Monday, June 9, 2008

coconut oil

I love coconut oil, but today in the health food store I learned some even more wonderful things about it. First of all - only buy coconut oil (or any oil for that matter) in a glass container as oil and plastic will interact and you will actually be ingesting molecules of plastic in your oil if you use it from a plastic bottle. I just can't imagine that's good for you! Also coconut oil is a saturated fat - ooh saturated fat is bad, right? Wrong. Saturated fat has never been proven to be linked to heart disease. It has just been one dietary factor linked to heart disease, but more recent research shows that heating fats such as canola oil and other refined vegetable oils high in omega 6 are even more dangerous in that they break down and cause free radical production in the body leading to cancer. Coconut oil is more stable when heated and when used in moderation can be a healthy alternative for high heat cooking. Today I learned that a bit of coconut oil on the gums can help prevent gingivitis, a teaspoon taken before working out can really help with sweat production for detoxification and its really good for treating thyroid conditions - who would have thought. Best of all, it tastes terrific. The kind I bought today in a glass bottle is International Harvest's brand. Its certified organic and also raw - which means it has not been refined in any way. Refined oils have usually been heated, disinfected and bleached (because they went rancid!). This is as pure as you can get and its worth the extra money for an investment in your health!

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