Why Coconut Oil Is Not Fattening

The latest research is showing that coconut fat is

, in fact, not fattening. Now at last you can enjoy wonderful coconut recipes that can help you lose weight. The latest scientific research shows why coconut fat is different to other fats and how this can help you lose excess body fat.

In fact, modern research shows coconuts to be a valuable source of healthy nutrition. About a third of the white coconut flesh is fat, and although most of this fat (90%) is technically classed as saturated it is mostly made up of MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids). MCFA's are chains of molecules that are burnt up as energy rather than being stored as body fat. Because of this, coconut oil/fat is increasingly used in weight-loss regimes. Note: MCFA's are also known as MCT's (medium chain triglycerides).

Around 50% of these MCFA's are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining the body's immune system. Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is human milk.

Coconuts are nature's richest source of MCFA's and they have important antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal properties that make up the building blocks of a healthy immune system. Coconut oil that has been kept at room temperature for a year has been tested for rancidity, and showed no evidence of it because of its antimicrobial properties.

Scientific studies have shown that the fatty acids from MCFA's in coconut oil are not easily converted into stored triglycerides, and that MCFA's cannot be readily used by the body to make larger fat molecules. One study concluded that "the change from a low-fat diet to a MCFA diet is attended by a decrease in the body weight gain" [source: Hill JO, et al, Thermogenesis in humans during overfeeding with medium-chain triglycerides, Metabolism, July 1989;38(7):641-8].

Another more recent study looked at the effects of diets rich in medium-chain and long-chain fats in overweight men. The study concluded that "Consumption of a diet rich in medium-chain fatty acids results in greater loss of stored body fat compared with long-chain fatty acids" [source: St-Onge MP, et al, Medium-chain triglycerides increase energy expenditure and decrease adiposity in overweight men, Obes Res. 2003 Mar;11(3):395-402].

Another study compared metabolic rates in the human body (i.e. the rate at which calories are burnt up). The study compared meals with MCFA's and LCFA's (long-chain fatty acids found in animal fats). The authors concluded that replacing dietary fats with MCFA's could "over long periods of time produce weight loss even in the absence of reduced [caloric] intake" [source: T. B. Seaton, et al, Thermic effects of medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides in man, Am J Clin Nutr, 1986;44:630-634].

There are many other studies showing that MCFA's in coconuts are not fattening and that MCFA's are much less prone to being stored as body fat compared to LCFA's (the long chain fatty acids found in animal and dairy products). Furthermore the Glycemic Index ratings for coconuts and tinned coconut milk are low (45 and 41 respectively), indicating that these products are non-fattening in terms of blood glucose and body-fat storage. You really can adopt a coconut oil weight loss plan and lose excess body fat.

by: Russell Eaton

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