Believe it or not, there is such a thing as good fat. It's not the fat in most fried food and it's not the marbling in ribeye or sirloin that results in the steaks sizzling flavor. Nope, it's the fat in coconut oil which, if you substitute in place of all other cooking and salad oils in your diet, may help you lose weight effortlessly – the main tenet of the coconut diet.
Unlike the long-chain triglycerides in other oils, the medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut oil are metabolized more quickly by the body and are less likely to be stored as fat, or so say promoters of the coconut diet and nutritionists who swear by it. So as not to be misled, understand that coconut oil is high in saturated fat and when consumed in excess will get your cholesterol cranking just like other oils do. In fact, ounce for ounce, coconut oil delivers more saturated fat than butter, lard or margarine, and feeding studies conducted on humans, monkeys and rabbits show that coconut oil substantially elevates LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Then there's the research that indicates, when followed closely, the coconut diet may keep blood lipid levels low and benefit your thyroid and metabolism by helping you manage weight better. Support for coconut diet benefits stem from the fact that coconut oil is non-hydrogenated, contains zero cholesterol (as is the case with all plant-based oils) and has no trans-fat. That being said, coconut oil may present fewer cardiovascular risks than animal-based fats, and oils such as peanut, canola, vegetable and sunflower when used in moderation.
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