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Coconut Oil

Nutrition12.31.15
Coconut

You’ve probably heard or seen a lot about coconut oil recently and its potential health benefits. It’s true that coconut oil is not only full of fat, but contains a higher percentage of saturated or “bad” fats. What makes coconut oil so different than other saturated fats?? Coconut oil is largely made up of a type of saturated fat called “MCTs” or medium chain triglycerides, which have been shown to have quite a few health benefits. MCTs are harder for our bodies to convert into stored fat and easier for them to burn off than long-chain fatty acids or triglycerides found in other saturated fats.

  • It can help improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetics, which means it can potentially help to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
  • Research has shown that coconut oil vs soybean oil taken as 18-24 grams per day as part of a 16 week weight loss program resulted in more weight loss and loss in waist circumference with the coconut oil
  • Research has also shown that these MCT fats will not cause a significant change in cholesterol numbers, but HDLs (good cholesterol) may even be higher

I personally use a coconut oil cooking spray instead of a spray such as Pam, which typically contains a blend of oils and additives. You can incorporate coconut oil many ways! Some people use it instead of butter or as a fat replacement in baking products. It’s good to replace all trans fats or artificial fats with something more natural like coconut oil in order to reduce the risks associated with using these fats (heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, weight gain, etc)