“The Healing Magic of Coconut Oil”
COCONUT IN & of itself is a very nutritious food, that is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, medium-chain fatty acids, & immune supportmany health benefits beyond its basic & foundational nutritional content.
COCONUT OIL possesses many healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil. The coconut palm is so highly valued by many Asian & Pacific Island Cultures, that it is called “The Tree of Life.”
IN THE WEST, Coconut Oil has been thought to be extremely unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content. Recently though, many scientific studies have shown the opposite to be true. In fact, the special fat in coconut oil is quite unique from most other fats, possessing an abundance of health creating properties. There is another way to view “fats & oils”, which helps to understand why Coconut Oil is such a health giving food.
FATS & OILS are made up of molecules called fatty acids. We tend to view fats in terms of their “saturation”. There are saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, & polyunsaturated fats. We have been told that polyunsaturated fats are good for us & that saturated fats are bad for us. There is another way of classifying fats, based on the length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. In this system there are short-chain fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids, & long-chain fatty acids.
98+% of the fats & oils in our western diet, saturated, unsaturated, from plant, or animal source, are long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil on the other hand is made up of mostly of medium-chain fatty acids. The smaller size of medium-chain fatty acids is of utmost importance.
WHEN LONG-CHAIN fatty acids(saturated or unsaturated), are finally broken down by the digestive process, they are absorbed through the intestinal wall, packaged into lipoproteins, & are released into the bloodstream. As these long-chain fatty acids circulate in the bloodstream they are the source for the fat that collects in both our fat cells & in the artery walls.
MEDIUM-CHAIN fatty acids, such as those found in Coconut Oil are so quickly digested, that pancreatic enzymes are not even needed to digest them. When these medium-chain fatty acids enter the intestinal tract they have been completely broken down into free fatty acids, & are absorbed immediately into the portal vein. They then go straight to the liver, to be used as a powerful source of cellular energy.
THE IMPORTANT difference is that medium-chain fatty acids such as those found in Coconut Oil, bypass the lipoprotein stage. So, they do not circulate in the bloodstream to the degree that other fats do. The result is that they do not supply the fat that collects in fat cells or the fat that collects in artery walls. They produce energy, instead of body fat & arterial plaque.
DR. MARY ENIG, a nutritionist, a biochemist, & one of the world’s leading authorities on fats & oils, states, “Approximately 50 percent of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, & antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes, heliobacter pylori, & protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid.” The only other abundant source of Lauric acid found in nature is in human breast milk.
COCONUT OIL has also been shown to promote healthy metabolism & weight loss. This is because of it’s healthy medium-chain fatty acids. Medium-chain fatty acids do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats, but are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. The body uses the fat in coconut oil to produce energy, rather than being stored as body fat.
THE MEDIUM-CHAIN fatty acids found in coconut oil also support thyroid gland health, which speeds up the body’s metabolism, which burns more calories, thus supporting healthy weight loss. The weight loss effects of coconut oil have been clearly demonstrated by many researchers.
I USE COCONUT oil personally & with my clients, with astounding results. It is important to only use Organic Virgin Unprocessed Coconut Oil. What I have learned in both my own personal healing journey & my journey as a Health Practitioner, is that whole, natural, chemical-free, unprocessed food is vitally important for Human Health & Wellness.
Written by Pamela S. Robinson
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