Is Cooking in Coconut Oil Healthy?

Coconut oil has gained much momentum in recent years but the usage of this oil in cooking is still a major controversial topic. Due to its richness in saturated fats, health enthusiasts always doubt its hype but due to its various other benefits, this oil has always been praised by the media! So, if you are wondering whether coconut oil is good for everyday cooking or not, here is what you need to know!

Coconut oil and fatty acids
Coconut oil is extremely different from the other types of oils that are well-known for cooking and hold an exclusive composition of fatty acids. About 90% of the fatty acids found in coconut oil are saturated. But what’s unique in this type of oil is its high content in saturated fat lauric acid which means coconut oil contains MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides)- usually shorter chain fatty acids and goes directly into your liver when you eat it. These fatty acids are further converted into energy by your body. The fatty acids present in coconut oil affect your body differently and help your body to burn fat while acting as a quick source of energy for your body and brain. Moreover, it helps in enhancing the good cholesterol levels (HDL) in your body which further decrease the risk of various heart diseases.

Coconut oil also holds a great quantity of lauric acid – a starter to an anti-microbial active fat, which aids in safeguarding the body against a lot of infections. This oil is also considered ideal for a happy and healthy gut. With high heat tolerance, coconut oil is suitable for cooking too. Coconut oil provides various benefits to human health and that is why it is considered as an optimum choice for cooking. However, a mixture of varied oil for daily cooking is always recommended as every oil has its own nutritional value and specifying which one is the best is quite difficult. Choosing the oil as per the cooking type is one of the great ways to enhance the flavour of your food while maintaining its nutrients. The smoking point of every oil is different and therefore utilizing a combination of different oil for regular cooking is considered as safest. Coconut oil is extremely resistant to oxidation at high heat which makes it suitable oil for cooking techniques like frying.

Here are some major health benefits of coconut oil

• Helps in boosting the heart health
• Assist in losing weight
• Antimicrobial effects
• Reduce hunger
• Uplift HDL cholesterol
• Boost brain function

Footnote
In order to reap the maximum benefits, it is advisable to use coconut oil in moderations for cooking or mix it with some other variety of oil. Olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil are top varieties of cold-pressed oils that are well-known to provide plenty of health benefits and you can swap or mix your cooking oil with any one of these to gain maximum benefits.