Over the past year, I have seen a significant increase in the consumption of coconut products American’s are eating such as coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut butters, etc. This is probably no surprise since it’s touted to promote weight loss, help with skin/hair, and improve diabetes, cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease. Even Dr. Oz recommends it, so it must be the new “super food”, right? Well, you may want to wait before you go out and load up on these products.
For many years, I have advised people to use moderation with coconut milks/oils because it is very high in saturated fat, which has been known to increase the risk of heart disease (see my previous post on “Not all fats are created equal”). Because foods high in fat are also high in calories, portion control is also essential for weight management. Remember, weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out.
Despite these facts, many people have been recommending coconut products for heart health and weight loss. So, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion and controversy surrounding this food. The other day, I came across a wonderful article entitled “The Truth About Coconut Oil: Is it Really Healthy?”. I think this article does great job of sorting through fact and fiction about coconut products. I agree with everything the author says, and since I couldn’t have written it any better myself, I thought I’d pass along the link.
So before you go out and fill up the grocery cart with all of the new coconut products on the market, take a few minutes to read this article. Then my advice would be, don’t eat coconut fats for health benefits. Instead, only choose it if you really like the flavor and be sparing…a little bit can go a long way!