Coconut oil contains many MCTs, or medium chain triglycerides. These TCMs are easily transformed into a source of quality energy for our body. As our brains need a lot of fat to function, the MCTs in coconut oil are a readily available source. Coconut oil contains around 60% MCT, in fact it is the oil richest in MCT. In addition, coconut oil contains vitamin E which is one of the best vitamins to fight against aging.
Presentation and conservation of coconut oil
When coconut oil is kept cool, it has a semi-solid appearance. It becomes liquid again from around 25 ° C. We therefore also speak of coconut butter or coconut fat. It is the pulp of the coconut that is used to make this oil, not to be confused with coconut oil, which comes from the dried pulp and which is often bleached and deodorized. So choose a cold-extracted virgin coconut oil that is ideally organic.
One of the advantages of coconut oil is that it is not very sensitive to rancidity, which means that it oxidizes less quickly than other oils and therefore keeps longer. Do not forget that coconut oil, like all oils, must be stored in a glass jar (plastic migrates through fatty substances, whether of animal or vegetable origin, therefore a preserved fatty substance. in plastic promotes the absorption of plastic micro-particles …) and protected from light, which degrades oils.
Coconut oil and our brains
Coconut oil has a protective effect on our brain by providing a directly available source of energy. A diet rich in fat preserves intellectual and cognitive performance.
All degenerative brain conditions will respond well to daily coconut oil supplementation. It will therefore be used in migraines, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Charcot’s disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Even without changing anything in your diet, you will be providing your brain, along with coconut oil, with high quality medium chain triglycerides as well as a certain dose of ketones (ketones or ketone bodies are molecules made by the liver. from fats, the body can use them for energy just like carbohydrates). Ketones protect mitochondria (microorganisms within cells that convert glucose into energy, much like a cell’s energy factory), fight inflammation and cell oxidation, and decrease neuron excitability. .
Of course, if you reduce the carbohydrate content in your diet, the ketone content will increase, which will be all the more beneficial. Note that consuming coconut oil daily helps limit the cravings for sweet foods.
How to consume coconut oil?
You can either dilute it in your drinks (tea, herbal tea, roïbos, coffee), or in your desserts, or add it after cooking to your meats, fish and vegetables or use it to season your raw vegetables. You can also drink it pure, at a rate of one to two tablespoons per day. On the other hand, since this oil is very rich in fatty acids, the body may require a little adaptation time. We advise you to consume by half a tablespoon of coconut oil per day for a few days before gradually increasing.
If you are prone to gallbladder stones (or you no longer have a gallbladder), we recommend that you take it even more gradually, instead mixing coconut oil with your food and not exceeding one. tablespoon per day. For people prone to bad cholesterol (increase in LDL), know that coconut oil does not present any risks, especially since it promotes an increase in HDL, which is protective and compensates for possible increases in LDL .
Other health benefits of coconut oil
We find its positive action on heart disease, high blood pressure and weight gain. This is due to its high content of lauric acid. Remember that our bodies need fat (lipids) to function and the body’s real enemy is in carbohydrates (including sugar). So reduce your consumption of carbohydrates in favor of lipids; high fat intake is only dangerous if you consume too many carbohydrates! It is an increased consumption of carbohydrates forcing the pancreas to produce more insulin, which increases the storage of fat in the body and therefore heart disease, diabetes, overweight, and degenerative pathologies of the brain resulting from a chronic inflammatory process.
Thanks to Clotilde Rolland, naturopath and contributing member at Therapeutesmagazine.com
