Is Coconut Oil Healthy? The Answer Will Surprise You!

What's different about coconut oil that would prompt anyone to ask the question, "Is coconut oil healthy?" Well, the primary reason is that it's made up of 90 percent saturated fat, and saturated fat has been demonized as the primary cause of heart disease for the last 50 years or so.

Trouble is, that theory just isn't true. Let's take a look at the whole saturated fat-heart disease argument and discover the truth.

The Lipid Hypothesis

This theory, called the "lipid hypothesis," was proposed by a researcher named Ancel Keys in the late 1950's, and has been considered the standard ever since. Based on Dr. Keys' conclusions, there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease.

As it turns out, Dr. Keys extracted only the data that supported his conclusion, and omitted data that conflicted with it. A quick look at the statistics for heart disease clearly demonstrates the fallacy of the saturated fat theory.

Before 1920, coronary heart disease was rare. During the next forty years, however, the incidence of coronary heart disease rose dramatically, so much so that, by the mid-fifties, heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans.

The rate of heart disease has continued to climb since then. Today, it causes about 40% of all U.S. deaths. If heart disease is a result of the consumption of saturated fats, one would expect to find a corresponding increase of saturated fat in the American diet.

In fact, it's just the opposite. During the sixty-year period from 1910 to 1970, the proportion of animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%, and butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per year to just four. Since the 1930's, dietary cholesterol intake in the U.S. has increased only one percent.

What else has significantly changed in the typical American diet during that time? Well, the population is now consuming four times as many vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils, and the consumption of sugar and processed foods has increased about 60 percent. All of these foods are now recognized as contributing to the epidemic of heart disease we see today.

In light of these facts, how could anyone still believe that saturated fat intake causes heart disease?

Is coconut oil healthy? Fact: It actually improves heart health!

There's a significant property of coconut oil that distinguishes it from other sources of saturated fat and contributes to its health benefits. Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides. Research has demonstrated that medium-chain fats actually protect against heart disease - and may one day even be used as a treatment to cure it!

MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs. These are now known to not be heart-healthy at all!

Although coconut oil is predominately a saturated fat, it does not have a negative effect on cholesterol. Natural coconut oil tends to increase HDL cholesterol and improve the cholesterol profile.

Coconut oil has been found to have many other properties associated with a reduced risk of heart disease compared to other dietary oils. Besides improved cholesterol readings, studies have found lower body fat levels, reduced tendency to form blood clots, and higher levels of antioxidants throughout your body.

Is coconut oil healthy? The answer is a resounding YES! Start adding the Benefits of Coconut Oil to your diet today!

Stan Mrak has had a passion for antiaging nutrition for over 30 years. Visit his website at www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com for the most practical and useful information on antioxidants anywhere. Discover how antioxidants hold the secret for staying young and avoiding degenerative diseases.