If you’re ever stranded on a deserted island, it may comfort you to know that coconut oil has a variety of uses ranging from cooking to skin care. People all around the world use coconut oil and in some cultures it’s extremely popular, but with 90% saturated fat, some people have serious concerns. Could coconut oil be a detriment to your health, or is it the missing ingredient for your next dinner?
Bottom line? When deciding whether coconut oil is healthy, or indeed unhealthy, I think we need to take into consideration a few other factors, for example:
More research is necessary to study the effects of adding an additional source of saturated fat to diets that are already too high in fat and calories.
Currently there’s a lot of scientific evidence showing the benefit of eating a diet high in polyunsaturated fats (vegetable-based oils and spreads) and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil or rapeseed oil). However, this is not to say science won’t confirm the health benefit of coconut oil in the future.
As with all foods, moderation is the key. Personally I don't believe coconut oil is bad per se, however I also don't believe that it's the miracle food some have suggested it is either!
What are your thoughts?
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