HowToPreventHeartDisease.com

Is Coconut A Healthy Food?
 

Elevated LDL (low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) level can raise the risk of getting heart disease and stroke. Human body can naturally produce LDL cholesterol, which can be increased even further by eating diet that is rich in saturated fat and trans fat.

While the majority of saturated fat comes from animal products like beef, lamb, and daily products made from whole or 2 percent milk, saturated fat can also be found among foods from plants including coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter.

It seems that coconut is a food that should be avoided. But lately, people are pouring coconut into coffee and spreading it on toast, lured by endorsement from celebrities and enticed by promise that coconut can banish belly fat, boost heart health and even stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. But most of the excitement focuses on coconut’s ability to help lose weight.

Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are converted into energy more quickly than the long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in animal-based products like meat and dairy. The liver can hence metabolize MCTs faster, and this gives coconut a slight edge in terms of weight loss.

There are some proven benefits found in coconut oil, though. For instance, it contains lauric acid that can lower inflammation linked to acne and has been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Meanwhile, there is also some evidence showing virgin coconut oil contains antioxidants that might play a role in reducing inflammation associated with arthritic conditions.

Besides cooking, coconut products are sometimes used for oil pulling, which is an Ayurvedic method to banish migraines, whiten teeth and detoxify the body. Coconut drink has become a popular thirst quencher for those looking to replenish electrolytes after workouts. This is because it has high levels of potassium and magnesium, both are nutrients required by human body. Furthermore, unsweetened coconut water does not have the sugar, artificial sweeteners or dyes contained in many conventional sports drinks.

So coconut water might appear to be a better choice than carbonated or sugary drinks. But sports dietitians do not recommend people taking coconut water after vigorous exercise because it is lower in sodium (the main electrolyte lost through sweat) and carbohydrates than conventional sports drinks.

Other coconut products like coconut milk that has calorie and fat profiles similar to other plant-based milk, have also become wildly popular. People do consume coconut milk instead of soy, almond and hemp milk, and some even use it to replace cow milk.

Unlike animal-based fats that only raise LDL, coconut oil raises both LDL and HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or the so called good cholesterol). So there is a perception that saturated fat found in coconut oil is healthier than animal fats. However, it is still a high-calorie, highly saturated fat, which might raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, coconut oil contains higher proportion of saturated fat than other plant-based oils. For instance, only 15 percent of saturated fat is found in olive oil, compared to 88 percent found in coconut oil. For olive oil, there are strong studies showing that it can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Perhaps, it is not the amount of fat in the diet that makes the difference between a healthy or unhealthy heart; it is how much meat, eggs, sugar, carbohydrates and cholesterol that are included in a meal. People are not advised to simply switch from say, olive oil, to coconut oil just to follow the crowd.

If people do want to include coconut into their diet, try to use reduce-fat coconut milk, as recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Heart Foundation. And more importantly, plenty of fresh vegetables and perhaps some chicken, fish or tofu should be included into the cooking so that whatever saturated fats from the coconut can be balanced by all the benefits that can be obtained from the hefty dose of vegetables and other ingredients.

Copyright 2007-2012 © HowToPreventHeartDisease.com . All Rights Reserved.d........
Created by EpublishingVault.com
Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately