Believe it or not, fatty foods don’t necessarily make you fat. In fact, you need fat in your diet to lose weight – the healthy kind at least. Usually, that means eating more monounsaturated fats and less saturated fats, except in the case of coconut!
Coconut may be high in saturated fat, but more than half of its saturated fat content comes from lauric acid, which helps battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores.
According to a study published in Lipids, dietary supplementation of coconut oil can actually reduce abdominal obesity. Researchers gave half the study participants two tablespoons of coconut oil daily and other other half soybean oil. While both groups experienced weight loss, only the coconut oil group saw their waistlines shrink.
Bottom line is, not all saturated fats are created equal.
It’s not all about weight loss, either. Coconut oil provides a number of health benefits: it can improve heart health, increase metabolism, support the immune system, and even boost thyroid activity. Studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease compared to our sky-rocketing numbers.
Forget canola, safflower, and corn oils, and start cooking with coconut oil!
Related:
MUFAs: Why You Need This Healthy Fat
