Coconut Oil Is Surprisingly Good Fat

Don't be afraid to use coconut oil once in a while. For a long time it was wrongly associated with many of the "bad" saturated fats, and was unfairly accused of being potential cause of increased cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease. But the opposite is actually true, as it's been shown to lower cholesterol and support a healthy heart.

Coconut oil has been consumed in the tropics for thousands of years. It was once prevalent in western countries, including the United States; popular cookbooks advertised it at the nineteenth century. With a long shelf life and a melting point of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, it was a favorite in the baking industry. But a negative campaign against saturated fats in general-and the tropical oils in particular-led most food manufacturers to abandon coconut oil in favor of the polyunsaturated oils that come from the main cash crops in the United States, particularly soy.

The attitude toward coconut has shifted now that studies prove just how beneficial soil can be. Studies of native diets show that indigenous populations are generally in good health, and don't suffer from many of the modern diseases that plague western nations. In fact people who live in tropical climates and have a diet high in coconut oil less heart disease, cancer, and colon disorders.

Current studies toward coconut have shifted now that studies prove just how beneficial this oil can be. Studies of native diets show that indigenous populations are generally in good health, and don't suffer from many of the modern diseases that plague western nations. In fact, people who live in tropical climates and have a diet high in coconut oil have less heart disease, cancer, and colon disorders.

Current studies of this oil show that it can have anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects. It may reduce cholesterol and stimulate your thyroid to support your efforts at weight loss. The secret to coconut oil's germ-fighting characteristics is lauric acid, the most prevalent fatty acid found in the oil. Lauric acid is also prominent in the saturated fat o human breast milk, giving vital immune-building properties during a child's stage of life. Except for human breast milk, nature's most abundant source of lauric acid is coconut oil.

In the 1940s farmers tried using coconut oil to fatten their animals but discovered that it made the animals lean and active and increased their appetite. Oops! The farmers then tried an antithyroid drug, which made the livestock fat with less food but was found to be a cancer-causing agent. By the late 1940s, farmers noticed that the same antithyroid effect could be achieved by simply feeding animals' soybeans and corn.