All fats have something beneficial to offer the body, except for non‐naturally occurring fats, like the trans‐fatty acids. It would therefore be more correct to say that the only ‘bad’ fat is trans‐fat or processed fat. Little focus has been given to the benefits from the different types of saturated fats: short, medium, and long chain fatty acids. Contrary to conventional belief, saturated fats are in fact beneficial in many ways.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat made up primarily of medium chain fatty acids. Medium chain fatty acids are known to increase metabolism and promote weight loss. Coconut oil can also raise basal body temperatures while increasing metabolism. This is wonderful for people who struggle with low thyroid function.

Since coconut oil is saturated and very stable (unrefined coconut oil has a shelf life of about three –four years at room temperature), the body is not weighed down with oxidative stress as it is with the vegetable oils. Coconut oil does not require the enzyme stress that vegetable oils do, preventing T4 to T3 hormone conversion, not only because it is a stable oil, but also because it is processed differently in the body and does not need to be broken down by enzyme dependent processes as do long chain fatty acids.

The liver is the main place where damage occurs from oxidized and rancid oils. Since the liver is where a great deal of the conversion of T4 to T3 takes place, eliminating or reducing long chain fatty acids from the diet and replacing them with medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil can, in time, help in rebuilding cell membranes and increasing enzyme production that will help in promoting the conversion of T4 to T3 hormones.

Coconut oil raises energy levels, and promotes weight loss. It has antifungal, anti‐bacterial, and anti‐viral properties, which strengthen your immune system. Coconut oil helps stabilize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and helps increase thyroid hormone production. It assists your body in absorbing other nutrients, like vitamins A and E.

Coconut oil can also be a great moisturizer for the skin. Rubbing coconut oil onto your skin can help dry skin while helping nourish your thyroid.

Coconut Oil
(Informational Purpose Only)
From: Coconut Research Center

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“While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its fiber and nutritional content, it’s the oil that makes it a truly remarkable food and medicine.

Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in coconut oil is a unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties. It is now gaining long overdue recognition as a nutritious health food.

Coconut oil has been described as “the healthiest oil on earth.” That’s quite a remarkable statement. What makes coconut oil so good? What makes it different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats? The difference is in the fat molecule.

The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long‐chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98% to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA.

The size of the fatty acid is extremely important. Why? Because our bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly different from those of LCFA more commonly found in our foods. The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium‐chain fatty acids. Both the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most all vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.

MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial.

There are only a very few good dietary sources of MCFA. By far the best sources are from coconut and palm kernel oils.”

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