut Oil eases fat burn in the body
As we know obesity is one main threat to mankind in these days. As per the latest statistics 39% of adults are found to be overweight (obese) worldwide; and shockingly 8% of global deaths are attributed to obesity.
Although some people think that obesity is just a question of how much calories someone consumes, the source of those calories is also essential. The body and hormones are influenced by various foods in various ways. Compared to longer-chain fatty acids, the MCTs in coconut oil will increase the amount of calories the body burns. There is no clear evidence at present to suggest that consuming coconut oil alone can increase the amount of energy that a individual uses.
Most importantly, people should note that coconut oil has a very high calorie content and can quickly contribute to weight gain when eaten in large quantities.
3. Coconut Oil is a very good Anti-microbial agent
Coconut oil possess excellent antimicrobial properties. When lauric acid is digested by the body, it forms a material called monolaurin. Harmful pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses , and fungi, can be destroyed by both lauric acid and monolaurin. Ayurveda suggest oil pulling with coconut oil or sesame oil as a healthy habit to keep the oral cavity clean and healthy.
4. Coconut Oil has the power to reduce your hunger
Tss is a very interesting point right! It may be due to its influence on body metabolism. Since the oil is the richest source of MCTs, they can significantly reduce hunger. Which may lead to healthy weight management for a long time.
5. Coconut Oil reduces the risk of seizures
Recently the world population was fascinated by ketogenic diet (low carbs and high fats). Several researches reports that they have been part of treating various disorders also. The best known therapeutic activity of this diet is to treat drug-resistant epileptic attacks in children. This is mainly because reducing carbs in the diet and increasing the fats greatly improves the concentration of ketones in the blood.
6. Coconut Oil Raises Good Cholesterol aka HDL cholesterol
There are natural saturated fats in coconut oil that increase the body’s HDL ( good ) cholesterol. They can also assist in converting LDL (bad) cholesterol into a less damaging shape.
By increasing HDL, many experts agree that, relative to many other fats, coconut oil may be beneficial for heart health.
7. Coconut Oil acts wonderfully on Skin, Hair and Teeth
It not only works well internally but also amazingly on skin, hair and oral cavity. It moisturizes the skin and protects from all kinds of skin infections. Coconut oil strengthens the hair roots, prevents dryness and split ends.
Most of the market available hair oils majorly contains coconut oil as a base. As I mentioned earlier, oil pulling with coconut oil naturally acts as a mouth wash, and can kill harmful bacteria’s in the mouth. They improve dental health, and reduce bad breath too.
Punarnava Ayurveda 