7
Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil
Written by Dianne Ronnow
It
is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People
all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using
coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can
consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut
oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.
1.
Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.
Unlike
many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut
oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides
(MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning
to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides
(LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a
MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.
People
in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple
in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut
oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy,
lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern
oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern
society faces.
Some
other people who have known this truth for a long time are people
who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable
oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they
are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.
2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not
only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body,
it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because
it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.
Coconut
oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT,
it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of
heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours
after a meal than LCT's.
The
February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that
coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."
This
is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut
oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of
extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable
(soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.
Most
cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way
too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio
should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically
cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to
be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega
3 fatty acids.
4. Coconut oil gives you energy.
Because
of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases
the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a
burst of added energy in their daily life.
This
is because coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium-chain
triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead
to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the
body's metabolism, producing energy.
This
is because coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium-chain
triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead
to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the
body's metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic
fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut
and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.
5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is
coconut oil.
Coconut
oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin
and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes.
It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance.
It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast
infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.
Not
only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant
properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut
oil makes excellent massage oil too.
6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.
Evidence
is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and
anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the
skin.
Most
oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical
damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does
not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable
oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many
ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility
to cancers.
Coconut
oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively,
such as Vitamin E.
7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.
It
has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take
higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3
oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but
they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut
oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It
is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils,
which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home.
Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a
leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year
at room temperature.
Because
of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost
out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people
of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered!
Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut
oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular
crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!
With
all these healthy benefits, isn't it time you gave coconut oil
a try?
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