The Surprising Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Conventional thought used to consider fats like coconut oil
to be unhealthy and contribute to heart disease. We now know that this
isn’t true. In fact, coconut oil is actually a heart healthy food that
can keep your body running smoother in a few different ways.
What are the health benefits of coconut oil?
Studies have show that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies
mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness.
Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.
Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and
blood sugar control. People who take coconut oil also tend to have
improvements in how they handle blood sugar since coconut can help
improve insulin use within the body. Coconut oil can boost thyroid
function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It
increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
Can coconut oil reduce cholesterol?
Coconut oil has a saturated fat called lauric acid, a type of MCT. It
has been shown that lauric acid increases the good HDL cholesterol in
the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels. Coconut oil lowers
cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that
is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need. Coconut can
help restore normal thyroid function. When the thyroid does not function
optimally, it can contribute to higher levels of bad cholesterol.
How does coconut help keep weight balanced?
Coconut fats have special fats called medium chain triglycerides
(MCTs). It has been shown that breaking down these types of healthy fats
in the liver leads to efficient burning of energy. One
2009 study
found that women who consumed 30 milliliters (about 2 tablespoons) of
coconut oil daily for 12 weeks not only did not gain more weight, but
actually had lowered amounts of abdominal fat, a type of fat that is
difficult to lose, and contributes to more heart problems.
