Saturated fats. Unsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats. What’s good for you? Which ones are bad for you? Which ones are the best?

For the last 50 years, polyunsaturated vegetable oils have been touted as the best oils. Corn, safflower, canola, sunflower, and soy oils have become the staple oils in the kitchen. More recently, olive oil and its role in the healthful Mediterranean diet has come on the scene as a great alternative.

At the same time, saturated fats like butter, eggs, and coconut oil have been relegated to ‘unhealthy’ status. Bad for the heart. Bad for your cholesterol, which after all, is the root of heart disease [not!].

Here’s something that will turn all this thinking upside down.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil may be the best, most healthful oil you can eat — especially when used in cooking.

Why Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Most vegetable oils are made up of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). What’s the difference?

• MCFAs are easy to digest; LCFAs are hard on your digestive system.
• MCFAs are smaller and therefore permeate cell membranes easily. They don’t require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be absorbed by your body. LCFAs are larger and are harder for cellular metabolism.
• MCFAs are converted to energy by the liver; LCFAs are most often stored as body fat.
• The MCFAs in coconut oil can actually activate your body’s metabolism, which can lead to weight loss. Yes, a fat with a weight loss side effect!

Polyunsaturated fats are chocked full of omega-6 fatty acids. As you already know (see article), we already get too much omega-6 in our diets and not enough omega-3. Coconut oil will not give you this imbalance.

Coconut oil is absolutely the best oil for cooking. Polyunsaturated oils are brutal for cooking. They have a low smoke point which not only destroys the antioxidants in the oil, but causes oxidative damage. You don’t want to be putting this in your body! Even olive oil has a low smoke point and should never be used in high temperature cooking. Coconut oil, on the other hand, has a high smoke point making it heat-resistant.

Imagine. A natural oil that helps you lose weight, promotes a healthy heart and immune system, can jump-start your metabolism, is the best choice for cooking, and is an excellent energy source.

I’m so pumped about coconut oil that starting tomorrow morning, a tablespoon of coconut oil is going in my morning espresso.