Coconut oil is one of the only foods you could legitimately call a “superfood.”
Coconut oil is also of the most controversial foods on the market right now.
There are 3 types of people you meet when you mention coconut oil:
1.) The person who will NEVER touch it because it contains saturated fat and they have been lied to believe that this fat causes heart disease (they are wrong)
2.) The person who sees the benefits, but is scared to eat because it’s too high in calories and they have been led to believe that all calories are created equal (they are wrong)
3.) The person who literally uses it for EVERYTHING (they are right)
In this article I will prove to you why you should eat at least 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil every day to lose weight, boost your health, and feel amazing.
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 1: Coconut Oil Will Help You Lose Weight
Even though 1 Tbsp. of Coconut oil contains 120 calories, these 120 calories don’t act the same in the body as say, 120 calories of canola oil.
The different types of foods we eat can have a huge effect on our hormones and metabolic health.
Coconut oil is more thermogenic, compared to other foods and fats. This means eating it tends to increase energy expenditure. In other words, eat more coconut oil to burn more calories.
In order to lose weight 2 things need to happen:
First, you need to be in a calorie deficit, which doesn’t necessarily mean you need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. It means you need to eat foods that boost your metabolism, not suppress it, so you can nourish your body AND set the stage to free the trapped fat to be burned by your muscles.
The second thing that needs to happen to effortlessly lose weight is hormonal balance. This means maintaining healthy organs, specifically your liver and thyroid.
Coconut oil not only helps your body burn MORE calories than it takes in (assuming you’re eating high quality foods), but it protects your liver, so your thyroid can function at a higher level.
Eat coconut oil….lose weight.
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 2: Coconut Oil is PRO-Health, because it’s ANTI-Everything
You’ve probably read about anti-inflammatory foods and how they help reduce free radical production in the body, which keeps your cells healthy by preventing or slowing oxidative stress/damage.
Well coconut oil, not only tops the list of anti-inflammatory foods, but check out its other healing superpowers:
- Anti-bacterial—stops bacteria that cause gum disease, throat infections, urinary tract infections and ulcers in their tracks.
- Anti-carcinogenic—keeps dangerous cancer cells from spreading while boosting immunity.
- Anti-fungal—destroys infection-promoting fungus and yeast.
- Anti-inflammatory—suppresses inflammation and repairs tissue.
- Anti-microbial—inactivates harmful microbes and fights infection.
- Anti-oxidant—protects from free radical damage.
- Anti-retroviral/parasitic/protozoa/viral, rids the body of lice, tapeworms and other parasites, kills protozoan infection in the gut, kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis and more.
Imagine how your health, immunity, and ability to burn fat would increase if you chose to eat just TWO tablespoons of this superfood?
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 3: Coconut Oil Stabilizes Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
It may sound strange that coconut oil, a fat, can help control blood sugar and insulin levels, since coconut oil has no direct impact on blood sugar levels.
But the indirect effect is where the magic happens.
Doctors and nutritionists typically recommend that diabetics follow a diet low in fat, low in refined sugar and high in other carbohydrates.
They must have skipped or glanced over the fact that coconut oil helps glucose enter your cell, slowing and reducing insulin levels in the blood.
Or the part about how it’s important to eat balanced meals that contain all food types, and it’s especially important to choose high quality fats like coconut oil.
The healthy fat in coconut oil plays an essential role in regulating blood sugar: it slows the digestive process to ensure a steady, even stream of energy from your food by lowering the overall glycemic index of your meal. When you include coconut oil in a meal with carbohydrates, the carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly, so blood sugar levels remain steady even after you eat.
Coconut oil consists of medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), unlike modern vegetable oils like soybean, corn, and canola oils which are made of long-chain fatty acids, mostly PUFAs)
Here’s the KEY takeaway: Oils that consist mainly of long-chain fatty acids may actually decrease cells’ ability to absorb blood sugar, which could cause or exacerbate insulin resistance and diabetes.
Healthy cells use glucose, unhealthy cells don’t.
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 4: Coconut Oil Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease
Populations who eat coconut oil are some of the healthiest on the planet, and it’s no surprise that they have the have the strongest hearts.
A study on Polynesians who consume over 60% of their total calories from coconut were shown to be in superb health with no evidence of heart disease. (Read study here)
Another population, in Papea New Guinea who thrive on coconut oil and other coconut foods show no signs of stroke or heart attacks. (Read study here)
Yet, the United States has seen a significant rise in heart disease, strokes, high cholesterol, and more….for the past 60 years. Ironically, around the time saturated fat was named Enemy #1.
Unlike polyunsaturated fatty acid oils, coconut oil does not oxidize when exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, so it doesn’t cause arterial damage as shown by the role of oxidative stress on your arteries (here)
If you have a history of heart disease in your family, switching to coconut oil will have an immediate positive impact on your health and well-being.
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 5: Coconut Oil Boosts Thyroid Function
If you head to the Mayoclinic or Webmd you’ll find NOTHING positive about coconut oil, especially when it comes to its ability to boost thyroid levels and metabolic rate.
But, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been questioning WHY:
- Why 34% of adults are affected with Metabolic syndrome (source)
- Why over 20 million of Americans have some form of thyroid disease (source)
- Why our consumption of polyunsaturated oils has increased since the early 1900s
There are many published studies on the relationship between coconut oil, metabolism and thyroid. Research shows that coconut oil contains unique fatty acids that stimulate metabolism, supply the body with tremendous energy, and promote weight loss.
Most people are unaware that hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease and this is one of the main reasons why conventional pharmaceutical treatments are ineffective. Taking replacement thyroid hormones without addressing the underlying immune imbalance is like trying to change the type of oil in your engine with the hope that your transmission will stop failing…useless.
In order to truly address thyroid problems you need to reduce INFLAMMATION, because inflammation decreases the conversion of T4 to T3. T4 is the inactive form of thyroid hormone. The body has to convert it to the active T3 form before it can be used.
Coconut oil reduces inflammation and supports a healthy liver ensuring an efficient T4 to T3 conversion.
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 6: Coconut Oil Kills Candida Fungus
In a new study, published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal Sphere, researchers found that coconut oil can fight a bloodstream infection caused by the Candida albicans fungus, according to The Medical Daily.
Symptoms of candida overgrowth are:
- Skin and nail fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus
- Feeling tired and worn down, or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
- Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
- Autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma, or multiple sclerosis
- Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD, and brain fog
- Skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
- Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
- Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching, or vaginal itching
- Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
It’s estimated by recent research from Rice University shows that 70 percent of all people are affected by Candida, a systemic fungal infection.
I know, it’s hard to believe you could have a fungus growing throughout your body.
If you have an overgrowth of Candida, it could be the very reason you don’t optimal and you can’t seem to sleep well, lose weight, or reduce your stress.
Coconut oil stops candida in its tracks!
Reason to Eat Coconut Oil # 7: Eating Coconut Oil Daily Will Help You Get a Flat Belly
Given the 6 previous reasons you should eat coconut every day, it’s no surprise that coconut oil can help you burn stubborn belly fat.
Most women don’t achieve the elusive “flat belly” because they just aren’t healthy enough.
That may or may not make any sense to you, but it’s the truth most women don’t want to hear.
They want to know things like:
- Simply taking 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil every day will MELT fat off of their body.
- Coconut oil can help burn off visceral fat, the most dangerous fat of all and is highly associated with many Western diseases.
- Coconut Oil will give them glowing skin, radiant hair, and a clear brain.
If you like hearing things like that, then you’re in luck, because coconut oil CAN and WILL provide you with a flat belly.
A study in 40 women with abdominal obesity, supplementing with coconut oil per day lead to a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference in a period of 12 weeks (read study here)
I want to be perfectly clear, a flat belly won’t magically appear overnight after your first days, weeks, or maybe even months after starting your daily coconut oil habit.
The things that are most worth it, take time.
It’s a universal truth, when you avoid short cuts and really work for something and really enjoy the process, you will not only receive what you want, but you’ll hold onto it.
Ask yourself the question: “Would I rather have a flat belly in 4 weeks that lasts 1 week OR would I rather have a flat belly that takes 4 months, but lasts forever?”
Your answer will determine your habits.
References:
References/ Weight Management
- Lipids – 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13, Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity. Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL 57072-970, Brazil.
- Am J Clin Nutr. – 2005 Jan;81(1):7-15. Dietary fats, teas, dairy, and nuts: potential functional foods for weight control? St-Onge MP. Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Obesity Research Center, St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA.
References/ Immune Health
- Pharm Biol. 2010 Feb;48(2):151-7. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and
antipyretic activities of virgin coconut oil. Intahphuak S, Khonsung P,
Panthong A. McCormick Faculty of Nursing, Payap University, Chiang Mai,
Thailand.
- Research shows that lauric acid can increase our body’s production of monolaurin, enhancing anti-bacterial protection.
- Studies also suggest that virgin coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and analgesic and properties.
Reference/ Cardiovascular Health
- Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1146-55. Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB. Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
References/Skin Health
- Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats. Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Department of Biochemistry, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
- Dermatitis. 2008 Nov-Dec;19(6):308-15. Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS. Skin and Cancer Foundation, Pasig, Philippines.
- Dermatitis. 2004 Sept;15(3):109-16. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM. Department of Dermatology, Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines.
Reference/ Hair health
- J Cosmet Sci. 2003 Mar-Apr;54(2):175-92. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. Rele AS, Mohile RB. Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India.
References/ Performance Enhancement
- Nutr Hosp. 2012 Jan-Feb;27(1):103-8. doi: 10.1590/S0212-16112012000100011. Influence of the dietary intake of medium chain triglycerides on body composition, energy expenditure and satiety: a systematic review. Rego Costa AC, Rosado EL, Soares-Mota M. Instituto de Nutrição Josué de Castro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
- Eur J Nutr. 2013 Sep;52(6):1579-85. doi: 10.1007/s00394-012-0463-9. Epub 2012 Nov 20. Combined medium-chain triglyceride and chilli feeding increases diet-induced thermogenesis in normal-weight humans. Clegg ME, Golsorkhi M, Henry CJ. Functional Food Centre, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
More in depth references here.