The Healing Benefits of Coconut Oil

I love finding simple and tasty ways to improve my health and the health of my family.  Read to the end and you will find a recipe that includes some of my favorite healthy ingredients: salmon, spinach, almonds, and coconut oil.  Delicious!

Last weekend, I attended a health conference where I was reminded of the benefits of coconut oil for cooking.  Many people have the misconception that the saturated fat of coconut oil is deleterious to cardiovascular health, and often suggest using unsaturated vegetable oil such as canola oil for cooking.  Actually, The polyunsaturated fats in canola oil make it very sensitive to high heat applications. High heat not only destroys nutrients in polyunsaturated fats, it actually oxidizes them at a molecular level making them as bad to ingest as the hydrogenated oils that are linked to heart disease and inflammation. For cooking purposes, coconut oil is a far safer, healthier alternative.

Multiple health benefits of Virgin coconut oil has been found through research.   Coconut oil is a rich source of antioxidants, protecting against heart disease(1) , contains anti-microbial compounds (2) , and boosts metabolism by enhancing thyroid function.(3) So what makes coconut oil different from other saturated fats?  It is mainly the size of the fat molecule.  You are probably familiar with the difference between saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.  The simplified version we always hear is that saturated fats are found in animal products and processed foods, and unsaturated fats are vegetable oils, generally “heart healthy”.

Fats are also classified according to the length of the carbon chain molecule. Most of the fatty acids we consume (about 98%), whether they be from meat, milk, eggs or plants, are long-chain fatty acids (LCFA).  Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial. (4)

The smaller fatty acid chains in coconut oil are easier to digest and immediately burned by your liver for energy — like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. MCFAs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner. (5)
 

Start Living Well, and Enjoy this delicious meal~

Almond Encrusted Salmon

3/4 cup almonds
2 TBS parsley
2-4 TBS Vegenaise Dash of sea salt and pepper
4 Salmon fillets
4 TBS Coconut oil
4 cups fresh spinach
lemon wedges

1. Grind the almonds in food processor.  Mix almond powder, parsley, salt and pepper on a plate.

2. Spread thin layer of Vegenaise over the entire surface of the salmon fillets.  Cover both sides of the fillets in almond powder mix.

3. Steam or saute spinach in olive oil. Add dash of salt and pepper.

4. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add almond covered salmond and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until salmon flakes.  Serve with spinach and top with fresh lemon juice.

Bon Appetit!

Robin

References: 
(1) Mitochondrion. 2011 Jan;11(1):97-103. Epub 2010 Aug 5 Dietary fatty acids and oxidative stress in the heart mitochondria.
Lemieux H, Bulteau AL, Friguet B, Tardif JC, Blier PU. Laboratoire de Biologie Intégrative, Université du Québec, Rimouski, Québec, Canada.
(2) Biomaterials. 2009 Oct;30(30):6035-40. Epub 2009 Aug 8.The antimicrobial activity of liposomal lauric acids against Propionibacterium acnes.
Yang D, Pornpattananangkul D, Nakatsuji T, Chan M, Carson D, Huang CM, Zhang L.Department of Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
 (3) Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com. http://www.heall.com/body/healthupdates/food/coconutoil.html An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease
(4) Dr. Mary G. Enig, PhD.., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century
(5) St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.
 

More information about the healing benefits of coconut oil can be found at http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/index.htm