Coconut oil has a unique ability to facilitate weight loss. Proponents of coconut oil and weight loss claim that coconut oil can boost energy, provide a feeling of fullness, and decrease cravings for carbohydrates and sweets. However, to date, there are no clinical trials to show that coconut oil is effective for weight loss. Increased metabolic rate is a key to healthy weight management and may account for the leanness of people living in areas where coconut oil is consumed on a daily basis.
Caprylic acid and capric acid contain 8 and 10 carbon atoms in the backbone compared to the 18 of the stearic acid that is commonly contained in animal fats. The longer the carbon chain in the molecule, the more difficult it is to break down, and the more possible it is to be stored in the body as a thick fatty deposit that places a strain on the heart. Coconut oil yields fewer calories than any other oil because of the MCFAs, unlike the LCFAs in vegetable oils, which tend to get stored as fat. MCFAs actually speed up metabolism. Coconut oil is also shown to enhance thyroid function.
This in turn stimulates the conversion of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol into the anti-aging hormones pregneonolone, progesterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). These precious hormones not only aid in weight control, but also in preventing heart disease, senility, and other degenerative diseases. It is believed that coconut oil helps convert thyroid hormone T3 to T4, a big bonus for the thousands of people who have sluggish thyroid function that causes weight gain and inhibits weight loss. Coconut Oil offers numerous health benefits. It is helping thousands of people various other health benefits.
Other benefits related with coconut oil involve ridding the body of microbial compounds (yeasts, fungus, parasites). This oil is rich in lauric acid, and capric, and caprylic acids, which have amazing antiviral and antifungal properties. In the body, lauric acid converts into monolaurin, a compound that is adept in fighting viral pathogens. This is the same substance that is present in breast milk, which protects babies from viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. The medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are abundant in coconut oil, have famous anti-fungal properties.