Written by One of the most common misconceptions about coconut oil is that it is unhealthy. Coconut oil is used by millions of people worldwide for its health benefits. It is truly one of the finest oils you can eat. Here are 7 best reasons to use coconut oil for hair, skin and as an alternative to other cooking oils.
- The body does not convert coconut oil into fat. It is not fattening, unlike soybean oil and corn oil, which many people use as cooking oils. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are easy to burn for the body without turning into fat. Most vegetable oils and other fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT is stored as fat. Due to its MCT content, coconut oil is easily absorbed and converted into energy.
People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional ingredient in their diet for centuries. They consume a lot of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fat, it helps them feel fit, energetic, and healthy. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they are responsible for the obesity and health problems that modern society is facing.
Among those who have known this fact for a long time are those who work in the animal feed industry. Feeding animals vegetable oils leads to them gaining weight and producing fatty meat. When coconut oil is used, they become very soft.
- Coconut oil increases your metabolism.
Not only does coconut oil become energy in your body quickly, but it increases your metabolism, which helps with weight loss. Because it increases your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more efficiently. Coconut oil can triple your calorie intake. Since coconut oil is MCT, it converts into energy so quickly that it produces a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCTs burned three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCTs.
This is good news for people with thyroid problems, as coconut oil calms underactive thyroids by stimulating the production of additional thyroid hormones. Many other common oils, such as vegetable (soy) and corn oils, have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.
- Omega 3 fatty acids are abundant in coconut oil
Most vegetable oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get a lot of in the US. The omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but is more like 50:1. We need to reduce omega 6 oil significantly and consume more omega 3 oil to stay healthy. These omega 3 fatty acids are abundant in coconut oil.
- Coconut oil gives you energy. Due to the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that they increase metabolism, many people who use coconut oil get more energy in their daily life.
In fact, coconut oil is a source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which increase the metabolic rate and lead to weight loss. MCTs promote thermogenesis, which increases metabolism and produces energy for the body. There have been many studies showings that adding coconut and coconut oil to the diet can help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
- Your skin and hair can benefit from coconut oil. Skin and hair benefit greatly from coconut oil. It reduces skin problems like rashes temporarily. It helps heal and restore the skin to a youthful appearance. It is also known to help those with fungal skin infections, as well as many other skin problems. Not only does it make your skin soft and healthy, but coconut oil also has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. You can also use coconut oil for massages.
- Coconut oil has health benefits that many other oils do not. There is growing evidence that coconut oil has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral effects when applied to the skin.
Most oils oxidize and break down quickly, resulting in oxidative and free radical damage to our bodies. Coconut oil does not easily oxidize and cause free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to cause many diseases in our bodies, from arthritis to the development of cancer. Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients better, such as vitamin E.
- Coconut oil is one of the finest oils for cooking.
Due to its high smoke point, it can sustain higher temperatures than olive oil. There are healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to eat, such as olive oil. However, they don’t do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in advanced cooking. It is difficult for coconut oil to become rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which tend to become rancid. Rancid oil causes free radical damage in the body, which is one of the main causes of cancer. The shelf life of coconut oil at room temperature is more than a year.
Conclusion
Due to the wrong information given to us for many years, we have lost the good benefits that coconut oil has brought to people living in the tropics for centuries. And now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil works so well that it won’t be long before we see a promotion of coconut oil. However, you can jump on the popular bandwagon and start eating it and cooking with it.
