Impact of Coconut Oil on Cholesterol
The fast food era that has come today is putting the hearts of many of us in danger. The kind of fats and oils being used by the fast food industry are raising the levels of bad cholesterols in individuals hugely. Now, what are good or bad cholesterols?
Fats and oils are made up of what is known as the fatty acids. Further these fatty acids are subdivided into three classifications; saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated acids. Heavy dose of unsaturated fats can take up the levels of cholesterol in the liver leading to increase of its level in the blood too which paves way for heart related concerns and problems.
The coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fats. The question now arises that how is levels of saturated fats. The question now arises that how is coconut oil beneficial in such a situation.
Breaking the myth
- The reality certainly holds that the coconut oil is very rich in saturated fats but not all saturated fat is bad as the common belief goes. The coconut oil contains good amount of helpful enzymes that steadily keep a check on the levels of cholesterol in the body. Various researches done to establish the said fact has been quite successfully able to establish that the constituents of coconut oil are very beneficial for health especially on the cholesterol front and not at all alarming for the levels of cholesterol. It helps in maintaining or bringing down the levels of cholesterol.
- These constituents in question are the medium chain triglycerides.
The medium chain fatty acids are small in size and as a result these pervade through the membranes with much ease and for this reason, these are easy to digest also. These acids are sent directly to the liver where they are transformed into energy with an immediate effect leaving no scope for accumulation in the body.
- However there are varieties available in the coconut oils which vary significantly according to quality. The coconut oil is a very rich source of energy but the level of this energy provided may differ in different types of oils.
The Good and the Bad Cholesterol
Whether good or bad, cholesterol can be put into the category of lipoproteins. The ones known as good cholesterol is a lipoprotein with high density which is low in the case of bad cholesterol and hence has a tendency of blocking the arteries by getting collected in the arteries thereby raising the chances of heart ailments or stroke.
The level of cholesterol that is present in the body of an individual is the difference between the amount of good and bad cholesterol within the same individual.
How does coconut oil help fight the problem of cholesterols?
One very important advantage of coconut oil is that it is trans-fat and cholesterol free. The medium chain fatty acids contained in coconut oil are consumed and burnt by the body rapidly and these hardly get any time to get changed into cholesterols or fat, making the body a healthier one that becomes less prone to obesity and heart concerns and ailments. Therefore coconut oil does a very recommendable job in keeping a check on the levels of cholesterol and maintaining the same for the good.
Initially the notion of saturated fats attached with the coconut oil made it a very undesirable choice of oil. But later on, the studies and research conducted on the same went a far way in establishing the desirability of coconut oil in bringing down the levels of bad cholesterol.