Vor kurzem gab es mein Foodie Focus zum Thema Kokosöl drüben bei Energieleben! {klick}
You can find my foodie focus with the topic coconut oil at another page. Its only in german language, so I decided to translate it for you here. So here we go:
Origin
Coconut oil is one of the most natural oils you’ll find. A ripe coconut consists of about 35 percent pure coconut oil. Its extracted from the nutritive tissue of the coconut („Kopra“), is white, smells great and melts just above room temperature.
Ingredients and nutritional value
Coconut oil consists mostly of saturated fatty acids and thereby differs from other plant based oils: its chemically stable, has a long storage life and can be heated on high without oxidizing. It consists – as the only natural oil at all – of more than 50 percent medium-chain fatty acids (chains with 8 to 12 c-atoms), most of which is lauric acid. Therefore it is:
- Very easy to digest
(medium-chain fatty acids can be digested without bile acid, are water soluble and therefore go directly to the liver through the blood stream, from where it can be used by the body) - Regulates the blood fats, as it rises the „good“ HDL cholesterol
- Acts antimicrobial, against viruses, bacteria and fungus (internal as well as external)
- contributes less to weight gain than other fats
(its used by the body more likely for energy than for storing in fat deposits, and medium-chain fatty acids have one calorie per gram less than other fatty acids > e.g. proved in this study)
Usage
Coconut oil has a very neutral taste and is therefore very versatile:
- Its very temperature-stable: you can use it for roasting or frying meat, fish and veggies, also at high temperatures (butter and olive oil get bitter at high temperatures and develop dangerous substances, so they are not suitable for that)
- You can also bake with coconut oil: every recipe that calls for butter can be made with coconut oil at the same ratio.
- Or you can just use it as a spread, or some people even put it in their coffee.
Oh and its not limited to the kitchen: as it acts antibacterial its a great base for cosmetic like body lotions, deodorants or toothpaste, or just „pure“ as body oil, lip balm etc.
Note when buying
In case you are thinking now: „Oh great, my grandma always used it, its very cheap“, just a few words on quality:
You might know this from olive oil, only carefully cold-pressed olive oil is good. It this all the vitamins and good ingredients are preserved and the oil is protected against damage due to high temperatures.
There is another reason to pay attention to high quality: industrial processes for oil extraction often use large machines (which heat the oil on high because of the high pressure), chemical solvent (to get even the last drop of oil), bleaching and deodorizing processes (so that the oil is color- and odorless). The end result is far from the original natural product and can be contaminated by residues from the production.
So the cheap coconut fat from the supermarket is off the table. How do you see if a coconut oil is really good and not processed?
- The coconut oil should be organic, and should have an approved organic seal.
- In addition the protected name „virgin coconut oil“ means that the oil comes from fresh, mature coconuts and that it was not altered during extraction. This includes e.g. intense heat, solvents, bleach or deodorization methods (even by „harmless“ water vapor).
- Some manufacturers even describe in more detail how their oil is won and try do be even better than their rival companies, e.g. by drying the copra especially gentle or particularly fast processing after harvest.
It is interesting that most of the positive characteristics and effects of coconut oil listed have been known for many decades. But as with many things consumers where told that industrial oils, produced from genetically modified seeds (like rapeseed or soybean oil) are very healthy. Lately, consumers are more aware and coconut oil is slowly gaining recognition and popularity – with good reasons, as we know now!
