Is Coconut Oil Healthy?

If you fry eggs in a skillet everyday, try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil into the pan. This helps make the pan very easy to rinse and clean after you’re done getting the eggs out and onto your breakfast plate.

Coconut oil is old-fashioned, natural and good for you. Recently, it has become trendy and popular. At first, it was touted as a magical elixir with so many health benefits that it went flying off the shelves. More recently, some reports have come out saying it’s not good for you. What are we the people supposed to think?

Dr. Gerard believes there’s healthy fat in coconut oil that’s good for you. What makes it a superfood? Well, it has lauric acid, and with seven grams per tablespoon, it’s a great source of lauric acid– a saturated fatty acid often lacking in Western diets these days.

Years ago, the industry turned to highly processed vegetable oils, which can be found in tons of food products today. Traditional things, like coconut oil, were shunned with the thinking that they were the cause of people’s high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease. However, research has since shown coconut oil has health-promoting fat in it, the kind with powerful antioxidant qualities. Interestingly, the “right” kind of fat can actually reduce cholesterol levels. Coconut oil contains the “right” kind of fat that’s good for your body.

Coconut oil specifically can help prevent “bad” (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing in artery walls. Furthermore, it boosts the level of “good” (HDL) cholesterol.

There have been over 1,500 studies of coconut oil and they’ve concluded it’s one of the healthiest things we could ingest! Also, it’s a good source of energy, quickly turning into fuel in a three step process, whereas other fats go through a 26-step process. The fatty acids found in coconut oil are easier to digest than long-chain fatty acids found in plant-based oils, and they’re not readily stored as fat. Meanwhile, they’re anti-fungal and anti-microbial. No wonder many people use coconut oil on their skin as a natural healer and moisturizer!

If you have specific questions about what foods are good for you to eat versus which ones you should avoid in order to feel better overall, don’t hesitate to call and talk to Dr. Gerard. Better yet, consider making an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic; please call 651-464-0800 to do so today.