Top 5 Common Myths about Coconut Oil 5
Most of us hear things from people and believe them. In fact, a majority of our knowledge depends on the things we hear from other people. This is why the information we know may not necessarily be correct or authentic, but we trust the information that other people give us. The same goes for coconut oil. Many people say several things about coconut oil and they believe what is said by other people, without verifying the information. This gives birth to a lot of myths regarding coconut oil,which are not actually true. In this article, we have tried to venture into the facts surrounding these myths, in order to clear your doubts about coconut oil. This will let you rediscover the actual value of this beneficial product. So, let us look at the common myths, beliefs, and facts concerning coconut oil.
Coconut Oil Myth 1 Coconut oil predominantly consists of saturated fats. This may increase the risk of heart attack and raise cholesterol level. Fact: Most of the people often associate ‘bad cholesterol’ with ‘cholesterol’. Common people are ignorant of the truth that there are two kinds of cholesterol. Among them, one is good for health and one is bad for health. In fact, it is not yet proved that saturated fats give rise to bad cholesterol and many people are unaware of this. Various epidemiological studies have been conducted on the use ofcoconut oil by native populations and it has not been proved that saturated fats can cause heart diseases. Sadly, this false belief is thought to be true since a very long time and it still continues to persist even today; while scaring people who get tremendous benefits by consuming coconut oil and by making them believe that they can get heart diseases, if they continue to consume this oil. Although, it is not true, it is the basis of the prejudice against coconut oil. This myth is the outcome of some antisaturated fats and anticoconut oil campaigns that are controlled by producers of edible oil, in order to promote nonconventional oils, like rice husk oil, soy bean oil, etc. In reality, coconut oil raises the level of good cholesterol (High Density Lipoproteins), which is very beneficial for health. Good cholesterol helps in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoproteins) and clears the artery blockages, in turn protecting your heart. Coconut Oil Myth 2 Saturated fats that are contained in coconut oil increase body weight and lead to obesity. Fact: In reality this is untrue. On the other hand, coconut oil contains medium chain fatty
acids or saturated fats that increase the metabolism rate, in turn increasing the energy consumption for metabolic activities and thus burning more fats. Moreover, coconut oil is prescribed by doctors for losing weight. Regularly consuming some amount of coconut oil helps in reducing your weight considerably. Coconut Oil Myth 3 Coconut oil irritates the skin. Fact: This is a false belief. In fact, the truth is exact opposite. Coconut oil soothes the skin. In some cases, it can be possible that unrefined coconut oil may cause irritation on the skin because of the presence of dirt, dust and other unwanted particles in it. However, this happens in very rare cases. Coconut oil is miraculously soothing on the skin in most of the inflammation cases caused by allergies, insect stings, sun burns, bruises, or drug reactions. It contains several antimicrobial properties that help in healing wounds. Coconut Oil Myth 4 Coconut oil is a cureall. Fact: If you look at most of the popular marketing hype like wellness blogs, health articles, etc., you will find that coconut oil is praised excessively. They say that this tropical trooper is just perfect for everything, including boosting the immune system, weight loss, better brain functioning, less wrinkles, and fighting several diseases. If you believe these sayings, then you are being misled. Many leading authorities warn people about the claims regarding the healthiness of coconut oil. Over 90 per cent of coconut oil is composed of saturated fats, which is a much bigger proportion as compared to butter. However, now we know that not all saturated fats are the same.
As opposed to fats from animal sources, lauric acid is largely present in coconut oil. Lauric acid is a type of saturated fat that works as a healthy unsaturated fat and helps in boosting good cholesterol (HDL). This is a good thing. Although, there are various reports that reveal coconut oil raises bad cholesterol (LDL), similar to other saturated fats, like butter. We admit that coconut oil is a better alternative to butter. However, it is still not advised as a suitable substitute for unsaturated oils, like extra virgin olive oil. Using coconut oil while cooking will not harm your health, but including it in your diet may not improve it either. Coconut Oil Myth 5 Coconut oil causes allergies and I should not use it since I’m allergic to it. Fact: A number of food allergic reactions are caused because of the inefficiency of digesting proteins, like casein that is found in dairy products, gluten that is found in wheat, protein in tree nuts, and many more types of proteins. Technically, coconut is the nut of a tree. However, the protein of a coconut resides in its flesh, and not in its oil. Therefore, it is likely that if one cannot eat or digest coconut oil, then it is not because of an allergy. Apparently, it is the result of the inability of digesting fats, or perhaps it is caused by the detoxification character of the coconut oil that can lead to symptoms like skin eruptions and diarrhea. All these are characteristically not allergic reactions and they can be reduced or even diminished altogether by lowering intake of the coconut oil to extremely small quantities, till the symptoms do not take place and then slowly increasing the quantities over time. You can choose other natural oils as well. However, the best among them is coconut oil,
with its many healing properties and healthy characteristics. You can try it yourself and know about its healthiness.