BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL

Quite a list - don’t you think? Remember that all of this is based on organic coconut oil not hydrogenated coconut oil. Hydrogenated anything will make you sick so stay away from it.

A lot of people will tell you that coconut oil is a saturated fat and that it is bad for you so I want you to understand how fats work and what makes coconut oil different and good for you.

Fat contains tryglycerides. So, when you have a steak and you see the white fatty tissue - that is composed of tryglycerides. Tryglycerides are composed of fatty acids. Three fatty acids are linked together by a single glycerol molecule. Have I lost you yet? Just keep going, it is all going to make sense soon.

There are many different types of fatty acids that scientist have grouped into three main categories - saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These sound familiar - right. The big thing to remember is that there are many different types of fatty acids within each category and they all work and affect the body in different ways. The other thing to remember is that every oil consists of all three categories. So, for example, olive oil has a very good reputation because it is predominantly a monounsaturated fat but it also has some saturated fat as well as polyunsaturated fat. Also, while olive oil is a good monounsaturated fat, there are other monounsaturated fats that are extremely toxic to our bodies. So, you need to know more then whether a fat is saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. That is simply not enough information

Fatty acids consist of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms. For every carbon atom there can be two hydrogen atoms. If every carbon atom has two hydrogen atoms, then it is considered to be saturated with hydrogen and therefore a saturated fat (that’s where the name comes from). If there are two carbon atoms with only one hydrogen atom, it is considered a monounsaturated fat. If there are four or more carbon atoms missing a hydrogen atom, then it is considered a polyunsaturated fat. The other thing to consider is the length of the fatty acid chain. If it is a chain of 14 to 24 carbon atoms, it is considered a long chain fatty acid (LCFAs). This is common in beef fat and cheeses. If it is a chain of 8 - 12 carbon atoms, it is called a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) and a 2 - 6 chain is a short chain fatty acid (SCFA).

Then, remember I said that fat consists of tryglycerides which is made up of fatty acids that are linked together by a single glycerol molecule. So you take three fatty acids of similar length and join them together with the single glycerol molecule. The result is long chain tryglyceride (LCT) or a medium chain tryglyceride (MCT) or a short chain tryglyceride (SCT).

So, it is the degree of saturation as well as the length of the chain that determines whether our body can digest it and make good use of the fat or not. The longer the chain and the more saturated the fat is the harder it is to digest.

Long chain fatty acids are the most common fat found in our diet. When the long chain is combined with high saturation then you have a difficult fat to use. Some saturated fats that are also long chained are peanut oil and animal fat. Canola oil is not as saturated and is therefore put in the monosaturated fat category but it is made up of primarily very long chain fatty acids. Fish oils as well are put in the polyunsaturated fat category but again they consist mainly of long chain fatty acids. Now, I am not saying that these oils are bad for you but I am saying that they are hard to digest and utilize and therefore should be ingested in moderation. The fact is that if you do not utilize these fats immediately for energy, they are stored in our bodies as fat tissue on our bodies. On our thighs, our stomachs, under our arms and around our heart - if only we could choose where to store our fat, then it might be a bit more appealing.

Coconut Oil is a mostly made up of medium chain and short chain saturated fatty acids. It works completely differently in our bodies. It is broken down immediately and used for energy. That is why you will feel an increase in energy when you ingest coconut oil. Coconut oil is utilized by the body. In fact, it has been shown that coconut oil has a neutral effect on our cholesterol. It might even lower our bad cholesterol and raise the good because it stimulates your metabolism and helps your thyroid function. The important part to remember is that you will find no coconut oil being stored on your thighs or your tummy and most importantly, it is not stored around your heart. Hurray!

I went to my doctor for a check up when I was forty. My numbers were all good - I was told that I should watch my cholesterol though because it was close to being in the bad range. My good cholesterol was not mentioned. Five years later, I went back to the same doctor for another check up. My numbers were all good still but now I was told that my bad cholesterol was really low and my good cholesterol was off the charts good. The only change in my life was my addition of coconut oil. My numbers changed because of the medium chain fatty acids. Again, it gets utilizes immediately. So my bad (LDL) cholesterol went down not because of my consumption of coconut oil but because I was no longer consuming the monunsaturated fat or the polyunsaturated fat that I used to cook with. My good (HDL) cholesterol went up because of how the coconut oil stimulates the metabolism and helps your thyroid function.

Let’s talk about metabolism for a minute. This is the key to weight loss. Please realize that exercise is the best and most efficient way to raise your metabolic rate. It raises it and keeps it going at a higher rate for an extended time after working out. Next to that is coconut oil. When I first started taking coconut oil, I lost 5 pounds almost immediately but when I added exercise to my life, I lost another 15 lbs quickly and kept them off.

So coconut oil, because of the medium chain fatty acids, is sent directly to the liver where it is converted to energy. You might have heard that this is how a carbohydrate works and you would be right. The big difference is the sugar factor. Coconut oil does not raise your blood sugar level so therefore it keeps your energy at a more even level rather then the ups and downs you will experience with sugar. Your energy level will stay up so you will not feel the need of a sugar boost - you may be able to go without as much caffeine as well. Your body will be getting more of the nutrients that it needs, therefore the cravings will go down.

Having a properly functioning thyroid is an absolute must for weight loss - not to mention your overall health. Coconut oil simply helps the thyroid to function properly. If your thyroid is functioning properly, the whole chemical messenger system has a chance to work properly, keeping all hormones in proper balance. If all hormones are in proper balance, everything in your body functions better including your metabolic rate.

Coconut oil helps your digestive tract. Because coconut oil by passes the intestinal tract and goes directly to the liver, it gives the whole body a break. The pancreas gets the biggest break. This break plus the raised metabolic rate, gives the whole body a chance to function better including the digestive tract.

There has been a lot of press about essential fatty acids - omega 3, 6 and 9. They are often referred to as the feel good essential fatty acids because they help our mind body connection. Coconut oil contains a fair amount of omega 6 but more importantly, it works synergistically with the omegas allowing for better absorption of them. Absorption is the key. So take your omegas with coconut oil and get the most out of them.

The most amazing thing I have found out about Coconut oil is it’s high content of lauric and capric acids. Many people with yeast infections, bladder infections and candida already know about these acids. They probably use these supplements to combat their infections. These acids are starting to get a lot of recognition because not only do they kill the bacteria that create the infection, but they also kill viruses. Coconut oil is composed of 48% lauric acid which has incredible antiviral properties. 15% of coconut oil is capric and caprylic acid which are incredible antimicrobial fighters. Together, they fight viruses, bacteria, fungus and harmful microbes. There is research happening now to see what kind of effect coconut oil will have on such destructive diseases like Aids, Epstein Barr, herpes and hepatitis C. So far, the results have been positive.

Coconut oil is the best natural skin lotion available Coconut oil aids in removing dead cells on the outer surface of your skin, it helps to prevent free radical damage, it kills any bacteria on the skin and it helps to keep the connective tissue strong and supple. It helps to restore a healthy environment for your skin. The result is clear, youthful skin. How’s that for natural healing? It is also incredible for the hair. Massage a small amount of coconut oil in your hair, wrap it up and leave it for a couple of hours. Wash it out with your favorite shampoo. You will be amazed at the results. Strong, supple luxurious hair is yours.

It is clear to me that having good fat as a daily part of your life is essential to good health. I remember in the 90's, there was a huge movement to eat fat free in order to lose weight. We all jumped on board thinking this was the answer to all of our weight issues. What happened? We all gained weight because we were not giving our bodies what it needs to be healthy. We kept craving more and more sugar because we had no energy. Our bodies are very smart if we could just listen. If we give our body what it needs, it will respond with positive results. Our body needs foods full of vitamins, minerals and good FAT!