The Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil

By Author: Dr Machione
Total Articles: 9
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Some nutritionists and medical professionals have called coconut oil the healthiest oil on Earth. You are probablywondering how they can say such a thing, given the bad rap the oil has gotten over the past decade. Have you read anything about coconut oil's saturated fat content and how it's bad for you? Well, research is now starting to show that not all saturated fats are created equal. It turns out that
coconut oil is unique in its structural makeup.
True, it is the highest source of saturated fats of any of the oils, but these saturated fats include something very healthy. They are also the highest source of saturated medium chain triglycerides, or MCTs. What exactly are MCTs? MCTs are fatty acids that are more easily digested by your body than other fats. This means that MCTs can also be a direct energy source for you. Another important
point is that 50% of these MCTs are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining your body's immune system. Lauric acid has been proven in clinical trials to fight many viruses including herpes, HIV and fungi.
If you're ...
... still not convinced about the healthiness of coconut oil, keep in mind that the negative research done on coconut oil in the past was more or less the result of one study. This particular study was done 40 years ago, and used hydrogenated oil. The oil that could help keep you healthy is virgin coconut oil -- one which has not been altered from its natural form. And if you're still not sure about consuming saturated fat, research shows that some saturated fat is in fact necessary for your good health.
Newer studies report that medium chain fatty acids help to increase metabolism and are more easily digested than fats found in other oils. This is because they are processed directly in the liver and then quickly converted into energy.Therefore, there is less work for your liver, pancreas and digestive system to do.
In one clinical study done at the University of Kelaynia in Sri Lanka (a population that has traditionally consumed a lot of coconut oil and coconut products), researchers tried to clear up some of the myths surrounding coconut and whether it is good for you or bad for you. Sri Lankans, by the way, call the coconut tree the "Tree of Life." Coconut fats account for 80% of the fat intake among Sri Lankans.
Around 92% of these fats are saturated fats. This has lead, the researchers note in the study, to the belief that coconut fats are bad for one's health, particularly when it comes to heart disease. But they go on to explain that most of the saturated fats in coconut are medium chain fatty acids, whose properties and metabolism are different from those of animal origin. The researchers concluded that they are
not as bad for health as saturated fats and, in fact, could have many benefits.
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