The Science of Oils vs Powers of Coconut oil

The Science of Oils

There is a growing body of evidence proving beyond any doubt the nearly miraculous properties of coconut derivatives, as well as the toxic effects of almost all vegetable oils. This conclusion has been based on research done with the scientific method by reputable investigative authorities.

Types of Oils

Every oil, whether plant or animal, saturated or unsaturated, natural or processed, has its own unique composition, and consequently its own specific effects on the human body.

The most abundant ‘lipids’ (fat like compounds in the body) are the triglycerides. Non-triglycerides, such as phospholipids and sterols, are not fats but have similar characteristics and therefore are referred to as fats.

Fats are solid at room temperature (20°C or 68°F) whereas oils are found in liquid form in the same room. Regardless of this difference, oils are still fats. About 95% of the fats we consume, including those that end up as a spare tire around our waistline, are triglycerides and are made up of molecules called ‘fatty acids’. While there are dozens of different ‘fatty acids’, there are really only three categories they can fall into: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.

Where there is reason to be concerned about the consumption of saturated fats, there are several different kinds, and some of them are downright essential for good health. Suggesting that all saturated fats are dangerous is akin to saying that all people from a certain country are bad cooks. Some probably are, but it has nothing to do with being from that country. Likewise, regardless of which of the three types of fat you’re referring to, some are good and some are bad.

It’s believed that olive oil (a monounsaturated fat) is healthy, for example. The truth is, however, all vegetable oils oxidize and are adversely affected by UV rays and heat. It IS less dangerous than other vegetable oils, and the olive oil industry has capitalized on this fact.

The exceptions are coconut and palm oils (technically speaking, coconuts are fruits, as they grow above the ground, like tomatoes).

Coconut oil has a very high oxidation resistance and supplies its own preservative. It does not rot at the same rate as the other vegetable oils, and to date has not been shown to cause any ill effects whatsoever on the human body.

All oils are a combination of the three types. It is simply categorized by the most predominant type. For example, canola oil is about 6% saturated fat, 62% monounsaturated fat, and 32% polyunsaturated fat, and therefore is considered a monounsaturated fat.

Coconut oil, on the other hand, is approximately 92% saturated fat, 6% monounsaturated fat, and 2% polyunsaturated fat, and thus considered a saturated fat, although its melting point is only 24C (75.2°F). As plant-based oils go, coconut oil is the exception, as almost all others are primarily polyunsaturated.

The healthiness of these different types of fat normally comes down to just a few simple considerations: its saturations, the size and exposure of its carbon chain, and its proficiency for free-radical generation and oxidation.

(It’s interesting that although very few people would willingly consume rotting vegetables, they seem to have no problem in the constant consumption of rotting vegetable oils. Ignorance may be bliss, but in health issues, it’s really dangerous, n’est pas?)

A fatty acid is basically a chain of carbon atoms with two hydrogen atoms attached to each. The comparative number of hydrogen atoms to carbon atoms is what determines the different designations of fat type. A saturated fat is so called because every carbon atom has its two accompanying hydrogen atoms, and cannot contain any more (it is ‘saturated’ with hydrogen atoms). A monounsaturated fat has one (‘mono’) pair of hydrogen atoms missing, leaving their two corresponding carbon atoms unprotected on one side. (Think of a chain where one link is broken.) In the case of a polyunsaturated fat, there are more pairs of carbon atoms that are left unprotected because of missing hydrogen atoms.

The most common polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils is linoleic acid, an 18-carbon atom in which four of the carbon atoms are exposed, leaving two weak ‘links’.

The number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid is also important. Acetic acid, as in the case of vinegar, has only two carbon atoms and their accompanying hydrogen atoms. Butyric acid, like that found in butter, has four carbon atoms. Two to six carbon atoms comprise the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), eight to twelve the medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and anything with more than twelve is considered long chain fatty acids (LCFAs).

Additionally, when three fatty acids of similar length are connected together by what’s called a glycerol molecule, the resulting chain is called a triglyceride, either in the case of SCTs (short chain triglycerides), MCTs, or LCTs. Most likely, you’ve noticed ‘MCT’ on the packaging of some of the foods you purchase.

As a rule, the more saturated the fat and the longer the chain, the harder the fat is going to be and the higher its melting point will be. Saturated fats come in all sizes, but monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are all LCFAs. Part of the allure towards these fats is that LCFAs are very good at storing energy for later use, but at the expense of overworking the organs to process them. Most fatty acids are long chains. SCFAs and MCFAs are quite rare.

The difference is that SCFAs and MCFAs are broken down immediately for energy production and not turned into fat to be stored.

Coconut oil is the best source of SCFAs and MCFAs of any natural substance in the world, endowing it with remarkable health-promoting qualities. An incredible 64% of the fats found in coconut oil are MCFAs, more than anything else known. It has been verified that MCFAs do NOT have a negative effect on blood cholesterol and, in fact, help protect against heart disease.

Free Radicals are NOT free!

Recent developments in biology have identified free radicals as a primary cause of degenerative diseases and the aging process.

Basically, a molecule loses an electron from its outer shell, leaving one electron with its partner. This is an entirely unacceptable state for an electron to be in, and will therefore steal an electron from a neighbouring molecule, thus starting a chain reaction that spreads to large numbers of molecules and changes their chemical and physical properties forever (a vase can’t be unbroken, right?) These alterations affect the protective membranes of the body’s cells, its cytoplasm (the ‘meat´ of the cell), and the nucleus, causing mutation and debilitation in future generations of cellular growth. Given enough affect, it can even lead to cellular death. Obviously, the more damage caused by these free radicals the more damage to the organs, joints, and all the body’s systems. Much like a photo-copier that has been damaged, every consequential copy is more and more damaged until the original content cannot be ascertained and the copy is useless.

At present, almost 100 different diseases are linked to free radical-caused degeneration.

The point of mentioning free radicals is that many of the more common vegetable oils used today by the general public (even those sited as ‘healthy’) have been shown to actively create free radicals. The problem lies in the exposed carbon molecules found in monounsaturated, and especially, polyunsaturated fats. Like all forms of carbon, the exposed atoms are easily oxidized and quickly become toxic and free radical forming.

The eventual oxidation of these oils is obvious if left unprocessed. Free radicals are everywhere as they are an unfortunate part of the oxidation process. Fortunately, we can decrease their numbers and therefore the damage they do to our bodies in several different ways, not the least of which is by what we consume. Apart from slowing the aging process, this will lessen your chances of suffering from one of these debilitating diseases.

While many people think they need to reduce saturated fats to be healthier, the truth is it’s better to reduce all types of fats. In an effort to reduce ‘trans’ fats (which many equate with saturated fats as per the propaganda spread by certain agricultural interest groups) they replace their animal fats and tropical oils with vegetable oils, misleadingly believe they are improving their health.

However, as most vegetable oils are polyunsaturated, the exposed carbon atoms WILL oxidize, just as all unprotected carbon must, and promote the formation of free radicals.

Because of this inevitable oxidation and regardless of the implied ‘healthiness’ of polyunsaturated oils, their very natural precludes rancidity and toxicity as they become affects by heat, UV radiation, and oxygen.

What causes their initial breakdown is the very process most of oils go through to prepare them for the store shelves.

The oils are separated from their source plant using petroleum solvents, after which the solvents themselves require a boiling process of around 204°C (400°F) to be removed. The oils are packaged, usually with no concern about shielding them from the sunlight, and often left on warehouse shelves for long periods of time before being transported to the stores in unrefrigerated trucks and placed on the shelves to wait sometimes for months before finally being purchased by the end consumer and brought home.

The damage doesn’t stop there. Most people believe as long as the oil smells good, it’s good to go. As such, they don’t know to put it in the fridge or to protect it from direct sunlight. What’s worse, they cook with it, exposing it to incredible heat, vastly increasing its toxicity.

Remember, all vegetable oils will spoil just as all vegetables will rot. However, the processing and the storage practices go a long way to reducing the damage done and consequentially the potential danger to a person’s health.

Hydrogenation is the process where unsaturated oils are chemically altered to form fats that are more saturated, which preserves it longer. This is a much cheaper process than using animal or tropical oils. This process includes heating the oil while forcing more hydrogen atoms to bind with it. This results in toxic trans-fatty acids. Examples of this are margarine and shortening.

Hydrogenated oils are among the most dangerous substances we ingest as regular food items and should be completely eliminated from our diets.

If any of this has come as a surprise to you, please do yourself and your family a huge favour and throw out any vegetable oils you have had sitting on the kitchen counter or in the cupboard. If you have to use a vegetable oil, like extra virgin olive oil for its wonderful taste, buy it in an opaque packaging or a tin and put it in your fridge as soon as you get home.

Better yet, just don’t use them anymore.

Saturated Fats

Since saturated fats don’t have any exposed carbon atoms in their molecule, there is little chance of oxidation or free radical generation. Ironically enough, before the ASA (American Soybean Association) spewed their self-serving propaganda against the tropical oils and equated saturated fats with ‘trans’ fats, most food processors were actually in the habit of using tropical oils because of their natural preservative properties.

Researchers have been looking into the relationships between saturated fats and the advent of cancer. Surprisingly (or maybe not that much), it was found that when compared to other oils, saturated fats actually have a preventative effect against cancer, whereas polyunsaturated oils were proven to increase the risk of cancer, along with many other degenerative diseases such as neurological debilities, allergies, respiratory problems, and weakened autoimmune systems, which led to several other life-threatening illnesses, not to mention premature aging.

Having said all this, here’s the good news.

As coconut is a very saturated fat, it is the most resistant fat against the oxidation process and the generation of free radicals. As well, it is composed of medium-chain fatty acids, not at all like the long-chain fatty acids that act to raise blood cholesterol levels. It does nothing to promote platelet stickiness, but in fact reduces the risk of blood-clot formation.

If it were only for its harmlessness, it would be worth becoming your preferred choice. However, because it’s a MCFA, there are almost countless unsung benefits that come along with its use.

For the sake of your health and that of your loved ones, please inform yourself further either through Toptwo.in, or do your own research. Whether you’re suffering from what you consider ‘age-related’ ailments, degenerative diseases, or are just trying to prevent them from happening, coconut oil and other coconut products go a long way to improving your well-being.

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