Coconut oil is a plant-based saturated fat that is very healthy for you inside and out. It promotes clear, wrinkle-free skin and protects against sunburn and skin cancer. Originally lumped together with animal-based saturated fats and avoided, it actually has none of their bad properties. Instead, it is gaining in reputation and popularity extremely fast.
A functional food, coconut is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. The coconut palm tree is referred to as the “tree of life” because, besides its food value, so many things are made from it and it can be used on the human body with many benefits. Coconut oil is squeezed from the “meat” of the coconut and the best type is organic cold pressed extra virgin.
Coconut Oil Is Easily Digested
Coconut oil is an easily digested fat. It is composed of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which go straight to the liver and are turned into energy. This is great news for people who have had their gallbladder removed, since it is needed to digest long chain fatty acids found in animal fats but not the MCFAs in coconut oil.
Benefits of Lauric Acid
Coconut oil contains high amounts of lauric acid, which is used in the treatment of viral infections such as the flu, the cold and even cold sores.
Coconut oil is actually 50% lauric acid. Lauric acid is transformed by the body into monolaurin. That, along with the capric and caprylic acids also in coconut oil, has antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-protozoal properties. It is a highly effective treatment for candida albicans (a yeast infection) and targets bacterial infections and many other diseases. Researchers are eyeing it for treatment in HIV/Aids.
Incorporating Coconut Oil Into Your Diet
You can get a small amount of lauric acid from dried coconut meat and coconut milk, but the oil contains almost four times that amount. You can take about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. You can just eat it off a spoon, use it when frying your meals, or put it in smoothies. I like it on toast, instead of butter. That amount will protect you from viruses and bacteria as well as help your skin from the inside. It will also boost your metabolism and help you burn body fat.
Side Effects
If you have been on a low-fat diet, and you start incorporating this oil into your diet, you may experience diarrhea. This should go away once you become used to taking it. To reduce this side effect, take smaller doses spread out over the course of the day.
Previous Articles in the Healthy Fats Series
- What are Healthy Fats?
- Why Adding Healthy Fats to Your Diet is a Good Thing
- What Omega 3 and 6 Are and How They are Different
- High Fat Foods That Are Actually Good for You
Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
