by Anne

Coconut oil - miracle weapon or cholesterol bomb?

Coconut oil has long been used in Europe not only for the prepar...
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Coconut oil has long been used in Europe not only for the preparation of exotic dishes, but is also absolutely trendy as a natural remedy and in skin care. However, when it comes to the question of how far it is actually superior to other oils and fats, opinions differ. While one side is promoting coconut oil as a kind of panacea with which all diseases, obesity and skin problems can be eliminated, critical voices have become increasingly loud in recent years, complaining about the lack of evidence for some theses and sometimes even about the possible harmfulness of the Warn consumption of coconut oil. This article aims to show which effects ascribed to coconut oil can actually be scientifically explained and supported by studies and which are not.

THAT DOES COCONUT OIL

  1. Coconut oil tastes good and is easy to digest.
  2. Coconut oil cares for the skin.
  3. Coconut oil can help fight disease-causing viruses and bacteria.

Overview:

What is coconut oil
Can you eat coconut oil and coconut fat?
Coconut oil helps you lose weight?
Coconut oil helps against diseases?
Is coconut oil healthy or harmful on your skin??
Conclusion

What is coconut oil?

Coconut oil is a fat that is pressed from the pulp of coconuts or obtained from coconut milk. Coconut oil is liquid at a room temperature of at least 23c. If it is colder, the aggregate state changes and the coconut oil takes on a creamy to firm form. However, it is important to distinguish whether it is virgin coconut fat or something that is pressed from dried coconut meat and / or artificially treated..

Coconut oil consists largely of medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid. These are saturated fatty acids with8 to 12 carbon atoms. By comparison, long-chain fatty acids contain 14 to 24 carbon atoms.

Fatty acids in coconut oil

Lauric acid

44-52%

Capric acid

6-10%

Caprylic acid

5 - 9%

Myristic acid

13-19%

Palminic acid

8-11%

Stearic acid

1 - 3%

Unsaturated stearic acidt)

5 - 8%

Linoleic acid unsaturatedt)

0 - 1%

Can you eat coconut oil and coconut fat?

Just like the meat and milk of the coconut, various products obtained and processed from it can be consumed by people. A ripe coconut already consists of around 35 coconut oil and is known to be easy to eat. In contrast to coconuts, many other sources of edible oil, such as the very hard and relatively dry rapeseed, are usually not consumed raw. Thus, coconut oil is particularly characterized by the fact that it is a natural oil and food..

Coconut products such as coconut oil have been staple foods for centuries for many peoples, for example in the South Sea region, because they have many positive properties and can be used in a wide variety of ways. Coconut oil is considered to be comparatively easy to digest and antibacterial. It is also said to help regulate blood fat levels and reduce body weight.

Coconut oil helps you lose weight?

Opinions differ on the question of whether and, if so, to what extent coconut oil has a positive effect on health and the reduction of body weight. Critics complain about the quality of coconut oil, for example, that it mainly contains saturated fatty acids, which are generally not known for contributing to a healthy, lean body. Saturated fatty acids are often found in products of animal origin and are primarily associated with high cholesterol levels.

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However, it cannot be ascertained that people in Thailand, Vietnam or in the South Sea region who consume comparatively high amounts of coconut oil often suffer from heart disease or other complaints that are typically associated with saturated fatty acids. The opposite is the case: these peoples have included coconut oil in their diet for centuries and are hardly aware of ailments such as obesity, heart attacks and strokes.

A study from Japan published in 2001 offers an explanation, which came to the conclusion that a diet with fats from medium-chain fatty acids, which also includes coconut oil, significantly accelerated weight loss and the reduction in the percentage of body fat in overweight people compared to the consumption of fats from long-chain fatty acids . It is therefore not only decisive whether the components of an oil or fat are saturated or unsaturated fatty acids, but also, for example, what type of saturated fatty acids are involved.

According to current knowledge, it cannot be assumed that an additional dietary supplement intake of coconut oil will reduce weight. However, it is likely that coconut oil with its easily digestible medium-chain fatty acids can promote weight loss compared to some other fats and, conversely, contributes less to weight gain than, for example, the consumption of fats from long-chain fatty acids. To get a complete picture, compare coconut oil with other oils, such as those that consist mostly of unsaturated fatty acids.

Coconut oil helps against diseases?

Medium-chain fatty acids, which are largely made up of coconut oil, provide about 1 calorie less per gram than many other fatty acids. They easily reach the liver via the bloodstream and can be digested without the use of bile acids. They are also comparatively little stored in fat deposits and used more for energy production.

About half of the fatty acid composition of coconut oil is made up of medium-chain lauric acid, which is found in thehuman body to the monoglycerideMonolaurin converts. In the case of viruses that are encased in a lipid envelope, this can dissolve this envelope and thus stop the activity of the virus. Viruses with such a lipid envelope include flu, herpes, and HI viruses. Capric acid, which is converted into monocaprine in the body, also has a comparable effect against various viruses. It makes up about 6 to 10 of the fatty acids in coconut oil.

It was also found that medium chain fatty acids help fight bacteria likeChlamydia and fungal infections like Candida albicans to be able to help. Critics, on the other hand, fear that the antibacterial effect of coconut oil could have harmful effects on the desired bacteria in the intestine if consumed in excess. Those affected who want to use coconut oil to fight infectious diseases should discuss their individual case with a doctor as a precaution.

Is coconut oil healthy or harmful on your skin??

Like other oils, coconut oil provides moisture and protects the skin from drying out. Sometimes it is even used as a lubricant gel, where it comes into contact with the mucous membranes. As a rule, this does not cause any problems, but since every skin is of course individual, you should proceed carefully when using it for the first time and stop immediately if there are symptoms and ask a doctor for advice.

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The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil workantimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal, which is why they are used to combat various infectious diseases. These include herpes viruses, skin and vaginal fungi and various microbes that can cause itching and rashes on the skin. These properties also apply to various other oils, although coconut oil is normally very pleasant to the touch on the skin and has no irritating or even corrosive effects, as can be the case with essential oils. For example, oregano oil and tea tree oil already warn people with their pungent smell, which sometimes even stings in the nose. Coconut oil, on the other hand, only has a very mild, barely perceptible, slightly sweet scent.

Since the human skin also needs air to breathe, it is of course not advisable to permanently cover the entire body with a layer of oil. Nevertheless, one can say that coconut oil in particular has caring and health-promoting effects on the skin.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be summarized that coconut oil has properties that can have a positive effect on the health of the skin and body. The advantage of coconut oil over some other oils lies mainly in the high proportion of medium-chain fatty acids, which are used to combat various pathogens in infectious diseases in the body and on the skin.

Coconut oil is also particularly suitable for the preparation of various dishes due to its pleasant taste and relatively easy digestibility. The storage of body fat is promoted at least to a lesser extent than when some other fats are consumed.

Further research is required to examine other theses, such as the harmfulness for intestinal bacteria and the quality of other oils made from predominantly unsaturated fatty acids.

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