A major cause of the obesity epidemic in the US is that healthy oils have been replaced mainly by industrially refined soy and corn oil, which affects the production of insulin, and inhibits the thyroid’s ability to produce the hormones we need to burn fat. As a result, metabolism slows down and fat is stored rather than burned.
A healthier alternative is coconut oil. Our bodies can use coconut oil to produce energy. Coconut oil is composed almost entirely of saturated fats (92%); however, not all saturated fats are evil, it helps you lose weight and maintain your health in a way that no other fat can. The reason is its healthy medium-length fatty acids. They do not circulate in the bloodstream as other fats do, but are instead transmitted directly to the liver where they are immediately converted to energy.
Medium-chain fatty acids accelerate metabolism by burning more calories, resulting in weight loss. In other words, most of the saturated fats in coconut oil are easily digestible and quickly converted to energy. When you eat less sugar and starchy foods, that decreases the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and blood sugar level drops. The lack of glucose (used to build both starch and cellulose) allows fat cells to emit fatty acids as fuel. When sugar is present in the blood, fats get stored in our fat cells. When our diets include healthy oils, the fat is burned in a process called hydrolysis, a chemical reaction that uses water to break down fat molecules.
Inside each cell body are mitochondria. The energy that the cell needs to function are generated by the mitochondria. They are surrounded by two membranes, or sacks that normally require special enzymes to transport nutrients through them. Medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) are unique, because they can easily penetrate both membranes without the need for enzymes, and thereby can quickly provide the cell with the energy it requires. Long chain fatty acids need the help of special enzymes to penetrate the membranes. Energy production processes thereby become slower and also use up the enzyme reserves.
There are many advantages to increasing metabolism using coconut oil: injuries heal faster, old and damaged cells are replaced faster, and the immune system works better. Many health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis are more common among people with slow metabolism, largely because the cells are not repaired quickly enough.
Dementia can be slowed down with coconut oil, and those already affected can experience great improvements by eating coconut. The fatty acids can pass into the brain and be used as fuel, although the brain has developed insulin resistance. Coconut oil also combats inflammation in the brain.
Coconut oil lowers “bad” cholesterol (LDL), which is mainly due to its beneficial effects on thyroid function. In the presence of thyroid hormone, LDL is converted by an enzymatic process to form vital necessary steroids (adrenal cortex – and gonadal hormones), progesterone, and DHEA. These substances are needed to prevent heart disease, senility, obesity, cancer, and other diseases related to aging. Also, HDL, the good cholesterol, is increased by the intake of coconut oils.
