Coconut Oil.
- Helder Barroso
- Feb 21, 2016
- 2 min read
We all know that frying with vegetable or sunflower oil is not a good idea due to its highly active nutrients, which are very prone to damage once they rich high temperatures when cooking, this generates the oxidization of free radicals which off course are the BAD guys!
If you going to fry, sauté or bake the best thing to use is coconut oil as it doesn’t generate harmful free radicals when at high temperatures.
Now there is the argument that coconut oil is a saturated fat but coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.
No, they contain 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 of energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.
Below are some of the benefits of Coconut Oil:
The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.
The fatty acids and breakdown products in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, potentially helping to prevent infections.
The MCTs in coconut oil can increase blood concentration of ketone bodies, which can help reduce seizures in epileptic children.
Studies in both humans and rats show that coconut oil improves important risk factors like Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may translate to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Coconut oil can be applied topically as well, studies showing it to be effective as a skin moisturizer and protecting against hair damage. It can also be used as a mild form of sunscreen, mouthwash and shaving lotion.
The Next step is to incorporate this into your lifestyle, make sure you purchase Organic Virgin Coconut oil, most supermarkets now stock it.
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