One ingredient that has been growing in popularity over the past few years is coconut oil. It has the ability to make food taste amazing with its subtle coconut flavour and sweetness. The best bit? It is also incredibly good for your health! Here at nom, we are utterly in love with coconut oil, not only using it as a key ingredient in our oat bars and popcorn, but also in all of our own baking and cooking.
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So what exactly are the benefits of coconut oil?
Increase energy
Although coconut oil in the past has been demonised for containing saturated fats, studies have shown that this type of fat is actually rather harmless and that coconut oil specifically, contains only medium chain fatty acids which are used as a quick source of energy rather than being stored as fat like the longer chained alternative.
Keep blood sugar levels more stable
Coconut oil's unique structure of medium chain fatty acids, allows it to act like glucose to feed your body on the cellular level, boosting your metabolism and powering up you immune system. It is also very filling and has been shown to reduce people's appetite and avoid overeating.
Plant-based and lactose-free!
One of the reasons that we love coconut oil is that it's plant-based and more easily digestible (it's also suitable for vegans). It's ideal as a direct replacement for butter and other animal fats.
It can lower your risk of heart disease
Coconut oil is a saturated fat and we have all been conditioned to believe that all saturated fats raise our cholesterol and cause heart disease. But, in truth, it's a bit more complicated than that.
There are 2 types of cholesterol, bad and good. Levels of 'good cholesterol' (that help mop up the bad cholesterol and essentially help de-clog arteries) have shown to increase when eating coconut oil, whilst 'bad cholesterol' (artery clogging) levels have either stayed the same or actually decreased!
Boost the immune system
Coconut oil is made up of healthy fats called lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid. These have been shown to have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which can help to boost the immune system. Some research has even been done on the use of coconut oil in helping recover from viruses such as the flu!
Aid digestion
Coconut oil has been shown to help prevent certain digestion-related problems such as IBS. This is due to the antimicrobial properties which help to deal with bacteria, fungi and parasites that may cause indigestion.
Help to reduce inflammation
It has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation in the body. Since many inflammation problems can cause pain, eating coconut oil regularly can help decrease this pain.
Improve memory
A study in 2004 showed that coconut oil helped older people with their recall ability. They believe this is because coconut oil can be easily accessed in the brain and fuels cells efficiently.
It's naturally sugar free
There is a lot of research into sugars at the moment and its links to diabetes, teeth health and obesity. Coconut oil contains no sugars at all, yet can give a healthy, sweet flavour to foods.
Cooks at high temperatures
This makes it a perfect oil for cooking! It has a high smoking temperature which means that it doesn't oxidise as easily and remains a healthy option even after cooking.
At Nom, our mission is to make healthy nutritious products that are free-from nasties and allergens and are packed full of goodness. With that in mind, we substituted butter for coconut oil in our organic oat bars and are the first brand to market coconut oil popped popcorn! It means that when you snack on nom, you know you're getting a great tasting product that has your health in mind.
Nom products are available to buy online at nomfoods.co.uk or from Ocado, Holland and Barrett, Abel and Cole, Whole Foods Market, Revital and other health stores and gyms around the UK. Products start from £1.49.
By Amy Knight of Nom Foods
Tagged in Coconut Oil