It
is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all
over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut
oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are
the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative
to other common cooking oils.
1. Coconut oil doesn’t turn to fat in your body.
Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut
oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides
(MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to
fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides
(LCT). LCT’s are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it
is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple
in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil
every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean
and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they
develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.
Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are
people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed
vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When
they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it
increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts
your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT,
it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a
study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT’s
burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT’s.
The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman’s World magazine stated that coconut oil is the “underground high-metabolism secret.”
This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since
coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of
extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and
corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way
too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be
1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega
6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut
oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it
increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a
burst of added energy in their daily life.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of
medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and
lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the
body’s metabolism, producing energy.
This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of
medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and
lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the
body’s metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue
syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil
to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.
Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your
skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes.
It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has
also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in
the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has
antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage.
Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.
6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.
Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial
and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the
skin.
Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical
damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not
cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in
our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.
Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take
higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we
can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don’t do
well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in
higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils,
which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid
oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of
cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have
lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people
of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut
oil is so effective, it won’t be long before we see coconut oil
supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and
start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
