Crazy for Coconut Health Benefits
The definitive facts around the latest health trends THE HYPE Enticed by the promise that benefits health of use coconut oil can boost body and brain wellbeing, we’ve bestowed it with a health halo that has us scooping it into smoothies and spreading it on our toast. And the craze also goes beyond the kitchen. Aside from its moisturizing properties, we’re also swishing coconut oil around our mouths in honour of the Ayurvedic ‘oil pulling ’ method, which is said to detox the body and whiten teeth. The coconut water market alone is now worth £22 million in the UK*. Food forecasters predict that coconut sugar will take centre stage in 2015, as it has a lower glycaemic index than its refined white
counterpart. Yet with an overabundance of discombobulated information, separating facts from fad can prove somewhat challenging. THE FACTS
● Over 200 studies highlight coconut oil’s ability to settle malabsorption syndrome (a disorder affecting nutrient absorption), hinder tumour growth, fight viruses and protect cortical neurons in mice, which may have implications for Alzheimer’s disease in humans. ● It is high in healthy saturated fat which binds unhealthy saturated fat (LDL or low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol) and carries it away from the arteries to the liver, where it’s broken down and passed from the body. This lowers cholesterol, which is thought to protect against stroke and heart disease. ● It has a high smoking point for cooking, so it’s less likely to denature and form dangerous free radicals (linked to cancer) in the body. ● Coconut milk is high in medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid, which the body converts to help it fight infection. THE VERDICT
1. Coconut oil is a great oil to cook with and consume regularly. But cooking with butter, ghee or avocado oil is fine, too. And uses for coconut oil good for skin, hair, weight loss, and other health benefits. 2. Coconut water nutrition, high in potassium, has been touted as more hydrating than water – not true. But it is a better option post-workout, as it helps replace lost nutrients. 3. Coconut flour is packed with fibre and protein, so it’s a good alternative if you have glucose allergies. However, it must be blended with other flours (try rye or rice flour) to get the desired effect for baking. 4. Coconut butter is a nutritious spread that contains all the benefits of the oil and is also packed with fibre. 5. Coconut syrup (try Bali Nutra Coconut Syrup, £10.50) is our go-to sweetener: it contains mineral nutrients and is 70-79 per cent sucrose, so it’s low in harmful fructose. 6. While the coconut has a multitude of benefits, it’s not a magic ingredient. It’s important to incorporate the right remedies to suit your lifestyle so they work in symmetry for greater health and vitality.
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