When you think of coconuts, you might find yourself imagining a cool, relaxing drink on a sunny day on the beach or even shapely women parading around in coconut shell swimwear. Chances are, you won’t find yourself thinking of good and healthy living.
Though it may be surprising to most people, coconuts produce, among a slew of other diverse products, a kind of cooking oil that is much better for your health and well-being than the run-of-the-mill butter or vegetable oils that you might ordinarily use.
Some people, in fact, even have the wrong notion that coconut oil is worse for your cholesterol levels due to some outdated beliefs and misinformation. It would be beneficial for us to learn exactly what’s what when it comes to this amazing oil.
A Very Nutty History
In the history of coconut oil use, it is made evident that coconut oil is valued in countless different areas, spanning the globe from Asia to the Americas to Africa, consumed and utilized in numerous ways. However, by the 1950’s, the United States of America began encountering the rapidly rising problem of the spread of heart disease among its citizens.
In an effort to stem the alarming increase of heart attacks and other coronary illnesses, some scientists and researchers at the time came to the conclusion that saturated fats, which coconut oil is replete with, led to the increase of one’s cholesterol levels while polyunsaturated fats, found in corn, soy, and sunflower seed oils, were better for your health. This led to the promotion, in part due to the burgeoning corn and soy bean industry, of polyunsaturated fats over saturated fats.
The truth of the matter is that the saturated fats that can be found in coconut oil have not been conclusively determined to lead to a rise in a person’s cholesterol levels. Neither have they been proven to endanger people by increasing the risk of heart disease. In fact, it can even be argued that staying away from regular use of coconut oil does not actually help in safeguarding people’s health. By not partaking of coconut oil, diets are actually worsened and the risk of suffering from heart attacks and other coronary ailments is actually increased.
If you’re still skeptical, there is one way to easily determine the truth about whether coconut oil is bad for you or not. In terms of simple comparison, one can readily argue that if coconut oil were bad for you, then the entire populations of people who use coconut oil should be extremely vulnerable and stricken with heart disease, right? However, this is decidedly not the case as these populations are not only just as healthy as non-coconut oil using people, but are, in fact, usually even healthier.
The Benefits and Boons of Coconut Oil
It may not be initially obvious, but there are some very important differences in the types of saturated fats that are available to us. The saturated fats that can be found in coconut oil can be classified as “Medium Chain Triglycerides.” This means that the fats do not remain for long in your system and are usually almost immediately brought to the liver and converted into energy for your use. This can greatly boost your metabolism, helping you maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your body.
Additionally, coconut oil is an ideal source of omega-3 fatty acids. Though one might be inclined to think that any kind of “omega acid” is good for you, the truth is that it is still unhealthy for your body to have too much of a certain omega acid and not enough of another kind. A balance, thus, still needs to be kept. Most of the time, our bodies are lacking in omega-3 acids, which is exactly what coconut oil can provide us.
Its ability to resist oxidation also makes coconut oil decidedly recommendable for cooking processes that require high temperatures, such as frying. This ability is essential to your health because the process of oxidation allows unhealthy chemicals (known as free radicals, which accelerate the destruction and aging of our cells) to be released into your system from the food that you eat.
Due to the speed in which the saturated fats of coconut oil are turned into energy, another unexpected benefit that using coconut oil can provide is that it actually helps manage Type 2 Diabetes. This is made possible by strengthening one’s insulin sensitivity. In addition to this, coconut oil also assists in soothing and lessening indigestion due to some of its anti–microbial properties.
Even when you’re done with your main course, coconut oil can help you stay fit and healthy by easing your sweet tooth and encouraging you to avoid unnecessary and unhealthy sugars, fats, and calories. This is because coconut oil can also be used to make tasty and satisfying desserts that are perfect for capping up your daily meals.
If your sugar craving becomes extreme and insatiable, you could even consume just a teaspoon of coconut oil because the oil is of such good quality that it becomes more satisfying and filling than eating sugar. By doing this, you can slowly wean yourself off from an unhealthy dependence on sugar and the slew of health and body problems that come along with it, and at the same time, avoid risking diabetes and other dangerous diseases.
With all the benefits and positive side effects that coconut oil has on your body, you might joke around that you should just shower yourself in coconut oil to soak up all of the goodness it offers. Mind you, even this joke has some truth in it as you can even rub virgin coconut oil, with no additives, on your skin and you’ll see the lines and stretch marks fade away, leaving your skin with a youthful and energetic glow. Coconut oil doesn’t even stop there, as it can be used as an extremely relaxing and cleansing massage oil, as well.
Go Nuts with Coconuts
Hopefully, arming yourself with accurate information regarding coconut oil has convinced you that coconut oil isn’t nearly as bad as its old reputation made it appear. Now you know that coconut oil offers so many benefits to you and your health and that using it in all its wonderful forms is just too good to pass up. Don’t let advertising agencies and the food industry dictate what kind of food you put in your body. Find out for yourself just how truly good coconut oil can be!
Go to the next page to see powerful natural remedies for:
- Lowering high blood pressure
- Controlling or reversing Type 2 Diabetes
- Boosting your sluggish metabolism
- Cutting off excess body fat
- Improving your brain health and memory
- Slowing down the aging of your skin, joints, and organs
- Healing your digestion problems
About the Author:
Emma Deangela is the best selling author of The Alkaline Diet Program and 80/20 Fat Loss. She has helped over tens of thousands of men and women to lose weight and transform their health with sound nutrition advice.
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