Is Coconut Oil Used in Skin-Hair To Oils Pulling
Is coconut oil used in skin-hair to oil pulling healthy? Know oil is healthy or unhealthy from science
You must have heard about the benefits of coconut oil by now, but is coconut oil really beneficial for us. Learn.
In the last few years, coconut oil has made a place in the hearts of people as a healthy food. From strengthening the immune system to reducing abdominal fat, coconut oil is considered to be full of nutritional properties. Alternative diets like Paleo and Keto have also played a major role in popularizing coconut oil. On the other hand, some health experts call coconut oil pure poison and suggest that it should not be consumed at all. Amidst this debate, the question arises, is coconut oil really healthy?
Health benefits of coconut oil can be harmful
Many scientific research and studies, which argue for the various health benefits of coconut oil, give its rationale, which is entirely composed of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Due to the small chemical composition of MCT, it is quickly assimilated and digested by the body and encourages a feeling of fullness and limits excess accumulation of fat. However, the coconut oil available on the shelves of our supermarkets is not MCT and is much slower and digested than the latter. Lauric acid in coconut oil has been attributed as ‘heart-healthy’, although large studies have failed to reveal any association between lauric acid and heart health.
Coconut oil increases bad cholesterol
Coconut oil contains 92% saturated fat. This type of fat has the most detrimental effect on health as it is responsible for closing the arteries and harming general heart health. Long-chain saturated fatty acids found in coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernels play a huge role in increasing bad cholesterol levels in the body.
Coconut oil affects the health of the heart
Low levels of bad cholesterol are one of the most important things in a healthy heart.However, a diet rich in coconut oil has a high amount of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body. Lauric acid is known to be good for the heart but large-scale research has reduced that suspicion. People who have already had a heart attack should stay away from a diet made with coconut oil.
Coconut oil is highly processed
Like any other oil, coconut oil also undergoes a lot of processing and treatment before it reaches our kitchen, which further reduces its healthy properties. Refined, bleached and deodorant or RBD coconut oil solvents are prepared in intense heat thus increasing cholesterol levels to very severe levels. It is also used in scientific studies on fat as a control method.
Is raw coconut oil beneficial?
Raw or cold-pressed coconut oil is marketed healthier than other types. Crude coconut oil lacks hydrogenation. This is the process where unsaturated fats adopt the physical properties of saturated fats. Since only 8% of coconut oil contains unsaturated fat, only the same amount is hydrogenated, it affects cholesterol in the same way as raw or cold-pressed coconut oil.
Limited intake required
Coconut oil has a distinct taste and can be harmless in small amounts. However, it should not be the oil that you cook your food on a daily basis. Saturated fat should be consumed strictly within the recommended range and after taking appropriate suggestions from a qualified medical professional.