Coconut Oil

I have been reading a lot about coconut oil because of the questions about it brought up at the last Relief Society meeting.

Coconut and palm oils are the only plant oils that contain a high percentage of saturated fat, however, they are also high in lauric acid. Lauric acid actually raises HDL cholesterol in your body which decreases risk of heart attack and stroke. When using coconut oil, make sure that it is virgin coconut oil as hydrogenated coconut oils contain trans fats which are not very good. There are tons of claims for different health benefits that come from using coconut oil but there is little research to back the claims at the moment. Just remember to be moderate in your use of any oil/fat as they are high in calories.

If you want to read more about coconut oil, I found the following 2 articles to be informative:

Coo Coo for Coconuts: http://isacksrd.com/?p=792

Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1