Coconut oil checks all the boxes when it comes to health-related benefits. We all know how great a discovery coconut oil has been with skincare and hair care, but it also offers numerous healthcare-related benefits!
Known as a humble yet powerful ayurvedic ingredient, coconut oil is the powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and antioxidants that cater to improving your cholesterol, immunity levels, and blood sugar. Hence, it renders health and skin benefits altogether.
Coconut oil is a cooking staple in most homes, especially in South India wherein people have been using coconut oil to prepare delicacies for generations. Let’s take a look at the benefits of cooking with coconut oil:
Top 4 Benefits Of Cooking With Coconut Oil
Cardiac Health:
Coconut oil consists of natural saturated fats that increase the good cholesterol (HDL) levels in the body. There are 2 kinds of cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein which is the good cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein which is the bad cholesterol.
Cooking with coconut oil increases HDL and boosts heart health in comparison to other fats used for cooking. Hence, regularly cooking with coconut oil will help improve the levels of lipids circulating in your blood, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
Aids Weight Loss:
A primary reason for weight gain in people is that they consume more calories than they use for burning energy. The energy-boosting capabilities of coconut oil are exceptionally known to cut off abdominal fat and reduce your appetite.
Moreover, it also converts fatty acids into energy which means you can stay active throughout the day without feeling sleepy after food consumption. Hence, when you balance your diet with food cooked in coconut oil, it breaks down and leads to a reduction of weight rather than storing fat.
Helps Reduce Appetite:
Many people have shared their experience of cooking with coconut oil stating that it leaves them feeling full and satisfied after a meal which means they don’t have unhealthy or untimely cravings.
The medium-chain triglycerides present in coconut oil are known to reduce appetite which becomes the reason behind your body metabolizing fats as ketones leading to a reduction in cravings and hunger. This makes coconut oil one of the key ingredients in a keto diet.
Aids Digestion:
Since coconut oil consists of MCT (medium chain triglycerides), they act as a natural antiseptic. Cooking in coconut oil helps kill the bad bacteria in the stomach. It also aids the body in producing chloride which balances the acids in the stomach and relieves any damage to the esophagus caused by the acid it is constantly exposed to.
Hence, cooking in coconut oil helps with indigestion and keeps bloating and other stomach issues at bay! Now that we have addressed the benefits of cooking with coconut oil, we’ll address some frequently asked questions regarding cooking with coconut oil as well:
Frequently asked questions:
Is coconut oil appropriate for cooking?
Coconut oil is extremely safe and healthy for cooking. As it has a unique composition of fatty acids, it is resistant to oxidation at high heat. This virtue makes it appropriate for high-heat cooking methods and general cooking methods as well.
Is coconut oil suitable for those following a keto diet?
Coconut oil is absolutely suitable for those following a keto diet as it is loaded with medium-chain triglycerides. And compared to other fats, MCTs get absorbed rapidly and are delivered to your liver immediately. Post which MCTs are either used as an energy source or converted into ketone bodies.
Can coconut oil be used for frying?
Owing to its high-fat concentration, coconut oil can stand up to high heat which makes it the perfect healthy choice for stir-frying and sautéing. However, it is recommended that you keep your burners at a medium flame when cooking or frying with coconut oil.
The Bottom Line
Summarizing the benefits of cooking with coconut oil, owing to its energy-boosting properties it makes a perfect diet accompaniment that doesn’t make one feel droopy after having a hefty meal cooked using coconut oil.
Overall, the benefits that coconut oil provides when used for cooking include:
- Being an energy booster.
- Great for reducing weight and for aiding digestion.
- Prevents cell damage.
- Additionally, it enhances dental health.