The Benefits of Cooking With Coconut Oil

Vegans already know about the power of coconut oil as a replacement for butter, and now Dr. Oz recently spoke about it on his daytime talk show, explaining it is also a great weight loss tool.

While coconut oil remains hard at room temperature, it melts quickly when warmed, and Dr. Oz explained it fights fat because it actually keeps us fuller for a longer period of time. It also helps to speed up the metabolism. He actually recommended taking two tablespoons of it daily to increase metabolism.

Also, always look for virgin coconut oil – organic preferred, but at least one that does not have any hydrogenated products in it. And many brands offer coconut oil with a neutral flavor, so it can be used for any dish.

Babycakes NYC, a vegan bakery in downtown Manhattan, recommends Omega Nutrition 100 Percent Organic Unscented Coconut Oil in their cookbook, “Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes From Donuts to Snickerdoodles.”

While some argue coconut oil contains saturated fat, some saturated fats are actually good for you, and coconut oil falls into this category, according to physician and author Dr. Joseph Mercola, who has cited a number of health benefits from the oil including improving the heart, boosting the thyroid, increasing metabolism, promoting a lean body/weight loss, and supporting the immune system.

“Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found in nature called lauric acid, a ‘miracle’ compound because of its unique health promoting properties,” he said in an article on Huffington Post. “Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.”