Coconut oil

[brendasue]

Why are people so impressed with coconut oil? I found out that like all oils, coconut oil is pure fat. Of the fat in coconut oil, over 90% is saturated fat.

Plus it has no nutrients, none. It almost sounds like sugar. A lot of empty calories and no nutrients.

So my question is why are we using it and is it helping our bodies?



BrendaSue

[Clare]

See if your local library had any of the books about coconut oil (mine does). Fascinating if it is true. For me, it doesn't seem to have much effect plus I don't particularly like it. But it makes a decent raw and cheap lotion.

[NaiveJeanette]

the saturated fat in coconut oil is good for you because it converts right into energy rather than stores as fat.

it's a very healing oil, actually. See if your library has a copy of The Coconut Oil Miracle.

It's great for your face, lips, hair, insides, outsides, everything, really!!

just, you know, don't eat pounds of it. ;)

[snoops]

I have found that since adding coconut oil to things I am maintaining my weight so much more easily. I keep thinking oh brother I am surely going to gain weight this week and I don't seem to be. Its the one thing I can think of that I am doing differently. I have heard this as well.

[cherry.chops]

i only bought some for the 1st time saturday and i made a great chocolate sauce using it. Im very excited about what coconut oil can bring to my raw desserts. Of course it is just fat and it is to be used for treats imo :)

[margoss]

I substitute it for butter in most of my dd's foods...a very small amt will go a long way. It's fab for the skin & if you have dry hair..add it to the ends.

[katchmoleen]

Coconut oil is a miracle food. It will help you lose weight, get rid of candida, make your skin soft and much more! Just google it and you will find out for yourself. Fat is not the enemy. We all need some.

[Dimond]

There's tons of research on the health benefits of raw organic coconut oil. The processed stuff is junk. But this kind is great.

Some info:

Virgin coconut oil is rich in antioxidants, vitamin E & lauric acid. Virgin coconut oil helps your body use and absorb vitamins, amino acids, calcium magnesium, & especially essential fatty acids. Virgin coconut oil improves digestion and supports the immune system. Since Coconut oil naturally fights off viruses, bacteria, & fungal overgrowth, experts believe it's essential during a bird flu outbreak or other pandemic. Virgin Coconut Oil improves the utilization of blood sugar and can lessen the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Virgin coconut oil promotes weight loss, helps maintain a healthy body weight & improve thyroid issues. Virgin Coconut Oil rejuvenates, heals and protects skin, moisturizes hair and stimulates growth.

[freelive]

I am not big fan of the taste, but I love it as a lotion. Even though it is pure fat, my skin absorbs it very quickly and doesn't feel oily.

[Emmanuelle]

I would just like to share this snippet;

Coconut oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on earth." That's quite a remarkable statement. What makes coconut oil so good? What makes it different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats?

The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty acids. The first you are probably familiar with, is based on saturation. You have saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Another system of classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).

The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA.

The size of the fatty acid is extremely important. Why? Because our bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly different from those of LCFA more commonly found in our foods. The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium-chain fatty acids. Both the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most all vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.

MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial.

There are only a very few good dietary sources of MCFA. By far the best sources are from coconut and palm kernel oils.

(source; http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org)