Until recently coconut oil, milk and water were very unpopular products in North America and Northern Europe because of the belief that saturated fats are bad for the health. It was such scientists and whistle blowers as Mary Enig that questioned this orthodoxy and who have opened people’s eyes up to the health benefits of coconut products.
For a long time the general public were unaware about trans fats and about the difference between long chain fatty acids and medium chain fatty acids. Although coconut fat and coconut milk contain saturated fat, it is a fat that contains mostly medium chain fatty acids that are also called medium-chain triglycerides. Unlike the long chain fatty acids found in polyunsaturated fats such as soy, safflower, sunflower and vegetable these medium chain fatty acids are readily absorbed by the body and metabolized into energy. Long chain fatty acids are stored by the liver as lipoproteins and are not readily metabolized.
Thus coconut oil that is high in saturated fat is actually less fattening then polyunsaturated fats. It is used by athletes to increase stamina levels.
Moreover coconut oil and coconut milk contain lauric acid that is not found in such concentrations in other foods. Lauric acid is antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti protozoal. It helps to protect the body against infections and viruses. It also helps to stimulate the thyroid gland and strengthen the immunity system. Experiments with rats given coconut fat and corn and subjected to injections designed to induce cancer found that 32% of the corn eating rats contracted cancer while only 3% of the coconut oil eating rats got cancer.
Coconut water taken from young coconuts is scientifically noteworthy because it is an exact replica for blood plasma and has frequently been used for blood transfusions. The other major health benefit of coconut water is that it is rich in electrolytes and is a much better isotonic drink than sugary Gatorade and its ilk.
It is worth your time to consider how you can introduce coconut products into your daily intake of food and drink. It will make you healthier.
Follow Us!