Kookoo for coconuts

There’s a lot of chatter about coconut oil and coconut water-based drinks. It seems coconut oil is being promoted as a “new” weight loss aid. It looks like this seed is undergoing a kind of renaissance after being blacklisted just a few years ago.

Tropical oils were deemed verboten when everyone started paying attention to saturated fat. But there is new research which shows coconut oil may not be the bad guy once thought. While coconut oil is no doubt primarily saturated fat, it is not from an animal source and the fatty acids are primarily medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are more easily utilized by the body and can even give the body a sense of fullness.

There is also some scattered talk that MCTs can increase your metabolism but studies have only been done on animals and there is no indication it will work at all with humans.

There is also some evidence that coconut oil does not raise cholesterol significantly. In fact, it raises HDL or good cholesterol. However, olive oil and canola are still better choices. But for an occasional flavor enhancer, coconut milk is a great substitute for milk or water. I use it to make rice and also for oatmeal when I’m in the mood for something a little exotic.

There are sports drinks being marketed now with the primary ingredient being coconut water. But with less salt and more potassium, these really are not the satisfying electrolyte charged drinks an athlete needs. So if you like the sports drink without all the work to earn it, then a coconut water drink might be for you.

The take away here is that coconut oils may not be as bad as once thought and in fact can be good for adding variety and nutritional diversity to your diet. Canola and olive oil are still the better health choice. More research will need to be done to confirm some of the more extraordinary claims, but still, I’m glad to have it back in my family’s diet. Now that I think about it, my son who is allergic to cane sugar, will tolerate coconut sugar which is available in most health conscious grocery stores. It’s delicious.

Source: USNews & World Report, Dr. Weil Online