Coconut Oil – why it is good for you.

Coconut Oil could be one of the best things for you.

Brynley King at the coconut farm

We speak to ‘coconut guru’ Brynley King, whose new app “Going Coconuts” is number one in the food and drink category in Australia. She’s also author of a cookbook with the same name, about the unique properties of coconut oil.

  1. Why is it good to cook in coconut oil as opposed to other oils? 

Olive oil is one of the best sources of omega oils and perfect when used cold in salads, dressings and dips, as it is rich in oleic, linolenic and linoleic acid. However, once heated those wonderful benefits are almost destroyed, and the fats become carcinogenic, wiping out the enzymes and leaving the proteins denatured.

You are running the risk of creating oxidized oil, which, in fact, can do your body more harm than good. Don’t throw out your olive oil though! Just use it wisely.

Coconut oil, when heated up to 177 degrees Celsius, does not lose its composition or change to a LCT like some other oils, such as olive oil.

2) Why has it taken so long to recognise the benefits of coconut oil?
For many years coconut oil had a bad reputation for supposedly being loaded with unhealthy saturated fat – something that we are often told to steer clear of as too much can result it high cholesterol.

While coconut oil does contain around 85 to 90 percent saturated fat, it is only in recent years that research has put our minds at ease and proved that not all saturated fats are equal; with the fat found in coconut oil actually doing our bodies a great deal of good and assisting to alleviate many health issues.

This is why many health experts are now hailing the oil as a ‘super food’, and recommending patients to take up to three tablespoons a day to reap the multitude of health benefits.

3) What are some benefits of coconut oil?
• It curbs sugar cravings
• Boosts the metabolism
• Keeps teeth and gums super clean (with the oil pulling method)
• Helps maintain a balanced, healthy high fat, low carb diet
• Promotes healthy and shiny hair plus healthy skin and strong nails

4) What are the health benefits of consuming a spoon of coconut oil a day? What does it do for the body?
Coconut oil may assist to:
• Help improve absorption of other essential nutrients
• Provide a nutritional source of quick energy
• Support and aid metabolic function
• Reduce the risk of contracting common yeast infections
(Note: These benefits have been listed by the Therapeutics Goods Administration of Australia).

What is the technical side – what is in coconut oil?

Coconut oil is made up of 60% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) and 40% long chain triglycerides (LCTs), unlike soybean oil, for example, which is 100% LCTs. Our bodies metabolise MTCs a lot differently than LCTs because they are burned off more easily and raise the metabolic rate, whereas LCTs are more often stored directly in the body as fat OR deposit within the arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.

Caprylic, capric and best of all – lauric acid (which is identical to a special group of fats found in human breast milk) – are all found in coconut oil. Our bodies convert lauric acid into monolarin, which has antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it a key contributor to the myriad health benefits of coconut oil. Coconut oil is also free of nasty trans fats.

  • Be sure to purchase a high quality, cold pressed, 100% extra-virgin coconut oil like Banaban Coconut Oil, to guarantee you’re getting the most benefits.

For more information on the benefits of coconut oil, check out this article by Nutritionist Helen Nichols: http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

 

 

Avatar photo
Renae Leith-Manos

Editor and Founder of Bondi Beauty

Renae Leith-Manos loves fitness, new beauty products, long chats and long flights. She is at her best when traveling the world writing about luxury hotels and Michelin Star restaurants (www.renaesworld.com.au). She has had a colourful media career as a journalist inmagazines and newspapers, in Australia and Asia. She spends her time writing, cooking, consulting to new businesses, running and working out.

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Verified by MonsterInsights