Q: How is it that coconut oil is now considered healthy
even though it has so much saturated fat?
A: Basically, saturated fat is not as harmful as
we have been led to believe. Heart and artery diseases
develop through the interaction of multiple causative
factors. It’s not just fat or cholesterol intake.
I encourage everyone to take a critical look at the lipid
hypothesis and examine the Framingham study for further
insights.
Coconut oil, although mostly saturated fat, has many health
benefits. First, the saturated fat in coconut oil is perfect
for cooking because it does not oxidize at cooking temperatures.
Other oils, such as soy, canola, corn, safflower and even
olive, will oxidize partially when cooked. They even oxidize
over time when sitting on the shelf. While the health
value of different fats is continually debated, all experts
agree that oxidized or rancid fat is 100% unhealthy. Only
saturated fat can tolerated cooking temperatures.
Second, most of the saturated fat in coconut oil is medium
chain triglycerides. MCT’s do not raise blood lipid
or cholesterol levels. Instead, they are metabolized directly
by the liver. MCT’s increase metabolism making them
helpful for weight loss and slow thyroids. Coconut oil
is also helpful for candida and parasites because its
main MCT, lauric acid, is converted in the body into an
anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antibacterial compound called
monolaurin.
Lastly, look at the people who eat lots of coconut oil.
In tropical climates where saturated coconut fat can make
up as much as 50% of the total caloric intake there is
less heart disease, colon disease and cancer. In general,
the health of native peoples eating saturated coconut
fat is excellent. |
