Last week, we discussed the importance of including fats into our diet (have you increased your butter consumption yet?). This week, I will shed light on one nutrition superstar that has been misunderstood in the West but is now gaining back its fame.
Spotlight On: Coconut Oil
This brown, hairy, and heavy food item is actually the seed of the fruit of the coconut palm tree. In the ancient scriptures of Hinduism, the Vedas, the coconut is said to nourish the body, increase strength, and promote beautiful hair and skin. In the Phillippines, the coconut palm is called the “tree of life,” and they use all parts of the tree medicinally. Coconut oil was
used in the US food industry widely until 1950s, when it became accused of causing cardiovascular diseases (this is also when Crisco and hydrogenated oils became popular).
Nutritional Highlights
Like any other nuts and seeds, the coconut contains plenty of fats, but mostly in the form of saturated fats. However, like I briefly mentioned last week, coconut oil actually contains health-promoting medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), one of which is called lauric acid. The only other abundant source of lauric acid is in human breast milk. In the body, lauric acid is converted into a form that is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal. Additionally, studies show that coconut oil promotes weight loss and decrease body fat. Scientists found that when two group of genetically obese mice were given either a high-fat diet of safflower oil or coconut oil, the group consuming coconut oil produced far fewer fat cells.
Consider this as well: farmers in the 1940′s tried adding coconut oil to their feed hoping to fatten up the cows. Instead, they became healthy and lean and resisted gaining any extra weight, so naturally they discontinued its use.
How is this possible? MCFA is readily absorbed in the body and used quickly as energy, thus increasing metabolism. In fact, MCFA was found to be metabolized up to twice as quickly as that of long-chain fatty acids (found in vegetable oils, olive oil, nuts and seeds). Coconut oil has also been shown to regulate blood sugar, improve digestion and absorption of nutrients, and support the immune system. Not bad for a simple oil, huh?
A Multitasker
But that's not it! Because coconut oil is a saturated fat and is stable at high temperature, it becomes one of the ideal fats or cooking and baking. In many countries, pure coconut oil doubles as lotion, moisturizer, and nourishing treatments for the hair and skin. I use it often in cooking, as it adds a slightly sweet fragrance and flavor. Coconut oil is also delicious in smoothies to buff up the creaminess. I like to use it to make one of my favorite raw chocolate dessert.
References
Douillard, J. "Get Smart and Lose Weight With This Saturated Fats." (4 Jul, 2013). John Douillard's LifeSpa. <http://lifespa.com/coconut-oil-one-saturated-fat-you-should-eat/ >.
Mercola, J. Countless Uses for Coconut Oil. (18 Nov, 2013). Mercola.com. <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/18/coconut-oil-uses.aspx>.
Murray, M. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, New York: Atria Books, 2005.
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