Coconut Oil Is Pretty Amazing

The average coconut isn’t much to look at. But lurking underneath its unassuming exterior is a powerful force for good health.

Coconut oil.

Sure it’s a saturated fat, but the latest science is reporting that we may have been misled a bit. Saturated fats are a vital nutrient that’s essential for life. Our cell membranes even need these types of fatty acids to function properly.

And recent scientific research shows that the medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCTs) that make up coconut oil may have wide-ranging health benefits.

Here are a few of them:

Fight Fat with Fat
The way our bodies process the MCTs in coconut oil reduces the opportunity for those fats to deposit into our existing fatty tissues. And it gets even better.

Consuming MCTs from coconut oil has been shown to increase metabolism by turning up our bodies’ thermostats in a process called thermogenesis. When we produce more heat, our bodies utilize more energy.  Increases in thermogenesis and metabolism mean our bodies burn more fuel—fat.

And coconut oil also has been shown to make you feel more full. So consuming coconut oil will help you feel full for longer, reducing overall food intake.

Guard Your Heart

Evidence of coconut oil’s cardio-protective properties comes from the MCTs’ ability to support normal blood lipid profiles. That means coconut oil has been shown to support healthy triglyceride levels and the good kind of cholesterol—high-density lipoproteins or HDL.

Our heart is just the start. The process of breaking down coconut oil in the liver produces ketones and short-chain fatty acids—both shown to help support cognition.

Hopefully you understand why the coconut is worth cracking into. So next time you see one, remember all the power hiding right underneath that hard shell.
 

Healthy Foods to Help Lower Cholesterol

Some foods can be helpful in lowering cholesterol naturally.  
You may want to add or increase your consumption of  these foods:    

•  Whole grains, such as oatmeal, oat bran, high-fiber foods and whole-wheat products.
•  Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds and brazil nuts
•   Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish, fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil

Oatmeal, especially steel-cut oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad," cholesterol.

Soluble fiber is also found in foods such as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.

 The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

•     Mackerel
•     Lake trout
•     Herring
•     Sardines
•     Albacore tuna
•     Salmon
•     Halibut

To avoid adding unhealthy fats you should bake or grill the fish. If you don't like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil, omega-3 (grass-fed) meat, eggs and dairy products, and green vegetables.

What's the Buzz About Krill?

Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that feed on plants in the ocean. Baleen whales, mantas, and whale sharks eat primarily krill. In Norwegian, the word "krill" means "whale food." People extract the oil from krill, place it in capsules, and use it for medicine. Some brand name krill oil products indicate that they use Antarctic krill. This usually refers to the species of krill called Euphausia superba.

Recently krill has been discovered to have some of the same potential benefits to human health as fish oil. Krill oil contains fatty acids similar to fish oil. These fats are thought to be beneficial fats that decrease swelling, lower cholesterol, and make blood platelets less sticky. When blood platelets are less sticky they are less likely to form clots.  It is being promoted and used for heart disease, high levels of certain blood fats (triglycerides), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, osteoarthritis, depression, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and painful menstrual periods.

However at this point there is insufficient evidence that krill is effective for any of these conditions.  More scientific studies and evidence are needed. WebMd had a special precautions and warnings regarding krill:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of krill oil during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.


Additionally there can be an environmental issue with krill harvesting, as the National Geographic has reported that krill stocks have dropped an alarming 70%.  The reason for this is not known, but since it is an important source of food for so much marine life, it may be unwise to begin large-scale harvesting of krill for human consumption.

At this point the science points toward fish oil or for vegetarians, flax seed oil.