There, I said it.  And I feel so much better.  Not just because I said it, but because I eat it…and often.   I haven’t gained a pound or lost an ounce of energy in the process.  I eat it in all forms – raw, oil, milk, shredded.  In case you hadn’t already figured it out, just ask my classmates how loco I am about coco.

How did this luscious fruit get such a bad (and dare I say, undeserved) rap? For years we have heard the ‘experts’ make claims that fat makes you fat, canola is the healthiest cooking oil, and coconut is a bad fat which promotes heart disease. Actually, none of these widely accepted ‘truths’ are in fact true.  But don’t just take my word for it…here are more experts as to the reasons why:

An article in the New York Times by Gary Taubes appeared in 2002 questioning the validity of many medical claims that fat was the Evil Empire. Fat is actually our greatest source of energy, protects our organs, helps us absorb vital nutrients, and provides that feeling of satiety to keep us from overeating (see, it can help with weight loss!)  Bauman, 2009:45.

Lita Lee, Ph.D, tackles the confusion of coconut and fat:

“Coconut oil has been used as cooking oil for thousands of years. Popular cookbooks advertised it at the end of the 19th century. Then came the anti-saturated fat campaign and the promotion of polyunsaturated fats, such as flaxseed, canola, soybean, safflower, corn, and other seed and nut oils plus their partially hydrogenated counterparts (margarine, “I can’t believe it’s not butter”, etc.) as the way to go. Indeed, saturated fats have been supposedly linked to high cholesterol and heart disease, multiple sclerosis and other bad health conditions (when the true culprit is trans fats)…Nearly all commercial foods, including bread, crackers, chips, dips, many candies, zero cholesterol coffee creamers, mayonnaise,bottled salad dressings, many pastries and ice creams, most dietetic (for weight loss or diabetes) “foods”, many cereals, and nearly all crunchy snacks contain either polyunsaturated or partially hydrogenated fats known as trans fats. These foods are often advertised as healthy “all vegetarian,” “no-cholesterol” foods, but the chemical manipulation of these ‘fats’ make them anything BUT healthy.

Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) which is digested differently than other saturated fats.  It is processed in the liver and is used as energy which gets burned right away, not stored as fat.  MCFAs don’t have a negative affect on LDL cholesterol – as a matter of fact, they actually increase the good (HDL) with their positive influence on ramping up our metabolism.

In an ‘nutshell,’ here is a summary of the numerous health benefits coconut has to offer: (from “The Good Fat Cookbook”)

• It’s a low-fat fat, several calories fewer per gram than other fats
• It has zero cholesterol
• It increase metabolism rates
• It’s high in fiber
• It’s used for energy not stored as fat
• It’s the safest cooking oil *
• It has strong antiviral properties and is effective against herpes, hepatitis C and HIV
• It prevents wrinkles and premature aging – is a great skin conditioner!
• It’s antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti fungal, and anti inflammatory
• It’s full of antioxidants

Is this a super food, or what?!  Check out these recipes from the archives using coconut milk, coconut oil, and both.  Plus, you know there will be more:)

Here are a few tips on what to look for when purchasing:

*Coconut oil has a high smoke point and is widely used in stir-fry’s or sautes. Remember that it will be solid, so for baking you might want to warm it up first before measuring.

Organic, unrefined, extra virgin and GMO free options are always best.  The extra virgin type will produce a stronger more coco-nutty flavor, so keep that in mind when making your selection.

Additional resources:

The Oiling of America, by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon

Coconut Oil.com

Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Live Well 360