Nowadays, coconut oil gains increasing popularity all over the world. It can be useful in many cases, beginning with proper nutrition, and finishing with its cosmetic properties. Actually, it is a perfect healthy substitute for butter in baking and not only. The oil is produced from the ripe coconuts pulp by hot or cold pressing. The last method is considered more favorable.
SEE ALSO: Top 7 Healthy Butter Substitutes in Baking
Unlike butter, this oil contains 99% useful fats, including:
- saturated fatty acids: butyric, caproic, lauric, capric, stearic, palmitic and others;
- monounsaturated: such as palmitoleic;
- polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 acids.
- 1% comprises water.
Top facts of Coconut oil benefits for health
- The oil strengthens the immune system and protects the body against viruses and bacteria. It also reduces the ability of viruses to adapt to antibiotics.
- It helps to lose weight because it speeds up the metabolism. The oil does not turn into fat reserves and produces the process of thermogenesis. Moreover, it is not stored in the human body in the form of fat, unlike many other oils.
- It reduces cholesterol, cleans blood vessels and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Scientific studies have shown that lauric acid in coconut oil helps to maintain cholesterol concentrations on the normal level.
- The useful oil improves digestion and helps cleanse the intestines.
- Besides, it normalizes metabolism and thyroid function.
- The oil reduces the risk of cancer.
- It contains 10 types of fatty acids with an average carbon chain length. Each of them is itself a nutrient, and also improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals from other foods.
- The oil contains many antioxidants and is the best oil to maintain and restore health and youth.
- Consequently, it has a completely unique useful property: during heat treatment, it does not emit any harmful carcinogens, which distinguishes it from other oils and makes it essential for the preparation of various dishes.
Coconut oil as the healthy butter substitute in nutrition
In fact, coconut fat can replace any other animal and vegetable oil while cooking. For example, butter, sunflower or olive oil. You can make your favorite baking low-calorie and dietic replacing the butter with this healthy oil. So how can you use this amazing product in the kitchen?
- Bakery products. The oil can be used in baking, including cookies, pies, and cakes.
- Oil to toasts. Another way to diversify your menu is while making toasts to simply replace the usual oil with coconut one. Sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
- Salad dressings. To diversify your salad menu, try replacing olive oil with coconut one.
- Cooking fried foods. This useful oil can replace the sunflower one, which we usually use while roasting products.
- Addition to a smoothie. With the help of the oil, you can make an energy smoothie by adding a teaspoon to the dish.
- Cooking popcorn. Do you like sweet popcorn? In this case, cook it in this useful oil instead of sunflower one.
- Addition to tea or coffee. Try adding a few drops of the oil to your morning drink instead of sugar or honey. It is also a good sweetener.
- Homemade nut butter. Put the peeled nuts and this healthy oil in a blender, and in a few minutes, you will have ready-made natural nut butter.
- Usage in garnishes. Put it in porridge, pasta, mashed potatoes or vegetable puree.
- Greasing of dishes. Use coconut oil to grease dishes before baking to avoid sticking the dish to the walls.
How to use coconut oil for weight loss
Actually, this exotic product comprises only healthy fats, useful for our body. Indeed, it provides the body with useful substances, is absorbed entirely and do not result in extra kilos. But provided that you will consume no more than two tablespoons of it per day.
The slimming oil is used purposefully. A special diet is based on its consumption.
- Calorie consumption is limited, the daily energy intake is 1400 kcal.
- During the week it is recommended to significantly limit the consumption of carbohydrates. That is why flour and confectionery, bread and sweet fruits are excluded from the diet.
- A portion of cereals, apples, oranges and citrus fruits are consumed in the morning.
- You are not allowed to eat starch, smoked meats, canned foods, soda, and alcohol.
- The basis of the diet will be proteins, vegetables, and dairy products.
- Coconut oil is eaten on an empty stomach in the amount of 1 tablespoon. It is also used as a dressing for salads, in cereals, etc.
In fact, you can lose 3 kilos per week keeping to such a nutrition.
Opponents, as well as supporters of proper nutrition diet, prefer to simply replace all oils with coconut one. The usage of this product is one of the key points of weight loss.
Coconut oil against overeating
People who wish to permanently take care of beauty and health should definitely pay attention to this product. The fact is that many of us, for various reasons, are inclined to overeating. It turned out that coconut oil helps to block a strong feeling of hunger. So it means that you can carefully bring yourself to eat less.
This magical effect of the product is based on metabolic products – ketone bodies. If you are not prohibited to consume this kind of oil, then try to take it in the morning in reasonable quantities. Soon the result will not make you wait – you will consume much fewer calories during the day. Nevertheless, in each case, the effect may be different.
It is known that in this way you can cut the nutrition by 250 or more calories. Also, note that regular oil intake influences the body to increased calorie consumption every day. At the same time, no effort is required. in the best case, about 380 calories per day burn, which is identical to 42 grams of fat. To sum it up, due to the presence of fatty acids in coconut oil, it is possible without effort to regulate the dietary habits for weight loss.
Conclusion: Are there some contradictions to Coconut oil consuming?
Of course, the benefits and harms of the product are extremely important for each person. Coconut oil consists of fats, which sometimes provoke exacerbations of cholecystitis and pancreatitis, that are in a chronic form.
As the matter of fact, almost every product can cause an allergic reaction. The same is actual for this product. Moreover, signs of an allergic reaction may occur not immediately, but after a certain time. In general, the oil is considered safe and complaints about its individual intolerance are extremely rare.
