Raw Organic Coconut Oil
Coconut oil as a functional food.
Medical research is in agreement that at least 30% of our daily nutritional intake should be made up of fats or oil. However, the structures of different oils are as diverse as nature itself and even a basic knowledge of what defines the different classification of fats will help us understand why this classification is so important when choosing oil to augment and support a healthy lifestyle for our children, families and ourselves.
Saturated Fat: A Vital Ingredient for a Healthy Body: Over many decades coconut oil received bad publicity due to its saturated fat content, but research has shown that not all saturated fats are alike and coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up. It is not only the highest source of saturated fats (92%) but included in this is the highest source of saturated medium chain triglycerides (62%) of any naturally occurring vegan food source. Furthermore around 50% of these MCT's are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining the body's immune system.
Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother's milk. Tropical oils and mother's milk are by far the richest food sources of medium chain fatty acids available. The closest other source of these vital building blocks for our immune system would be milk fat and butter, comprising around 3% of its content. Any other vegetable oil is completely deficient in these MCFAs.