Top 3 Health Benefits Of Cooking With Coconut Oil

We all find fried food and snacks delicious. Some of our favorite snacks include samosas, kachoris, pakodas, and many other fried delicacies. Also, we have weather-specific foods: tea and pakodas in the monsoon, and jalebis during the winter, whereas samosa has been an all-weather friend.

But, do you know the impact of fried food on your health? A serious concern is the onset of heart diseases in young individuals caused by the over intake of oil. In fact, it is predicted that by 2020, 4 out of 10 deaths will result from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) caused due to an unhealthy diet.

Is  Coconut Oil Good for Cooking?

• Cooking Oils and CVDs

Is there a way to avoid CVDs? One way to do this is to change your lifestyle. Strict diet, exercises and healthy habits help in delaying CVDs. Let’s begin with lowering the intake of fats and oil.
Several cooking oils claim to be healthy and low in fat. This helps in preventing the beginning of CVDs. But, are all oils healthy?
One of the most common oils used in cooking is coconut oil. It has got a unique taste. People in different parts of India and Asia use coconut oil to prepare curries and cuisines. It has several health benefits too.

• Fat Can Be Healthy Too

Too much of any substance is bad. The same is true for fats.
But, you need fats to stay healthy. Fats form the lining of many organs like the heart, stomach, liver, and kidneys. It protects them from shock, injury, and unfavorable temperatures. Also, our brain works perfectly because fats form a protective layer on different types of brain cells.
When the body doesn’t get enough fats, it cannot use vitamins A, D, E, and K. These ‘fat-soluble’ vitamins are important for proper eye-sight, strong bones, cell and tissue repair. Coconut oil has enough fats necessary to keep you healthy and in good condition.

• Good Cholesterol vs Bad Cholesterol

Coconut oil has high amounts of lauric acid. It is a type of fatty acid that makes fat. Except for palm oil, most oils have very low amounts of this fatty acid. A major health benefit of lauric acid is that it increases ‘good’ HDL cholesterol in the blood. This reduces the risk of heart disease.
Many studies show that if you use coconut oil regularly, you can be safe from CVDs. In a study, the health benefits of butter, extra-virgin olive oil, and coconut oil were compared. It was seen that coconut oil lowers the levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increases ‘good’ cholesterol. Also, in obese women, coconut oil lowered ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. For these reasons, coconut oil can be a healthy substitute while preparing fried food.

There may be conflicting results around coconut oil’s benefits. But, it does have a positive impact on our health. So, if you want to eat your favorite fried snack, use healthier oil like coconut oil and remain fit.