There are many oils such as Olive oil that have great Omega 3 and 6 and great for the body, but unless they are cold pressed then we are not getting all the antioxidants and nutrients that our body needs.

What is Cold Pressed?
Cold pressed oils are produced at very low temperatures which help them retain their nutritional values.

Top 7 cold pressed oils to boost your immune system help you stay healthy are:

Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Evening Primrose Oil
Walnut Oil
Black Currant Oil
Borage Oil

How do I get them in?

Try cooking with different oils or add them to your salad, morning yogurt or smoothies!!

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Moderation

The first thing to remember is moderation. The problem is that we hear something is good for us and we start using too much of it.  The American Heart Association is recommending the average male limits daily saturated fat intake to 30 grams per day; 20 grams for women. That’s about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of coconut oil for men and 1.33 tablespoons for women. Most people are not going to surpass this in a day unless they are on a high fat Paleo diet or ketogenic diet.

Preparation

Coconut oil has saturated fa that can be good and bad for us depending on how we use it.  If we are consuming coconut oil in a raw form by adding it to salads, grains and vegetables once it has been prepared it is okay to use.  However, once we start using it as frying oil then we are changing its consistency and its nutrients.  Remember, it is still a saturated fat so frying can change its form to trans fat which will impact the cholesterol in our bodies.

Benefits

There are many benefits in consuming cold pressed coconut oil.

Most of the fats we consume take longer to digest, but MCFAs found in coconut oil provide the perfect source of energy because they only have to go through a three-step process to be turned into fuel vs. other fats that have to go through a 26-step process!

Coconut oil has two qualities that help it fight cancer: one, because of the ketones produced in its digestion. Tumor cells are not able to access the energy in ketones and are glucose-dependent. Two, as the MCFAs digest the lipid walls of bacteria, they also can kill the helicobacter pylori bacteria that has been known to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

In a study in India, the high levels of antioxidants present in virgin coconut oil (VCO) reduced inflammation and treated arthritis more effectively than leading medications.

Coconut oil is high in natural saturated fats. Saturated fats not only increase the healthy cholesterol (known as HDL cholesterol) in your body, but also help convert the LDL “bad” cholesterol into good cholesterols.  By Increasing the HDL in the body, it helps promote heart health and lower the risk of heart disease. Coconut oil also benefits the heart by lowering high triglycerides.

The important thing to remember is there are many healthy benefits of having coconut oil.  The key is to have it in its raw form and always try to have the cold pressed version which is less processed.

Also, remembering that it is still a saturated fat and not eating too much of it is very important.

Click for Green Smoothie Recipe

Click here for Coconut Yogurt Recipe

The post Coconut Oil: Good or Bad? first appeared on Inner Health & Wellness | Walnut Creek, CA..

Recent studies have shown that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat has shown to decrease the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as lowering the triglyceride levels (fats in the blood).

Oils are categorized based on the type of fatty acids they contain.  For example, olive and canola oil are mostly monounsaturated, while corn and soybean oil are mainly polyunsaturated fat.  Coconut and avocado oil are mainly saturated fat but because they are derived from plants, they actually help to raise HDL (good cholesterol) and are beneficial to heart health.

Best oils for Cooking

The best oils for cooking are ones that can withstand high cooking temperatures, making them suitable for sautéing, grilling, roasting or using them as salad dressing.

• Grapeseed oil- refrigerate after opening to prevent it from becoming rancid
• Avocado oil
• Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Canola Oil
• Sesame- refrigerate after opening to prevent it from becoming rancid
• Sunflower seed oil

Worst oils to use for cooking

Oils that are labeled as “partially hydrogenated”.  Most partially hydrogenated oils are made from vegetable oils like soybean or cottonseed.  Partially hydrogenated oils are trans fats that have been shown to increase your risk for heart disease.

In 2018, the FDA ruled that manufacturers must remove all forms of trans fats from their products.

• Palm oil- has been linked to elevating cholesterol levels and increasing the risk of heart disease.

When using oils, it’s best to use in moderation.  It’s always best to use oils in there raw forms for vegetables or as salad dressing.  They are rich in fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A & E and great source of Omega 6.

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