Coconut oil’s a sat fat but suprisingly healthy

Have you heard of coconut oil? 

If so, do you eat it regularly?  The usual answer I get from my clients is a simple ‘No’. Coconut oil is a saturated fat so it’s been demonized by the mass media and portrayed as a food that is unhealthy, makes us fat and gives us heart disease. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

I ask all my clients to go the grocery store and buy a jar of this wonder food. We all need to eat saturated fat and this oil reduces inflammation, regulates blood sugar, feeds our hormones and nurtures the adrenal glands.

The usual hesitation people have about consuming coconut oil is that it causes heart disease. This is understandable as we are brainwashed to believe all saturated fat is the enemy. 

Research shows that during this epidemic of heart disease we are currently facing, vegetable oil consumption has increased by over 300 per cent and saturated fat has actually dropped while heart disease is rapidly rising. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that saturated fat is not the problem. 

A look at the plaque in arteries of heart disease patients has revealed about 27 per cent is saturated fat and the remainder is made up of polyunsaturated fat.

Common use

Even looking at any old cookbook from a few generations ago will reveal that butter, lard and coconut oil were all commonly used in cooking. 

During this era, heart disease was relatively unheard of.

One of the main benefits of cooking with coconut oil is that it keeps its molecular structure and can be heated to over 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatives like the polyunsaturated fats in the form of vegetable oils become unstable in high heat and turn rancid. Rancid fat in the body causes inflammation and free radical damage leading to heart disease and arthritis. 

These rancid oils actually have to be deodourised so they don’t stink when used in cooking.

The body needs saturated fat. Some 60 per cent of the brain is made up of this fat, particularly the part that is responsible for memory. 

By increasing saturated fat in the diet it will help develop tissue in the brain improving its function and build hormones in the body.

Coconut oil can also be used on the skin and hair as it has a nourishing and softening effect. The oil is easily absorbed due to its chemical structure so can replace many moisturisers and conditioners.

On the island, I have found Miles, Supermart and Harrington Hundreds to all regularly stock coconut oil on their shelves.

Try it today by using it in your cooking or simply taking a few tablespoons every day to see the wonders for yourself.