Coconut oil has attained almost holy status in India because of its cultural significance and how versatile it is. Nobody is really sure how or where coconuts first originated from. The closest we have come is that it must be a variety of another prehistoric plant which originated in the South Pacific. The coconut is so versatile in its uses – burning its husk acts as a mosquito repellent, the meat inside the coconut is rich in protein, the milk from the coconut is light and nutritious and the water inside is refreshing!
But today, we’re going to talk about the oil made from the coconut and look at its potential advantage/disadvantage in our fitness journey over the universal favorite – butter!
It’s only we learn how to cook as adults, do we truly know how delicious butter is. Just as we’re tempted to start using more butter, it’s good to know how it’s going to affect our health.
Saturated fat content
Even though both coconut oil and butter have a higher calorie count, it’s important to note that butter has a relatively smaller amount of saturated fat.
Saturated fat is the bad kind of fat that lines up your arteries and can increase the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats also increase the amount of LDL (cholesterol), which can increase the risk of heart strokes. Saturated fats are one of the leading causes of easy weight gain. They are a major ingredient in all the fast food available out there. All foods that are fried or baked contain a ridiculous amount of saturated fat and should be avoided.
Many claim that coconut oil is actually good for weight loss, but that is not the case. Coconut oil does have benefits of making you fell fuller compared to butter but when you look at the total calories, a teaspoon of butter and coconut oil contain the same amount of calories but a higher quantity of fat and almost twice the amount of unsaturated fat.
Again, if you have the option of cooking with olive oil, it would be a better choice as compared to both these options. But, it you had to choose between coconut oil and butter, butter would be the winner! It is also very important to keep in mind that butter can be eaten in excess very easily without thinking!
Make a healthy choice today, and have a great week!
