Top 10 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an increasingly popular cooking oil. Many people praise it for its health benefits, including antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, improved skin and oral health, and weight loss potential. Here are 10 evidence-based health benefits of coconut oil, plus some special considerations to keep in mind if you want to include it in your diet.
Kairos Best Coconut Oil
99 kcal / 407 kj
0.7g mono-unsaturated fat
0.2g polyunsaturated fat
Kairos Pure Coconut pIl
May encourage fat burning
Coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat.
In general, saturated fats are divided into three subgroups, each of which has different effects in your body. These subgroups are
long-chain,medium-chain,short-chainScientists are studying medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), including those found in coconut oil, for their potential health benefits.For instance, some evidence shows that consuming MCTs may increase the number of calories your body burns. In doing so, it may help promote weight loss.
The MCTs in coconut oil provide a quick supply of energy. When you eat long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), the fat molecules are transported through your blood to tissues that need them, such as muscle or fat tissue. On the other hand, MCTs go straight to your liver and become a rapid energy supply in much the same way as carbs — your body’s preferred source of energy.In fact, MCTs have been long used in sports nutrition products for athletes who need a source of energy their body can absorb and use fast
May have antimicrobial effects
Coconut oil has antimicrobial and antifungal properties due to its MCT content — specifically, lauric acid (1Trusted Source). Lauric acid is a fatty acid that makes up about 50% of the MCTs in coconut oil.
Studies show that lauric acid may act as a bacteriostatic agent. This is a substance that prevents bacteria from multiplying without killing the bacteria. It may also act as a bacteriocidal agent, which destroys some bacteria (1Trusted Source,.In addition, it may also inhibit the growth of microorganisms that are harmful to plants.
May help reduce hunger
One interesting feature of MCTs is that they may help reduce food intake (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source). This may be related to how the body breaks them down. A proportion of MCTs you eat are broken down in a process that produces molecules called ketones Ketones reduce appetite by either acting directly on the brain’s chemical messengers or altering the levels of hunger-inducing hormones, such as ghrelin.
You may be familiar with ketones in the context of ketogenic diets, which are quite popular these days. People who are on keto diets don’t eat many carbs, but they do often eat lots of fat. For this reason, their bodies tend to use ketones for fuel. However, though coconut oil is one of the richest natural sources of MCTs, there’s no evidence that coconut oil itself reduces appetite more than other oils. In fact, one study reports that coconut oil is less filling than MCT oil.
May help reduce seizures
People have long used keto diets, which are very low in carbs and high in fats, to treat various disorders, including drug-resistant epilepsy. They have been shown to help reduce how often seizures happen.Researchers believe that the lack of available glucose to fuel brain cells is a possible explanation for the reduction in seizure frequency in people with epilepsy on ketogenic diets.
However, overall, there’s a lack of evidence for the use of keto diets in adults and infants with epilepsy, so more research is needed.
Reducing your carb intake reduces the glucose in your blood, and increasing your fat intake leads to significantly increased concentrations of ketones. Your brain can use ketones as an energy source instead of glucose.
Best benefits
People have long used keto diets, which are very low in carbs and high in fats, to treat various disorders, including drug-resistant epilepsy. They have been shown to help reduce how often seizures happen.Researchers believe that the lack of available glucose to fuel brain cells is a possible explanation for the reduction in seizure frequency in people with epilepsy on ketogenic diets.