We love to talk about Coconut Oil at Lotion Today because of it’s natural healthful qualities and benefits for the skin and hair and it’s rich history. In this video Dr. Mercola speaks about the healthful benefits of eating it in your diet.
Populations That Eat Coconut Oil
Coconut is an exotic food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.
However, in some parts of the world, coconut (loaded with coconut oil) is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.
The Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific, used to eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts. When studied, they were found to be in excellent health, with very low rates of heart disease. Another example is the Kitavan people.
Coconut Oil & Hunger
Coconut Oil is very satiating and can reduce your hunger. This may be related to the way the fats are metabolized, because ketones can have an appetite reducing effect.
In one study, varying amounts of medium and long chain triglycerides were fed to 6 healthy men. The men eating the most MCTs ate 256 fewer calories per day, on average.
Another study in 14 healthy men discovered that those who ate the most MCTs at breakfast ate fewer calories at lunch.
These studies were small and only done for short periods of time. If this effect were to persist over the long term, it could help lead to reduced body weight over a period of several years.
Coconut Oil Cooking
Coconut Oil is wonderful for cooking in place of less healthy oils. Brands such as Nutiva produce high quality products for use in the kitchen. Coconut Milk is sold in most stores now and is a very popular replacement ingredient for milk on cereal and in recipes. I like to use it with my protein drinks in the morning. Coconut Water is sold in cans and can be taken straight or mixed in drinks and recipes.