Lose Weight Using Coconut Oil

Can You Lose Weight Using Coconut Oil Instead of Olive Oil?

Thanks to olive oil's heart-healthy attributes it has generally led the praise of those conscientious of health issues and is a staple of the Mediterranean diet however, if you are looking to lose weight, coconut oil might be a a better choice for your diet

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Best Life magazine had this to say about coconut oil in a recent issue:

"Coconut oil is made up of more than 50 percent medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT), a fatty acid that increases fat oxidation, enhancing weight loss, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers had people consume four or five teaspoons of MCT oil or olive oil a day for 16 weeks, either baked into muffins or used in a stir-fry. The MCT group lost almost four pounds more than the olive oil group."

In my household we use olive oil almost universally; it would be an interesting experiment I think to put this to the test and change absolutely nothing with our diet or activity patterns but substitute olive oil with unrefined coconut oil and see if we lose 10 pounds or no pounds. It couldn't hurt I guess... the only problem I see is finding coconut oil and paying for it. I also can't help but wonder what it's like to cook with it as as far as I can tell it is a solid much like lard.

The Problems with Coconut Oil

Obviously if you are cooking with coconut oil then that means you are not cooking with grapeseed oil, which has been shown to signal the body you are fuller sooner. If you make the switch to coconut oil you'll have to place greater emphasis on portion control. Also, another serious complication with this is the saturated fats in coconut oil. Even if this oil promotes weight loss it has also be shown to "reduce flexibility in the arteries and caused harmful changes in cholesterol levels, both of which increase the likelihood of clogging arteries" and neither of which lead to longer life... just something to thank about.

Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? What are your thoughts/opinions?

Source
Best Life, Aug 2008
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition