What is Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of mature coconuts.  There are 2 main types of coconut oil: virgin and refined (or RBD).  Virgin coconut oil is less refined and what we recommend for smoothies.  Refined coconut oil strips away some of the nutrients and antioxidants and has a higher level of tolerance to heat.  So refined coconut oil is better when cooking, but for smoothies – we can stick with the virgin coconut oil.

Nutrition Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is high in saturated fats.  New research has shown that not all fats are created equal.  There are a few different types of fats, including short chain, medium chain, and long chain.  Long chain fats can be broken into 2 categories – saturated and unsaturated where the unsaturated long chain fats can be either omega-3 or omega-6 fats.

Coconut oil is very high in medium chain fatty acids (~60%).  The other ~40% is long chain fatty acids (most of which is saturated).  Medium chain fatty acids are used for energy by the liver and are not stored in your body.

Some research has linked to reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol) as well as linked to immune system support, antibacterial/anti-fungal properties, hormone support for thyroid and blood-sugar, and brain health.  This is why we add coconut oil to a few of our recipes.