Coconut oil is an increasingly popular cooking oil. Many people praise it for its health benefits, including antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, better oral and skin health, and weight loss prospects.
Here are 10 scientifically proven health benefits of coconut oil as well as some special things to keep in mind if you want to include it in your diet.
10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
1. Can Promote Fat Burning
Coconut oil is a rich source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat. In general, saturated fat is divided into three subgroups, each of which affects your body in different ways. These subgroups are:
- Long chain
- Middle series
- Short series
Scientists are studying medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), including the potential health benefits found in coconut oil. For example, there is some evidence that MCT can increase the amount of calories burned. By doing this, you can help promote weight loss. Because coconut oil contains 65% MCT, it may have the same fat burning properties as pure MCT oil.
However, there is currently no conclusive evidence that eating coconut oil alone increases the calories burned. In fact, studies on the potential of MCT for weight loss require caution in interpreting the results, as large, high-quality studies are still needed.
Although MCT can increase the number of calories you burn, keep in mind that coconut oil is high in calories and can easily lead to weight gain.
Summary
Researchers have found that the use of a type of saturated fat in coconut oil can increase calories called MCT. However, it is not yet clear whether coconut oil itself has any effect.
2. Can Act As a Quick Source Of Energy
MCT in coconut oil provides fast energy supply. When you take long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), fat molecules carry them into the bloodstream to the tissues they need, such as muscle or adipose tissue. Instead, MCT goes directly to the liver and is converted into a fast source of energy, such as carbohydrates, your body’s favorite source of energy.
In fact, MCT has long been used in sports nutrition products for athletes who need a source of energy that their bodies can quickly absorb and use.
Summary
Coconut oil is rich in MCT, which is absorbed by the body in different ways from LCT. MCT provides a fast source of energy that can be absorbed and used by your body faster than other types of saturated fats.
3. Possibly Have Antimicrobial Effects
Coconut oil has antimicrobial and antifungal properties due to its MCT content, especially lauric acid. Loric acid is a fatty acid that makes up about 50% of MCT in coconut oil.
Studies show that it may have antimicrobial effects on pathogens such as:
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Mutant streptococcus
- pyogenic streptococcus
- Coli
- Helicobacter pylori
Studies show that lauric acid may act as a bacteriostatic agent. It is a substance that prevents bacteria from growing without killing them. It can also act as a disinfectant, killing some bacteria. In addition, it can inhibit the growth of microorganisms that are harmful to plants.
Summary
The acid in coconut oil has anti-microbial properties against various harmful microorganisms.
4. It Can Help Reduce Appetite
An interesting feature of MCT is that it can help reduce food intake. It can be explained by how the body breaks it down. Some of the MCT you eat breaks down in a process that produces a molecule called ketones. Ketones reduce appetite by acting directly on chemical messengers in the brain or by altering the levels of appetite-producing hormones, such as household.
You will be familiar with ketones in the context of the ketogenic diet which is very popular these days. People on a ketogenic diet do not eat much carbohydrates, but they usually eat a lot of fat. Because of this, their bodies use ketones for fuel.
However, although coconut oil is one of the richest natural sources of MCTs, there is no evidence that coconut oil alone reduces appetite more than other oils. In fact, one study found that coconut oil is lower than MCT oil.
Summary
MCTs can help reduce food intake and reduce appetite. However, evidence suggests that coconut oil may not necessarily have the same effect.
5. May Help Reduce Pain
People have long used ketogenic, low-carbohydrate, high-fat foods to treat a variety of ailments, including drug-resistant epilepsy. They have been shown to help reduce the frequency of seizures. Researchers believe that the lack of glucose available to fuel brain cells is a possible explanation for the decrease in seizure frequency in people with epilepsy who follow a ketogenic diet.
However, in general, there is insufficient evidence for the use of ketogenic foods in adults and children with epilepsy, so further research is needed. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates lowers blood glucose levels and increasing the amount of fat leads to a significant increase in the number of ketones. Your brain can use ketones for energy instead of glucose.
Recently, people have found that they can effectively treat epilepsy by following a modified ketogenic diet that includes MCTs and more carbohydrates to produce ketosis. Research shows that the MCTs in coconut oil are transmitted to the liver and converted into ketones.
Summary
MCTs in coconut oil can increase the number of ketones in the blood, which can help reduce the frequency of seizures.
6. Can Improve Skin Health
There are many uses for coconut oil that have nothing to do with food. Many people use it cosmetically to improve the health and appearance of their skin. Studies show that coconut oil can increase the moisture of dry skin. It can also improve skin function, help prevent excessive water loss, and protect it from external factors such as infectious agents, chemicals and allergens.
In fact, a recent study found that applying 6 to 8 drops of virgin coconut oil on your hands and leaving it overnight to prevent dry skin caused by excessive use of coconut based hand sanitizer. Can be an effective method. It can also reduce the severity of symptoms of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation of the skin and obstruction of the skin.
Summary
Coconut oil can help moisturize the skin and improve skin barrier function.
7. It Can Protect Your Hair
Coconut oil can also protect hair from damage. For example, research has shown that because coconut oil penetrates deep into the hair follicles, it makes them more flexible and increases their strength, preventing them from breaking when pulled. ۔
Similarly, other studies show that coconut oil nourishes the hair follicles and reduces damage, strengthening the hair.
Summary
Coconut oil can help strengthen hair, increase elasticity and reduce hair loss.
8. Can Improve Oral Health
Evidence suggests that using coconut oil as a mouthwash, the process of extracting the oil, effectively benefits oral hygiene. Oil extraction involves gargling with coconut oil as a mouthwash. It can significantly reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth, namely S. mutans, compared to the usual mouthwash. This is thought to be due to the antibacterial properties of lauric acid.
In addition, the lauric acid in coconut oil reacts with saliva to form a soapy substance that closes the cavities and helps reduce plaque and gum disease. However, research shows that data on this topic is limited and that oil removal is not a substitute for dental treatment. Further studies are needed on the effects of oil attraction on oral health.
Summary
Coconut oil can be a cheap remedy for improving oral health due to its lauric acid content.
9. May Help Reduce Alzheimer’s Symptoms
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
This condition reduces your brain’s ability to use glucose for energy. However, researchers believe that ketones can alleviate the early symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease by providing alternative sources of energy for brain cells.
Because of this, individual products such as coconut oil have been researched for their potential role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. However, large human studies are needed.
Summary
Because coconut oil is rich in MCT, which significantly increases ketone levels in the blood, it has the potential to help with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. However, further study is needed.
10. A good source of antioxidants
Coconut oil is a good source of antioxidants that help neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals. This, in turn, helps prevent some chronic and degenerative diseases.
There are some important types of antioxidants in oil:
- Tocopherol
- Tocotrienol
- Phytosterols
- Flavonoid
- Polyphenols
The antioxidants in coconut oil provide anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties. One study also suggested that coconut oil, especially MCT lauric acid, may play a potential role in reducing secondary complications of diabetes.
Summary
Coconut oil is a good source of antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-brain effects.
Special Considerations
In recent years, coconut oil has been described as good for heart health. This is because there is some evidence that it can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. However, data on the effects of coconut oil on blood cholesterol levels are contradictory.
Another study found that it can significantly increase LDL (bad) cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Possible explanations of conflicting results may vary between studies. For example, some studies compare the effects of coconut oil with other sources of saturated vegetable fats, while others compare it with saturated animal fats such as butter.
Compared to vegetable fats, coconut oil raises LDL (bad) and total cholesterol to higher levels. However, this increase was less than that of oil. Increasing HDL (good) cholesterol actually lowers your risk of heart disease, so you might think that raising HDL with coconut oil can be beneficial.
However, the American Heart Association (AHA) has determined that an increase in HDL levels due to diet or drug therapy is not directly related to changes in heart disease risk. Therefore, increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol outweighs its benefits. That is why the AHA does not recommend using it for heart health.
This does not necessarily mean that you should avoid coconut oil altogether. Try to limit your intake of saturated fat to the current recommendations, which is less than 10% of total calories.
Summary
There is conflicting evidence about the benefits of coconut oil for heart health. However, the AHA advises against taking it to reduce the risk of heart disease. Try to limit your daily calorie intake to 10%.
The Bottom Line
Coconut oil has several health benefits, both when added to the diet and when used for cosmetic purposes. However, take it in moderation. Health officials recommend eating in moderation to avoid the increased risk of heart disease.Click Here To Get More Information About Health Problems
