CONFUSED ABOUT THOSE COCONUT OIL CLAIM? HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

There has been major buzz lately over everyone's favourite obsession: coconut oil. The fitness community raves about its fat-burning benefits, while beauty gurus preach about its hair- and skin-nourishing properties.  

But its health benefits? Those are being put into question with a new statement by the American Heart Association (AHA). The claims are raising some eyebrows and have people second-guessing, is coconut oil healthy? We break it down.

What The AHA Is Saying

According to the AHA, a diet high in saturated fat contributes to a higher risk of heart disease (think, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, etc). Nothing new coming from the AHA, however. Their statement breaks down older studies conducted on saturated fats and their link to high-cholesterol levels (their indicator of heart health). 

Coconut? Will it Help With Weight Loss?

Just like in the world of fashion, food trends fluctuate every year. And for 2017, Whole Foods predicted it's going to be the year of coconut everything. It's going way past your basic coconut water. Think coconut butter, chips, ice cream. Coconut everything, everywhere.

But if you think the new health food fad is the key to helping you drop pounds this year, you might want to read the fine print. We spoke with nutritionists to find out whether going cray-cray for coconut is worth the hype.

It Can Help Crush Cravings

As it turns out, coconut has properties that can keep you fuller longer. “The fat content in coconut is a medium-chain triglyceride, which helps with satiety,” says Lisa Cohn, R.D. consultant for miVIP Surgery Centers. Plus, the fruit provides sugar for quick energy while the fat digests slowly. That winning combo gives you long-lasting energy and prevents hunger and cravings by keeping your blood sugar levels in check.

Cohn recommends adding jarred or fresh coconut to juices and smoothies, and coconut flakes to hot or dry cereals, fresh salads, and cooked dishes. 

10 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil.

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.”

Its benefits include weight loss, better brain function, skin health and many more.

Here are 10 impressive health benefits of coconut oil.

1. Coconut Oil Contains Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat.

In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated .

However, new data is showing that saturated fats are mostly harmless. Many studies with hundreds of thousands of people have found no link to heart disease .

Additionally, coconut oil doesn’t contain your average saturated fats, like the ones you would find in cheese or steak.

They contain Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.

Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.

They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source of energy or turned into so-called ketones, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

Bottom Line: Coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.