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The Truth behind Coconut Cholesterol |
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Written by Webmaster
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By Garrett36 Pierson36
 Coconut oil has been used in cooking, especially in Asian cuisine, for many years. Due to the recent increase in heart related illnesses, coconut oil has been blamed as one of the culprits for this dramatic rise. It's because coconut oil contains saturated fat which has bad cholesterol. A lot of people began looking at coconut oil as an bad food product because of the high amount of saturated fat it contains. However, recent studies have proven that coconut cholesterol is actually good for the body.
Studies have confirmed that coconut cholesterol does not increase the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), also known as "bad cholesterol". There has been no conclusive evidence from these studies to suggest that coconut cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease or high blood pressure. In fact, people that use coconut oil regularly as a part of their diet have been shown to maintain a healthy level of cholesterol.
According to other studies, saturated fats aren't really the major factor for clogging the arteries which leads to numerous cardiovascular illnesses. In fact, saturated fats are essential to our
health. What we should be on the lookout for are polyunsaturated fatty acids, usually found in vegetable oil used by the majority of the world's population. In that same study, it was discovered out of the subjects who died due to heart disease only 26% were the result of saturated fat; the other 74% were from polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Although coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fat, a big part of it is lauric acid. Lauric acid is an vital component of human breast milk which is the primary source of nutrition to ensure the health of infants. Lauric acid also improves immunity, not only for infants but for adults as well. Once lauric acid is ingested, it is turned into monolaurin, a beneficial fatty acid. Monolaurin fights against a number of viruses, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms in our body. It fends off measles, influenza and other viruses by destroying its membranes. The performance of lauric acid against viruses has so much potential that there are currently studies to test whether it can treat HIV and AIDS.
Coconut cholesterol is mainly composed of medium chain triglycerides which is good for the body. Triglyceride is a fatty acid that has been linked to a cardiovascular diseases but like cholesterol, there are good and bad triglycerides. The fatty acids in coconut oil are easily digested in the body which the liver effectively converts into energy. Since the fatty acids in coconut oil are easily converted into energy, it serves as an efficient source of energy for the body. Because of this, organic extra virgin coconut oil can be used an energy supplement by athletes and could increase metabolism in the long run. Generally, three tablespoons of organic extra virgin coconut oil can be ingested as a daily supplement.
The benefits of medium chain triglyceride in coconut oil go beyond just giving athletes an extra source of energy. Since it is has a good nutritional value, it has been used in making baby formulas and is also given to feed people suffering digestive problems.
Kenn Fong is a writer focusing in the health niche. To find out everything about raise good cholesterol level, visit his website at http://www.thecholesterolscoop.com
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