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Is
Coconut oil a "seed" oil?
No. In oil trading, seed oils are considered to be
those from annual crops. Common and predominant ones
used in North America are Soybean, Corn, Canola, Safflower,
Sesame seed, and Sunflower seed oil.
What
are the differences between commercial (copra) oil
and premium grade coconut oil?
On most accounts, premium grade coconut oils are fresh,
natural, and wholesome. The oil is recovered within
hours after opening the coconuts while copra oil takes
at least 1.5 months. Because it is unrefined, it contains
natural vitamin E and naturally occurring antioxidants
that are normally destroyed by refining or heating
in other processes. Premium Grade oil is more expensive
than refined or crude oil as most premium oils use
only selected raw materials, and experience lower
production yield as there is only one pressing.
What are the
attributes of coconut oil?
Coconut oil is one of the most stable oils and is
highly resistant to rancidity. It is stable because
of its high proportion of saturated fats. (It is the
unsaturated fats in the common seed oils that are
easily oxidized and susceptible to rancidity.) Coconut
oil is mild on the skin and is widely used in the
tropics to protect both skin and hair from the harsh
effect of the sun. Film forming qualities allow it
to act as a skin moisturizer and protects against
moisture loss. Its natural detergency and lathering
capabilities give a double purpose as a cleansing
agent for soaps and shampoos.
I have heard
that saturated fats are unhealthy. Does this mean
that coconut oil is unhealthy?
NO! In fact it merits the description given its source:
the "tree of life". Popular belief used
to hold that coconut oil was unhealthy by virtue of
its high level of saturated fat. However, not all
saturated fats are alike and current research shows
that the fatty acids in coconut oil, the medium chain
triglycerides, do not raise serum cholesterol or contribute
to heart disease like the long chain triglycerides
found in seed oils. Coconut oil is easily digested
and is not deposited as fat in arteries because it
is metabolized directly without passing through the
carnitine transport system. In fact, the evidence
points to coconut oil as being a healthy oil.
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