Sometimes our headline writersmust be called to account. The argumentagainst coconut oil is just as strong as the one for. The real problem is that we are not sure ifsuch natural oils are generally good or bad without igniting an argument. So get over it.
If we could agree that the oliveoil blend is pretty good, then its emulator canola oil is a fine substituteuntil we begin introducing extra virgin canola oil that tastes great. It is real and it is great.
The best advice is to not eat toomuch of anything and quit this nonsense while we are squarely behind. This field has an army of advocates who addnothing except intransigence.
Is coconut oil really the world’s healthiest oil?
LESLIE BECK
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/ask-a-health-expert/is-coconut-oil-really-the-worlds-healthiest-oil/article4683703/
The Question
I read coconut oil is the healthiest oil to cook with. Is this true?
Coconut oil has recently been dubbed the “world’s healthiest oil.”Claims abound about its near-miraculous healing powers. It’s reported todissolve kidney stones, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, boost immunefunction, promote weight loss, protect against certain cancers and a whole lotmore.
The fact is, there’s limited evidence to suggest coconut oil does anyof these things. All that has been studied in depth is the impact of coconutoil on blood-cholesterol levels – and even those findings aren’t clear-cut.
Coconut oil, a tropical oil made from the dried fruit of the coconutpalm tree, contains 86 per cent saturated fat. Because diets high in saturatedfat raise LDL (bad) blood cholesterol, the Heart and Stroke Foundation ofCanada and the American Heart Association advise limiting sources of it in yourdiet.
But coconut oil isn’t as bad as its high saturated fat content mightmake you think. Studies suggest that diets high in coconut oil do raise totalblood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but not nearly to the same extent asbutter. Coconut oil also seems to raise HDL (good) cholesterol. (Unlike LDLcholesterol, the HDL version doesn’t build up on artery walls.) In one smallstudy, taking 2 tablespoons of coconut oil daily for one week did not significantlyraise bad cholesterol but did increase good cholesterol.
Coconut’s saturated fat is made up of a unique blend of medium-chainfatty acids, which may offer certain health benefits. (Most fats in our dietare long-chain fatty acids). Unlike long-chain fats, medium-chain ones do nothave to be broken down in the small intestine. Because they are smaller,they’re absorbed intact and delivered directly to the liver to be used forenergy.
Medium-chain fats don’t store in fat cells to the same extent aslong-chain ones. They also appear to increase calorie burning in the body.Although the fat in coconut oil may promote satiety after eating, there islimited evidence it will help you shed unwanted pounds.
When it comes to your heart, coconut oil is a healthier fat than butterand trans fat, and it’s cholesterol-free. Since it comes from a plant, it maycontain beneficial phytochemicals yet to be discovered.
But it’s not necessarily healthier than unsaturated oils such asextra-virgin olive, grapeseed, canola and safflower oils. When substituted foranimal fat in your diet, unsaturated fat will do a better job of loweringelevated blood cholesterol than coconut oil. And, depending on which oil youuse, unsaturated ones can deliver vitamin E (for example, grapeseed, sunflower,safflower), omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (canola, walnut) and phytochemicals(extra-virgin olive).
Bottom line: While I don’t agree that coconut is the “world’shealthiest oil,” there’s no reason you shouldn’t cook with it if you like it.It has a high smoke point, which makes it well suited for high-heat cooking.But it shouldn’t replace all the oils in your pantry.
Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian, is the national director ofnutrition at BodyScience Medical. She can be seen every Thursday at noon on CTVNews Channel’s Direct (www.bodysciencemedical.com).
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