For many years I’ve used and told many thousands of people about the benefits of using coconut oil and coconut milk, I try to have a teaspoon of organic coconut oil if not daily then as frequently as possible. Part of my reasons to not have it daily comes down to the price in this country which has a lot to do with it’s lack of popularity. This has a lot to do with the purposely spread misinformation from the uninformed or those simply looking for big profits by selling inferior oils like soybean.
Unlike most other oils, coconut oil is abundant in three fatty acids, Lauric acid, Caprylic acid and Capric acid. When lauric acid is present in the body, it is converted into monolaurin, a monoglyceride compound which exhibits antiviral, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antifungal properties. It acts by disrupting the lipid membranes in organisms like fungus, bacteria and viruses, thus destroying them.
Caprylic acid and capric acid assist in these actions.
A 2009 study published in the Journal Lipids consisted of testing the effects of either 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or 2 tablespoons of soybean on a group of 40 women over the span of 28 days.
Results showed that the group that ate the coconut oil had a decrease in abdominal fat, while the soybean oil group actually showed a slight increase in belly fat. Additionally, the group that ate the coconut oil showed increased HDL ‘good’ cholesterol levels, while the soybean oil group had decreased HDL cholesterol and increased LDL ‘ bad’ cholesterol.
The Journal of Nutrition published a study where researchers investigated all studies relative to medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that are abundant in coconut fat and weight management. The studies showed that diets rich in fats such as those found in coconut oil prompted a boost in metabolism, increase in energy, decrease in food consumption, reduced body weight and lower body fat mass. The study authors highly recommend using oils that contain MCFAs, such as coconut oil, as a tool to drop extra abdominal fat, manage a healthy weight, and even as a way to treat obesity.
Yet another study that assessed body weight and fat storage relative to three different types of diets including a low-fat diet, high-fat diet with long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and a high fat diet with MCFAs. In order to bring about weight gain, caloric intakes were adjusted for the diets. At the end of the research period (which lasted 44 days), the low-fat diet group stored an average of 0.47 grams of fat per day, the LCFA group stored 0.48 grams of fat per day, and the MCFA group only stored a mere 0.19 grams per day (despite purposely increasing calories). Those in the MCFA group (coconut fat) had a 60 percent reduction in body fat stored compared to the other diets.
Another added bonus of consuming organic coconut oil (and coconut cream or milk) is that it tends to make us feel fuller for longer.Studies indicate that MCFAs help increase feelings of fullness and lead to a reduction in calorie intake when compared to the same amount of calories from other fats. When MCFAs are metabolized, ketone bodies are created in the liver – these have been shown to have a strong appetite reducing effect helping you to lose fat faster.
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July 11th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Hi there! This article could not be written much
better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He constantly kept preaching about this. I am going to forward this information to him.
Fairly certain he will have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!