May 25, 2014
Coo-coo For Coconut Oil?
About 30 years ago coconut oil was all that was evil in the world, and now it’s a miracle cure for everything. So what are the facts? Is the coconut oil buzz a passing fad, or was it unjustly wronged all those years ago? The Huffington Post reports on whether or not coconut oil is all it’s cracked up to be. As you can guess, the answer isn’t so straightforward.
Cornell University professor of nutritional sciences Tom Brenna says that it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. The virgin coconut oil available today is very different from the trans-fat packed highly processed coconut oil around in the 70s and 80s.
Recent studies on virgin coconut oil have shown links to preventing Alzheimer’s, losing weight, and avoiding illness, but all of these studies are too recent to provide long-term results. What we know for sure: 90% of coconut oil is saturated fat, the amount of fat it contains is a con. Half of that saturated fat is a medium-chain triglyceride called lauric acid, which is more easily digested and promotes good levels of HDL cholesterol, which is a pro.
The verdict: today’s coconut oil has a lot of promising properties, but more conclusive studies would need to be done before it can be declared a superfood. If you’re optimistic about the benefits of coconut oil than it’s definitely safe to use, but everything in moderation. If you’re wary of untested foods then stick to olive oil, which has had many more tests. I'm a fan of coconut oil and occasionally use it in cooking, used it for oil pulling for a while, and sometimes use it as a moisturizer, so I'd love to know if anyone has any more hard-hitting facts about this possible fad/superfood.
[caption id="attachment_48102" align="alignnone" width="225"]
I suddenly love coconut oil.[/caption]
Recent studies on virgin coconut oil have shown links to preventing Alzheimer’s, losing weight, and avoiding illness, but all of these studies are too recent to provide long-term results. What we know for sure: 90% of coconut oil is saturated fat, the amount of fat it contains is a con. Half of that saturated fat is a medium-chain triglyceride called lauric acid, which is more easily digested and promotes good levels of HDL cholesterol, which is a pro.
The verdict: today’s coconut oil has a lot of promising properties, but more conclusive studies would need to be done before it can be declared a superfood. If you’re optimistic about the benefits of coconut oil than it’s definitely safe to use, but everything in moderation. If you’re wary of untested foods then stick to olive oil, which has had many more tests. I'm a fan of coconut oil and occasionally use it in cooking, used it for oil pulling for a while, and sometimes use it as a moisturizer, so I'd love to know if anyone has any more hard-hitting facts about this possible fad/superfood.
[caption id="attachment_48102" align="alignnone" width="225"]
I suddenly love coconut oil.[/caption]