It’s been a while since people started to say that coconut oil is healthy but do you know the exact reasons? Here are why;
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- Coconut oil can help you burn fat. Coconut oil contains so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs), which are fatty acids of a medium length. Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently. They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy. Also MCTs in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats.
- Coconut oil can kill microorganisms. Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon lauric acid. When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill bacteria, viruses and fungi.
- Coconut oil can improve blood cholesterol levels. Some studies have shown that coconut oil reduced total and LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.
- Coconut oil can protect hair and skin. Some studies have shown that coconut oil can improve the moisture and lipid content of the skin. Coconut oil also can be protective against hair damage and one study shows effectiveness as sunscreen.
When you are at a supermarket, you may find several kinds of coconut oil. Most refined coconut oil is extracted from chemically bleached and deodorized coconut meat. Virgin coconut oil, on the other hand, is extracted from the fruit of fresh mature coconuts without using high temperatures or chemicals, and considered unrefined. Virgin coconut oil has potential antioxidant properties due to certain plant nutrients it contains called phenolic compounds. In order to enjoy the health benefits above, I recommend organic virgin coconut oil, not refined one.
Even though coconut oil has health benefits, it’s still oil and consuming it too much is never good. I believe the key to be healthy is still to have balanced diets.