Is coconut oil healthy?
Is coconut oil healthy? Coconut has become extremely popular lately, especially coconut fat and coconut oil. Consuming coconut would have many positive effects on your health. However, coconut oil consists largely of saturated fat, which is very bad for your health. It is therefore advised to only eat coconut occasionally.
Products such as coconut oil and coconut fat are seen by some as a panacea, because it is said to be incredibly healthy and not have any adverse effects. However, scientific research has shown that coconut oil and coconut fat can be bad for your health. Indeed, it is claimed that the saturated fats from coconut oil and coconut fat have chain fatty acids that are medium-long. This fat would dissolve more easily than other fats and some of the fats would go to the liver and thus the blood. This immediately provides energy, so that no fats would have to be burned. Scientific research has shown that although these fats are absorbed differently, they still need to be burned by the body. When no combustion takes place, the fats remain in the liver and there is a risk of fatty liver.
Coconut oil and coconut fat
Coconut oil and coconut fat are basically the same products. Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature and coconut oil is often solid. Coconut oil and coconut fat consist of a very large part of saturated fat, namely 85%. Saturated fat has many adverse health effects and, among other things, increases cholesterol in the blood. This can lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
Many people assume that coconut oil or coconut fat is healthy because it mainly increases the ‘good’ cholesterol instead of the ‘bad’ cholesterol. However, it is not known whether the ‘good’ cholesterol is actually that good for your health. Because this is not certain, you cannot determine whether coconut oil or coconut fat is healthy and whether it will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Nutrition Center recommends, for example, not to eat coconut products too often.
Fiber and antioxidants
Coconut products often contain a lot of saturated fats. However, this does not mean that it does not have good properties. As the Nutrition Center recommends, it is therefore important to only occasionally consume coconut products. This way you can eat excellent coconut products and experience the positive effects of coconut. Coconut, for example, consists to a large extent of fibers that ensure good digestion and coconut supports the immune system through the antioxidants present. So you can safely eat coconut products, as long as you don’t take too much of it and as long as the rest of your diet is healthy and contains little saturated fats. It is therefore not wise to always replace products such as olive oil or margarine with coconut oil or coconut fat. Coconut products are therefore not a panacea.
