Coconut- The misunderstood fruit

 I am a fish eating coastal girl. There is no doubt then  that, Coconut is my favorite fruit. Its sweet  creaminess, adds a different level of flavor to any dish.  And now that it is know to be good for you, I want to  share its benefits with everybody. Somehow, unlike  other fruits, over the past century, it has a got a bad  reputation. In India coconut has always enjoyed the  love and respect it deserves, but the western  brainwashing has made us believe otherwise.

 Coconut has earned a bad name, because of its high  content of Saturated fats. But, what has been over  looked is that there are different kinds of saturated  fats and different ways of classifying them. One such method is by the molecular size of the fatty acids. Most oils and fats coming from plant and animal sources contain Long chain fatty acids (LCFA). But the fat in coconut oil is Medium Chain fatty acid(MCFA), and it is differently metabolized by our body. MCFA does not have the ill effects on our health that LCFA have. It infact, protects us from heart disease and lowers the risk of Atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery walls). 

The coconut tree is superior to all other plantation, as each and every part of the tree comes of use to us humans; may It be the fruit the leaves, bark or husk. Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Traditionally people have used coconut oil to cure a wide range of health problems and now, slowly modern scientists are relearning its powers and unlocking them.

There are many ways of using coconut in your food. Coconut oil has a high smoking point, which means it can withstand higher temperatures without going rancid, as compared to other oils and therefore is a good cooking medium. People from the coast like us, garnish every food with coriander and grated coconut. Coconut milk is a staple in our fish preparations. We use roasted dried coconut in our meat dishes. But, the latest addition to my ways of consuming coconut is Virgin coconut oil. This oil is cold pressed from coconut milk. It is the purest form for gaining the benefits of coconut and it has a host of health benefits that have been discovered. Other than heart problems and increased cholesterol levels, it helps depression, weight, digestion, weak immunity, metabolism, stops sugar cravings and last but not the least, helps manage Type II Diabetes.

Recent studies have found that coconut oil protects against insulin resistance, reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. MCFA fats are small enough to be absorbed into the cells where they are quickly converted to energy. This process not only reduces the amount of fat we pack into storage, but also improves insulin sensitivity. I have started taking 2 tablespoons of Virgin coconut oil in the mornings, to regulate my blood sugar and help with weight loss. If you have found this information useful, please leave a comment.

Some Interesting links: 
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/Coconut_oil_water_milk_Healthy_or_hype.html
https://www.coconutsecret.com/coconuthealthsecrets2.html
http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/coconut-health-benefits/