Here's Why Coconut Oil Is Great For Your Heart!

Coconut oil has been recognized for its benefits for the skin and body. However, a surprising revelation from a study by BBC2's Trust Me I'm a Doctor series states that coconut oil can raise your HDL, good cholesterol levels. Consuming coconut oil regularly for just four weeks can end cardiovascular disease and stroke risks completely. The scientific community, however, states coconut oil as unhealthy fat, high in saturated fats (86%) which is much more than butter (51%) and can raise the LDL or bad cholesterol levels greatly. The BBC2 series team, with the support of Prof Kay-Tee Khaw and Prof Nita Forouhi, Cambridge academics, recruited 94 volunteers with no diabetes or heart disease history, aged 50-75, and divided them into three groups for a trial.

Each day, for four weeks, all the volunteers were asked to take same quantities of extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil and unsalted butter. When tested, it was found that coconut oil did a two-fold job. It helped in controlling LDL levels and supported the raising levels of HDL to 15%.

Whereas butter eaters witnessed an average increase of 10% in their LDL levels which was matched by a 5% rise in their HDL levels and olive oil consumers saw no significant fall in their LDL levels and a 5% rise in HDL.

Did you know these health benefits of coconut oil?

1. Saturated fat in coconut oil is healthy

2. It can be a good replacement for milk in ice-cream (just in case you are a vegan)

3. It can reduce type 2 diabetes risk

4. It helps in controlling hunger pangs

5. Coconut oil is ideal for high-temperature cooking

6. It prevents sagging and wrinkles

7. Prevents bloating and indigestion