Is Coconut Oil Bad for You?

Long a cornerstone to ayurevedic medicine and revered by tropical civilizations, coconut oil has a surprisingly long history in food and medicine throughout the world. In folk medicine, coconut oil is said to have antibacterial properties, help cleanse the urinary tract, help heal wounds, prevent scars, aid a healthy complexion, and even enable increased metabolism.

However in various health circles, the oil that has been somewhat controversial when it comes to recent health and medical studies.

Coconut oil is pressed from the meat of a mature coconut and gets a bad rap because it is high in saturated fat, but the composition of its fat is unlike any other fat, totally unique.

Coconut oil is comprised primarily of medium-length-chain fatty acids and triglycerides. The vast majority of fats that humans consume come from long-chain fatty acids. While the medium-length triglycerides are primarily saturated fats, due to the size of the molecules, the human body digests them differently than your typical saturated fats.

This is why coconut oil is not considered to be a “bad fat” by some of its ardent supporters. However, most medical doctors and nutritionists still says that coconut oil can raise blood cholesterol, which is a problem.

Either way, remember that when it comes to calories, it’s still a fat – it has almost twice the number of calories compared to a gram of carbohydrate or protein. Up to date health studies still maintain that you should limit all fats, especially when it comes to the saturated kind like coconut oil.

Related Posts

• Find out about other healthy oils.
• Confused about fats? Know your fat facts.
• Try this easy fat-free salsa Grapefruit Olive Salsa.

Related Articles

• Healthy Eating Tips: Pantry Refresh