Coconut Cholesterol: It is not as Bad as you Think



Posted: Thursday, April 22, 2010

by Henry Fong
Feng Shui Absolutely

In order to decide whether coconut cholesterol is good or bad, you must first understand what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is needed in the body. It is a fat-like substance that exists in the cells. There are two main types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that is the good form of cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that is the type of cholesterol known to coat the walls of arteries and increase the risk for heart attacks. Cholesterol is not something that must be ingested; the body makes all it needs.

The vegetables and vegetable oils that we use each contain both saturated and unsaturated fats. These vegetables oils vary in the degree of saturation. They also contain different molecule chain lengths.

Some of the hydrogen atoms are missing from the unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats have one pair of hydrogen atoms missing. Canola, olive and peanut oil are monounsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are missing two or more pairs of hydrogen atoms. Corn, safflower and soybean are examples of this kind of oil.

Whole milk, meat, palm kernel and coconut oils all contain saturated fats. Except for palm and coconut oil, they usually come from animal sources. Saturated fats usually are solid when at room temperature.

Many people today eat a diet high in trans fatty acids. These fats reduce HDL and have a strong negative effect on the risk of heart disease. This is believed to be one reason why heart disease continues to grow.

Although coconut oil is a highly saturated fat, yet appears to have no harmful effect for those who use it. This may be due to a substance called lauric acid. It is a medium fatty chain that is also found in mother's milk. Lauric acid is formed into monolaurin that is the antibacterial, antiviral, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride that the body uses to destroy such viruses as HIV, influenza, and herpes that are lipid-coated viruses. The fatty acid in coconut fat is made up of approximately fifty percent lauric acid. Studies have shown that a diet high in coconut fat counterbalances the high LDL with an even higher HDL.

This characteristic of coconut cholesterol to be quite controversial. It is a saturated fat, high in LDL that is effective in prevention of heart disease. More study must be done to determine whether the high saturated fat content is balanced by the presence of a heart disease risk reduction factor.

Check in at the Cholesterol Scoop for more information on Cholesterol Medication.
Henry Fong is a Feng Shui Consultant based in Malaysia. He provide Feng Shui consultation for both residential as well as commercial properties via his on-site as well as off-site services over the Net. www.henryfong.com
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