Coconut oil has been gaining popularity in the health food world in recent years. As a naturally occurring oil, there are many benefits that it offers over other oils. To start, it contains 2.6% less calories than other popular cooking oils. It also helps increase your good cholesterol, gives you healthier skin and hair, and can better control your blood sugars. On top of these benefits, coconut oil naturally contains MCT oil, or medium chain triglyceride oil, which has been linked to weight loss.
MCT Oil and Ketosis
Many people have heard about the ketogenic diet for weight loss. This diet puts your body into a state of ketosis, which makes your body burn fat instead of glucose for energy. This fatty acid is turned into ketones, which are a different type of energy source your body can use. But, your body does not necessarily need to be in this metabolic state to get the benefits of ketones and see weight loss. MCT oil has been shown to have both energy enhancing and weight loss properties because it is a natural source of ketones.
Dr. Laurie Cullen, from the Women’s Institute, found that unlike their long-chain triglyceride counterparts, MCTs can go through the digestion process quicker which provides a faster energy source and keeps this fat from being stored as fat cells in the body. This faster digestion allows the oil to go straight to the liver where it creates much more ketones than if it was digested for longer. With these extra ketones in your body, you will have more energy and your body will not need as much energy from carbohydrates and glucose.
Is MCT Oil 100% Safe?
Like with many topics in the health world, there is debate over the effectiveness of MCT oil. Its use has been vastly studied in animals where it showed less weight gain and higher metabolism. Unfortunately, there has not yet been adequate studies in humans.
There have also been some side effects noted when people us MCT oil. People have reported many gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Some have said that taking this oil with food can help decrease the chance of these symptoms. Also, people with diabetes should be careful taking MCT oils, as it is harder for their body to handle ketones as well. Lastly, there has not been adequate studies on MCT oil use for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Therefore, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should avoid the use of this oil.
Conclusion
Coconut oil has been shown to have vast health benefits, including a higher level of natural ketones because of its medium chain triglycerides. These additional ketones can provide natural energy for your body so it does not need extra carbohydrates and glucose, therefore allowing you to lose weight. But, like with many things, there are debates among doctors as well as some possible side effects associated with adding MCT oil to your diet. Overall, if taken in moderation, coconut oil could be the missing link to your weight loss plan!
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