I was just doing some research, for my own personal benefit, and came across all of these tremendous health benefits of coconut! I absolutely love coconut – the coconut meat, water, oil – everything about it! And, it is all good for you! Many people try to stay away from coconut (and do the same thing with nut butters!) because of the high fat content, however, those people are missing out on the super health benefits that this fruit (and all of it’s parts) have.
I have read about the benefits of coconut before, during my marathon training, because I had seen coconut water in the grocery store and wanted a healthier alternative to boost my electrolytes (instead of drinking gatorade) after my long runs. I now drink coconut water multiple times per week just because I love it!
I was interested in more research on other parts of the coconut, so I began again…
I found a great website, Coconut Research Center, which highlights the importance of coconut in a diet, as well as, for medical purposes. I read through their list of health benefits, and have included a list of 10 highlights (or benefits that stuck out to me!):
- Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
- Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
- Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
- Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
- Supports tissue healing and repair.
- Supports and aids immune system function.
- Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
- Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
- Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
- Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
Why wouldn’t you want to eat and/or drink something that has such amazing health benefits?!
When I embarked on my healthy eating adventure, I completely replaced all bad oils in my pantry with healthier oils, such as coconut oil. Therefore, when a recipe calls for a different type of oil, I reach for my favorite resource, Super Natural Cooking, and try to find a healthier fat to use in it’s place. In most baking recipes, I substitute coconut oil for canola or vegetable oil. Canola and vegetable oil are not bad to use, but coconut oil provides many more benefits to your health, and is a healthier fat. You will see that I did not do this for all of my holiday baking!
I could go on and on with all of the articles and websites that I have read about coconut, but instead I leave you with some interesting articles on the benefits of coconut:
Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Coconut Oil, Healthy Living Magazine’s Interview with Bruce Fife, CN, ND.
The Fat That Can Make You Thin, by Bruce Fife, CN, ND.
Coconut Oil, by Raymond Peat, PhD
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