The current trend: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. It’s no secret that EFA’s (essential fatty acids) are important to your body for health reasons but I’m not convinced that folks are giving them all the credit that they deserve so lets take a closer look by examining the current trend. Extra Virgin Coconut oil is not actually an EFA or omega 3 but it acts in much the same way. It’s a medium chain fatty acid which contains lauric and capric short and medium chain fatty acids. These have many benefits including good fuel for your body that reduces carb cravings much like other fatty acids (olive oil, nuts, and fish oil). Fatty acids are essential in the body because they allow the body to except insulin from the pancreas. The insulin can then do its job of regulating carbohydrate and protein calories in the body. This means that the body will be able to utilize sugars, fats, and proteins properly without unwanted storage or an overload of sugars. THIS IS HUGE! When insulin is not accepted by the body the body overproduces it which leads to low blood sugar and additional fat storage! In addition; the body can’t produce muscle without the proper amount of proteins being delivered or stay active because of fatigue so the problem of fat storage is compounded and most people will begin eating candy to keep blood sugar levels up which compounds the problem of fat storage…get it? This commonly leads to diabetes. So, back to Extra Virgin Coconut Oil as an omega 3. All EFA’s are very important in our diet as you can see and coconut oil being an MCT (medium chain triglyceride) is a better source of fuel for the body because it is more efficiently burned. Also because fats are not accompanied by water like carbs; it will most likely result in a drop in water weight. It’s important to note that its thermogenic effect comes from its ability to burn hot in the body and therefore will aid a fast metabolism when accompanied by an active lifestyle. The conflict with this oil is that it’s a saturated fat. Some current studies however show that Trans fats, not Saturated fats are the cause of arterial cholesterol which can cause heart failure. Bottom line; more study is needed before we go coo coo over coconuts so without further data I wouldn’t recommend it to those who have serious weight problems, high cholesterol, or heart problems.
