Day 3- My Tropical Love Affair

Today I have decided to discuss one of my favorite things, coconut oil, and to try to explain to you that not all fats are created equal; especially not saturated fats.

Over the years coconut oil has gotten a bad rap because of the fact that it is a saturated fat. Doctors and media have made us to believe that saturated fats will lead to health issues; mainly cardiovascular issues and obesity. Today, I want to share my opinion and what I have learned about this lovely oil.

First of all, if you are like me and it's been awhile since you have had a science class, let me explain briefly what a saturated fat is. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature because the available carbon bonds are occupied by a hydrogen atom, which makes them highly stable.

So here is what we know about Coconut oil:

• Coconut contains Medium-Chain Fatty Acids- These shorter chain fatty acids can be digested without the need of bile salts, which means that they are absorbed directly for quick energy (Medium-Chain Fatty Acids are not normally stored in your body as fat). Medium-Chain Fatty acids are great for people that have difficulty in digesting fats. They have been shown to contribute to the health of the immune system as well.
• Coconut contains high amounts of Lauric acid- Lauric acid is a proven antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal agent. Lauric acid can also be found in a mother's breast milk.
• Coconut has a higher smoke point- A higher smoke point means that these oils are less likely to become rancid when heated during cooking or to form free radicals.
• Countries that include coconut as an important part of their diet have been seen to have lower rates of heart disease

Here is what I think, we have been taught that fat is bad, especially saturated fats, so we have turned to non-fat/low fat options. Then what happened when we did this? Sales in margarine and vegetables oils increases...as well as heart disease and obesity. Yeah, I know there is more to this, but basically this is what is happening.

So why did they say that coconut oil was so bad?

The studies that were done on coconut oil showed that it raised cholesterol in animals.

The problem with this study?

The coconut oil that was used in these experiments was partially hydrogenated coconut oil! Hydrogenated coconut oil creates trans-fatty acids, which depletes essential fatty acids, resulting in an increase in cholesterol.

All the benefits of coconut oil is found in Virgin Coconut oil. Virgin coconut has not been heated or chemically treated, so retains all of the health benefits mentioned above.

Trying to loose weight?

Try adding coconut oil to your diet! There is also a great book called Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig.

You can now buy virgin coconut oil at your local health food store, or a great online source is Tropical Traditions.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP