Coconuts: all they're cracked up to be?
A new study showing that coconut oil prevents tooth decay has added to the recent enthusiasm for all things coconut.
Last year, supermodel Miranda Kerr piqued public interest in virgin
coconut oil when she revealed that she will not go a day without it.
"I personally take four teaspoons per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea" she said.
But, as much as many have flocked to health-food shops with the hope of
tapping into Kerr’s secret weapon, do new health claims about the
once-maligned coconut oil and its trendy sibling, coconut water, stand
up to scrutiny?
The Many Benefits of Coconut
Researchers at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland say
coconut oil treated with enzymes attacks Streptococcus bacteria – a
major cause of tooth decay.
"Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene products
would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives," Dr Damien
Brady last week told the Society for General Microbiology conference at
the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.
The study also found that enzyme-modified coconut oil was active against
the yeast Candida albicans, which can cause thrush and other health
problems.
After decades of warnings about its alleged artery-clogging properties,
recent studies suggest that coconut oil may in fact be heart friendly
and could have many other health benefits.
"For more than 60 years, health officials and the media have warned that
saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative
consequences, including high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and
Alzheimer’s disease," says best-selling author and Huffington Post
blogger, Dr Joseph Mercola.
"It may
surprise you to learn that the naturally occurring saturated fat in
coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound
health benefits, including improving heart health, supporting your
immune system, boosting your thyroid and improving your skin.
"Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found
in nature called lauric acid, a ‘miracle’ compound that your body
converts into monolaurin, which has anti-viral and anti-bacterial
properties," says Dr Mercola.
Thomas Brenna, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell
University, agrees. He told The New York Times: "Most of the [earlier]
studies involving coconut oil were done with partially hydrogenated
coconut oil, which researchers used because they needed to raise the
cholesterol levels of their rabbits in order to obtain certain data".
Partial hydrogenation creates harmful trans fats and destroys many
essential fatty acids and antioxidants present in virgin coconut oil,
says Dr Brenna.
"Virgin coconut oil, which has not been chemically treated, is a
different thing in terms of health perspective," says Dr Brenna.
A recent study by Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research (GIMR)
found that a diet rich in coconut oil reduces the risk of developing
Type 2 diabetes by protecting against “insulin resistance” and avoiding
the buildup of body fat.
"These findings are important because obesity and insulin resistance are
major factors leading to the development of Type 2 diabetes," say GIMR
researchers Dr Nigel Turner and Associate Professor Jiming Ye.
"Coconut oil has dragged itself out of the muck of vast
misrepresentation over the past few years but still rarely gets the
appreciation it truly deserves," according to Sayer Ji, founder of US
natural medicine database GreenMedInfo.com.
"Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, analgesic and
fever-reducing properties, is an exceptional healing agent and is
fat-burning," says Ji.
While coconut oil and coconut milk are extracted from the kernel or meat
of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm, coconut water is
the liquid found inside young green coconuts.
The
coconut water craze - backed by celebrity investors including Madonna,
Demi Moore and Matthew McConaughey - has snowballed in the US and Europe
with sales doubling to $US265 million last year and expected to double
again this year.
"There are few beverages on this planet as bio-compatible to the human
body and its hydration needs as coconut water,” says Ji, who notes that
coconut water has even been used for intravenous hydration of critically
ill patients in remote areas.
"While some are concerned about the sugar content of this
slightly sweet beverage, recent research shows that it actually exhibits
blood sugar lowering properties," Ji says.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson and dietician Andrea
Giancoli explains: "The big deal about coconut water is that it packs a
potassium punch, and potassium is important for heart health, regulating
blood pressure and other body systems".
But coconut water is not "magical," Giancoli told National Public Radio, "and there’s plenty of potassium in a healthy diet."
New industry body Coconut Water Australia says coconut water is
"the
purest liquid second only to water itself…choc-full of electrolytes,
calcium, potassium, magnesium: everything that is good for you for only
around 60 calories per serve."
However, consumer rights group Choice remains unconvinced by what it
describes as "the latest health fad." "While the marketing on the
packages claims coconut water is a nutritional goldmine," Choice found
that dietary consultants believed very differently: "…the only real
goldmine is for those selling the product."
Dietician Tania Ferraretto told the watchdog that coconut water has been
promoted as a source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and
phosphorous, "but it only contains small amounts of these and other
nutrients."
Instead, Ferraretto recommends plain water: "It’s the best drink to
hydrate the body and it’s free, unlike coconut water, which can cost up
to $4 a bottle."
Source Link: Article By Graham Osborne, Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/coconuts-all-theyre-cracked-up-to-be-20120914-25xgv.html
Check out some of the books on Coconut Oil Cures and Benefits in My Shop!
Some of the Health claims for Coconut Oil and Water:
- Weight Loss (the saturated fats contribute to weight loss and controlling cravings. Also increases metabolic rate.)
- Known to improve nutrient absorption (easily digestible; makes vitamins and minerals more available to the body)
- Prevention of Diabetes (Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose making it great for both diabetics and non-diabetic.)
- An Antioxidant (protects against free-radical formation and damage)
- Energy Boost – coconut oil boosts energy and endurance making it a great supplement for athletes as well as those needed a quick pick me up.
- Hair Tonic (Re-vitalises and nourishes hair shaft and roots. Coconut oil supports cell regeneration.)
- Anti-Dandruff properties
- Anti-viral (kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other viruses)
- Anti-bacterial (kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum diseases, and other bacterial infections)
- Anti-fungal (kills fungi and yeast that lead to infection)
- Anti-carcinogenic (coconut oil has antimicrobial properties so it effectively prevents the spread of cancer cells and enhances the immune system)
- Anti-inflammatory
(appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and
repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful
intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.)
Virgin Coconut Oil: How It Has Changed People's Lives, and How It Can Change Yours!
See more Coconut Oil here: http://amzn.to/Saes2J
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