Coconut oil is a medium-chain saturated fatty acid. It's one of the few saturated fats that comes from a plant souce. Other saturated fats are found in animal products such as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk.
Coconut oil has become popular as a natural remedy. Proponents of coconut oil say that coconut oil has the following benefits:
Critics say, however, that coconut oil is a saturated fat, like butter, and should be avoided. There is also insufficient evidence from human studies showing it's effective.
If you are going to use coconut oil, follow these tips:
Don't buy hydrogenated coconut oil or oil that has been treated with solvents, bleach, or heat. A health food store is probably your best bet.
You will get the most lauric acid for your dollar with coconut oil rather than coconut milk. Three and a half tablespoons of coconut oil is equivalent to ten ounces of coconut milk. "Lite" coconut milk is low in fat and also low in lauric acid. And finally, coconut milk is processed differently than the oil and may not have the same effects.
