Coconut oil the new wonder food
04 September 2003
By CLARE BAKER
Get ready everyone. Coconuts are the new olives.
Coconut oil is taking over as the latest wonder food and it sounds like it has a lot to offer. It's been gaining attention over the past decade, having been shunned as a saturated fat health disaster in the 70s and 80s.
But research is now showing the saturated fats in coconut oil are actually incredibly healthy for us. Coconut oil has been shown to promote weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, help diabetes and chronic fatigue sufferers, improve digestive disorders, kill bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, improve thyroid function, boost energy levels, rejuvenate skin and prevent wrinkles.
But before you run out and buy the first jar of coconut oil you can find be aware that not all coconut oils are produced in a way that preserves their health-giving properties.
One product that comes very highly recommended on many alternative health websites is Tropical Traditions which is available online at
www.tropicaltraditions.com.
Many people find it hard to accept that eating certain fats and oils can lower cholesterol levels and aid weight loss.
How can eating fat lower fat levels? The truth is, if you eat the right kinds of fats and oils this will happen.
This information is absolutely essential for us to get our heads around if we don't want to become another heart disease, diabetes or obesity statistic.
Every kind of fat or oil is made up of different types of fatty acids. The types of fatty acids in coconut oil are called medium chain saturated fatty acids or MCFAs. When people with high cholesterol levels eat this type of fat it lowers their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fatty acids such as those found in polyunsaturated oils do the opposite, and these are the fats we've been told to eat more of for the past few decades. This misinformation has severely compromised our health and the research clearly shows it.
It's important to be more concerned about the type of fat you are eating than the quantity in your diet. Our bodies can digest MCFAs more easily than other fats and our bodies use coconut oil immediately to make energy rather than store it as body fat.
This increase in metabolism helps the body burn calories and consequently stimulates weight loss.
Also, the fatty acids in coconut oil are strongly antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal against candida, chlamydia, giardia, golden staph, herpes and HIV to name but a few.
For diabetes sufferers coconut oil regulates blood sugar levels, promotes weight loss, stimulates insulin production and increases glucose uptake by cells.
Coconut oil does not contain any trans fats and is extremely stable, making it excellent for cooking.
Trans fats are found in heated vegetable oils. They raise LDL cholesterol levels, which in turn can lead to blocked arteries, heart disease and type II diabetes.
Coconut oil can be incorporated into the diet by using it as you would any other oil. It also makes an excellent massage oil and skin lotion.
Author
