Saturated fat. It almost feels like a dirty word – especially if you pay attention to the way it’s portrayed in the media! We’ve been told to avoid saturated fats, that they’re bad for you and will cause weight gain and heart problems. But, what if certain saturated fats were actually incredibly beneficial for your health!?
Well, researchers suggest that not all saturated fats are equal, and the difference is really quite simple. Man-made saturated fats, which are artificial and hydrogenated and present in processed foods, vegetable and seed oils, are bad for your health. These fats are also known as trans fats and it is this artificial hydrogenation process that causes all the health problems you know about.
However, there is another type of saturated fat – natural saturated fat that occurs in nature! Coconut oil is filled with this type, and it could actually have many wonderful health benefits. Because this is naturally occurring and not artificially added, it is proposed to does not become trans fat and does not clog your arteries or give you health problems. Instead, it is naturally packed with a rare saturated fatty acid called lauric acid. This makes up over half of coconut oil’s fat content.
Lauric acid is converted in the body to monolaurin, which some suggest has loads of antibacterial, antiviral, and antiprotozoal properties. It could potentially help treat and prevent disease, and coconut oil has it in spades – more than any other substance on earth! Coconut oil is also rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), whereas artificial, hydrogenated saturates have long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) instead. LCFAs are possibly the cause of the negative health problems associated with saturated fat, as they are difficult for the body to digest, strain your organs, and store as fat and artery-clogging cholesterol.
Coconut oil has no LCFAs but is packed with MCFAs, which researchers suggest are easy to digest, sent directly to the liver and are immediately converted to energy, are not stored as fat, and even stimulate the metabolism! This is ideal especially for diabetics and pre-diabetics, as it can give you fast-acting energy that doesn’t produce an insulin spike, and can be used instead of carbs!
Many studies have been done demonstrating that tropical populations who consume high-fat coconut based diets are among the healthiest on Earth! Some suggest that these are some of the most healthy people out there! In the face of evidence like this, it becomes apparent that saturated fats are definitely not created equal – and that natural saturated fats certainly shouldn’t be tarred with the same brush as their awful artificial counterparts.
Put that vegetable and palm oil in the bin, and switch to coconut oil! Your body will thank you.