Sorry but I'm being really really confused on this one.
People say it's bad for you and as well other people say it's good, actually some even invented a 'coconut-oil diet', sorry I'm just so confused. I've two bottle of it, can I use them on my diet or should I throw them away?
it depends on who you talk to. It has a lot of saturated fat, which is why some say it's bad. It also has some medium-chain fatty acids, which is why some people say it's good. Some claim it boosts the metabolism.
I use it, in conjunction with other fats. I figure a combination of variety and moderation is good. Helps me get all my bases covered, lol. I love the way it makes food taste, and I love how it doesn't have the same low smoke point as other fats.
I've read many things on fats and effects on your body. I know many people have avoided saturated fats but saturated vegetable fat is a bit different than saturated animal fat.
Your body needs fat but I think it is important to still restrict your fat somewhat. I include fat in my diet but still eat what you would consider a low fat diet. I do add some coconut oil in limited amounts.
I think it was popular for a while as promoted by a "diet" or a "diet book". That said, I do use coconut milk which contains coconut oil to add richness to soup and stews on occasion. It freezes well so I can just take a little out of the can and store the rest. It is an instance of "a little dab will do you"- just a spoonful or two in a butternut squash soup for instance.
You can cook with coconut oil and I've seen recipes using coconut oil. I made some brownies a few months ago where the recipe included coconut oil. Its a good alternative to butter in recipes.
It's hard to know about things like the saturated fat in coconut oil, because most of the evidence used to make recommendations about saturated fat, and percentage of fat in the diet in general, are not based on vegan (or even vegetarian) diets. Personally, I find it hard to worry about fats from whole food plant sources, but I wish there was better evidence. On the other hand, oils aren't really whole foods.
Hi there!
I found this article which explains the good and the bad about coconut oil. The big confusion is that it is from a plant source but has a high level of saturated fat but the type of saturated fat is different from animal source saturated fat! How confusing!
This article may help you make a decision about using it one way of the other... http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepuls...25/2372372.htm
I think the questions "which foods are healthy," and "which foods are unhealthy," are most often the wrong questions.
It's the context of the person's diet, activity level, and current state of health, that determine whether a food is "healthy" or not, and no food is healthy except in the context of the entire diet. If you're starving to death, a snickers bar might be better than an orange. And no matter how nutritious a food, it's not healthy if you're eating it to the exclusion of other foods required for health.
In a sense, it's like saying "is _____ affordable?" You can't answer the question without knowing the person's financial situation. Whether the blank is a t-shirt, or a yacht, the answer will depend on the person's situtation.
So too, I think it is with healthful foods, part of the answer is going to involve - how much and of what kinds of other foods are you eating? What is your current weight, activity level, general health indicators?
Coconut oil, good or bad?
