Coconut oil has gained a reputation as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. With its anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, coconut oil is considered highly beneficial for your health. Even though it has many benefits, its capacity to help you lose weight has increased its popularity. The medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut oil are believed to be the reason behind this magical effect. But, is it true that coconut oil can boost your metabolism and help you lose weight? Or is it just another fad? Let’s dig deeper.
Specialty Of Coconut Oil
You don’t need to fear the fats in coconut oil. They are different from other fats in your menu and they work differently. Coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids. Unlike the long-chain fatty acids found in most foods, these medium chain fatty acids are healthy. And the best thing about these fatty acids is that they can boost your metabolism. They are smaller than other fats and hence they are digested easily and quickly. They are immediately changed into energy and they are not stored in your body. It is found that one to two tablespoons of medium chain fatty acids daily increases energy expenditure by 5%. It is also observed that adding medium chain fatty acids to your diet may reduce your appetite and brings down your total calorie intake. Thus, coconut oil, which is composed predominately of medium chain fatty acids, will increase metabolism, raise your energy level, and burn more calories.
Coconut Oil And Abdominal Fat
This could be interesting to those who try to shed their abdominal fat. In fact, coconut oil is more effective in reducing abdominal fat than your total weight. The dietetic supplementation with coconut oil seems to promote a reduction in abdominal obesity.1 In this study, 40 women were asked to use either coconut oil or soybean oil for 28 days. They were also asked to eat fewer calories and exercise every day. At the end of 28 days, it was observed that both groups lost weight. However, the coconut oil group managed to decrease their waist circumference and increase their good cholesterol. Virgin coconut oil is also efficacious for waist circumference reduction in men.2
This is indeed good news for those who want to get rid of their belly fat. By reducing harmful abdominal fat, you do a favor to your body. It will result in active metabolism and save you from many chronic diseases. The dietary use of coconut oil also raises your HDL or good cholesterol but does not increase levels of LDL or bad cholesterol. However, there were studies later to contradict this finding. It is found that coconut oil can increase both HDL and LDL cholesterol.
Well, this is the take-home message. Coconut oil alone will not be able to perform a miracle when it comes to your weight loss program. Yes, it is scientifically proven that it could reduce your abdominal fat. But, if you continue with your higher calorie intake, coconut oil may not have any positive effect on your body. Moreover, some experts point out that the high-fat content in the oil may result in weight gain if you don’t use it in moderation. Instead, adopt a healthy-eating plan clubbed with regular physical activity. Then, adding coconut oil to your diet will be a great move to support your attempts for weight loss.
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