Proven Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a "superfood."
Its unique combination of fatty acids can have profound positive effects on health.
This includes fat loss, better brain function and various otheramazing benefits.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of coconut oil that have been experimentally confirmed in human studies.
If you want to try coconut oil for free, then get this organic virgin and fair-trade coconut oil from Thrive Market.

1. Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fatknown to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated ( 1).
However, new data is showing that saturated fats areharmless. Many massive studies that include hundreds of thousands of people prove that the whole "artery-clogging" idea was a myth( 2).
Additionally, coconut oil doesn't contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.

No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides(MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.
Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.

They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer's.

Bottom Line:Coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.

2. Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among The Healthiest People on The Planet

Coconut is kind of an "exotic" food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.

However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people havethrivedon for many generations.
The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.

They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world.

These people are inexcellenthealth, with no evidenceof heart disease ( 3).
Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in excellent health is the Kitavans ( 4)

Bottom Line:Plenty of populations around the world have thrived for multiple generations eating massive amounts of coconut.

3. Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat

Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.
While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe thatthe sourcesof those calories are critical too.

It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.

The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats ( 5, 6).

One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%,totalling about 120 calories per day( 7).

Bottom Line:The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.

4. The Lauric Acid in Coconut Oil Can Kill Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi, Helping to Stave Off Infections
Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon Lauric Acid.

When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it also forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin.
Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi ( 8).

For example, these substances have been shown to kill the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus (avery dangerouspathogen) and the yeast Candida Albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans ( 9, 10).

Bottom Line:The fatty acids and breakdown products in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, potentially helping to prevent infections
Increaze Great [General Blogger]

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