Extra-Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

The Healthy Fat: ignites weight loss, staves off heart disease, restores and maintains youthful skin?

Coconut oil has been used as a nutritious food and skin conditioner for thousands of years. Sadly, it fell out of favor in the 1960s when the food industry and some medical professionals (possibly with no nutritional understanding) began making false claims that it contains cholesterol and should be avoided. Yes, it is a saturated fat, but saturated fats do not all contain cholesterol. Saturated fats are, in fact, necessary for optimal health.

Back in the 1930’s, Dr. Weston Price, a dentist, traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian groups. Coconut was their primary source of caloric energy. The results of the study were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and demonstrated that vascular disease was uncommon in both populations. There was no evidence that the high saturated fat intake had a harmful effect in these populations.

There have been many other studies that have confirmed the health benefits of coconut oil. However, despite the evidence, misinformation continues to circulate to this day. It is so pervasive that even people living in coconut-growing countries avoid this healthy food and instead use unhealthy vegetable oils. These oils have taken a toll on their health in the form of increasing rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

A few proven benefits of coconut oil:

• Weight loss (particularly abdominal fat)
• Improved athletic performance
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Immune system support
• Reduced cancer risk
• Increases energy like carbohydrates, but does not cause wide fluctuations in blood sugar.
• Prevents and possibly treats bacterial, viral and yeast infections due to the lauric acid content
• Easily digested and assimilated –even by those with digestive problems
• Protects skin from UV light damage and wrinkles.

Are your cooking oils safe?

Despite the propaganda from the food industry, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oil are the worst oils for cooking. These polyunsaturated oils are unstable when heated and break down, releasing damaging free radicals. Free radicals increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, obesity, and degenerative disease in general. Saturated fats such as coconut oil are heat stable, making them ideal for cooking.

Uniqueness of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. MCTs are healthy oils and coconut oil is the richest source. MCTs are smaller than most fats so pass into membranes without difficulty. They’re also easy to digest and are converted quickly by the liver into energy rather than being stored as fat. This quick energy stimulates metabolism and weight loss.

Buy Organic! Avoid processing and pesticides

These coconuts are grown and processed organically, without harmful fertilizers, additives or chemical solvents. Remember, it is in fat that pesticides and other harmful chemicals are stored. This makes it especially important to eat choose organic when buying fat-rich foods such as coconut, avocados, eggs, dairy and meats.

 Taste of coconut oil

Extra virgin coconut oil has a fresh, mild, light coconut flavor. Non-greasy. No cholesterol. No trans-fats. It is solid at room temperature, so can be used like butter as a spread. Coconut oil is great for stir-fry, eggs, fish, chicken, and baking.

 More than skin deep

Coconut oil is a favorite with professional massage therapists because of its skin-nourishing effect. It aids in removing the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. Coconut oil prevents formation of destructive free radicals, which cause skin to age quickly. MCT’s penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues. Recent research finds that healthy skin has a higher percentage of saturated fat over unsaturated fats!

See the nutrient breakdown here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/508/2