For years, people have been told by prominent food and ad agencies (through articles and television commercials) that consumption of low-fat foods are vital to achieve optimal health. However, it’s been noted that ever since this no/low fat craze, U.S. obesity rates and other health issues have increased, not decreased.
But one fat has made serious strides in the “good for us” category, thanks to its ability to absorb nutrients better than most oils on the market and to properly use fats rather than merely store them (it has a shorter fat chain which makes that possible). Coconut oil, specifically virgin coconut oil (get some from Amazon – affiliate link), is a healthier fat that has a host of health benefits.
Top 6 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Weight Loss
With low-fat labeling often comes high-sugar content which facilitates weight gain. While people have been urged to consume a low of not fat diet, the trade-off of eating increased sugars can throw our system out of whack and put on the pounds. However, coconut oil boosts energy, helps people feel full longer and increases metabolism and thyroid function which leads to healthy weight loss.
Promotes Heart Health
Coconut oil is a staple in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. And guess what? They have lower incidences of heart disease than in the U.S. Studies show that it’s refined grains and sugars, not saturated fats that lead to heart disease. In fact coconut oil is good for your heart because it has the ability to prevent blood platelets from clumping which can help prevent arteriosclerosis and strokes.
Increased Energy
In the book, Eat Fat, Lose Fat by nutrition experts Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallen Morell (aff link), coconut oil is a must-have for a host of reasons including increased energy. They note that avoiding fats depletes the body of the ability to absorb nutrients properly, thus leading to reduced energy levels. One testimonial in the book says, “I am noticing a really wonderful increase in my energy and I believe it is from coconut oil. It’s been about 2-1/2 weeks now and there is a definite increase in stamina.”
Alzheimer’s Prevention
Dr. Mary Newport notes that coconut oil may be effective in treatment for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Based on her readings and findings, including over 200 case studies, she found that 9 out of 10 people (mostly Alzheimer’s patients) who used coconut oil in their diets noticed some improvement in disease progression as well as in memory retention.
Stronger Bones
Virgin coconut oil absorbs nutrients in the body better than other oils, providing bones the amounts of calcium and magnesium they need for optimal function. Not only can coconut oil help keep teeth in good condition, but it can combat osteoporosis.
Cancer Prevention
Virgin coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid, which means it has anti-carcinogenic and anti-microbial properties. When used during the cooking process, it breaks down healthfully as opposed to many other longer chain fatty acids which when heated, are harmful. In turn, our ingestion of foods prepared in this safer manner may keep cancer-causing free radicals at bay. In fact, some breast and colon cancer studies have shown that when coconut oil was consumed, the cancer did not spread. Furthermore, topically applying the oil may even reduce the incidences of skin cancers.
Sources for this article include:
www.higher-health.org
www.youtube.com
www.youtube.com
www.sunwarrior.com
www.eatfatlosefat.com
www.eatfatlosefat.com
