The one oil that should always be in your kitchen

For many years, people in kitchens everywhere have always had a bottle of sunflower oil on hand to cook with. I'm not sure how or why that became THE oil to use. I'm sure someone, somewhere realised it was cheap to make and easy to sell as a "health food" and make a profit on. For a long time it was the only oil people used. These days you can find many different types of oil when you walk down the oil aisle. It's difficult to know which ones you should be using.

We've all been told, for years, that we should rather use oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as vegetable oils, and avoid oils that are solid at room temperature, such as butter and lard. We've also been told to avoid full cream ANYTHING and to cut as much fat as we can out of our diets... If you know anything at all about my blog,  you know just what I think about THAT theory...

There are actually a few liquid oils that are pretty good for you, and I'll go into those in another post, but right now, let's get to that all-important oil that should always be in your kitchen. (Drum roll please!)

Coconut oil is one of those oils that is solid at room temperature. It consists of about 92% saturated fats. For that reason, it has been vilified and ostracised for years as a primary contributor to heart disease, along with all other saturated fats. In fact, up until the last decade, westerners wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Fortunately, though, people started questioning that and today, it is one of the most sought after oils and has been completely redeemed. What amazes me is that, the theory of it being bad for you, is not based on any real facts. One only has to look at the non-existence of heart disease on tropical islands like the Seychelles to work out that coconuts are NOT a cause of heart disease. We actually went to the Seychelles for our honeymoon. Believe me, coconut is EVERYWHERE there. They give it to you with all your meals, they cook only with coconut oil and copious amounts of coconut milk, coconut is given as a bar snack instead of the usual peanuts, you can buy coconut oil on just about every street corner. They eat A LOT of it and yet heart disease is not a problem there. Why? Because coconut oil actually prevents heart disease!

Here are some of the many benefits of coconut oil:

• It helps normalise blood lipids and protects against damage to the liver by alcohol and other toxins
• It helps prevents kidney and gall bladder diseases
• It's associated with improved blood sugar and insulin control and the prevention and management of diabetes. 
• It has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and helps to boost the immune system.
• It is thought to help strengthen mineral absorption such as calcium and magnesium, which is important for healthy teeth and bones
• It can help improve the condition and appearance of the scalp, hair and skin when ingested or applied topically
• It has been very beneficial for HIV and cancer patients as it reduces their viral susceptibility
• It is used by athletes, bodybuilders and those just trying to lose extra body fat. The reason for that is that coconut oil contains less calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy, and it doesn't lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. It helps boost energy and endurance, and actually enhances the performance of athletes
• Studies have shown that it can help treat and even prevent Alzheimer's disease (since Alzheimer's is in GLM's family, I have her on at least 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day!)

One of the ingredients in coconut oil that makes it so beneficial in the fight against heart disease is lauric acid which helps in actively preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats found in coconut oil are not harmful at all. They actually help to reduce damage to the arteries which lowers the risk of a heart attack. Lauric acid is extremely helpful in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases such as herpes, influenza and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria as well and has been used extensively in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. In fact, I wrote a whole post on the benefits of oil-pulling using coconut oil, which is an Ayurvedic treatment.

So, which is the best coconut oil to buy? Do I really need to say it;) Organic is ALWAYS the way to go. Why? Oil is one of the few processed food products that I will encourage you to buy. There is NO OTHER WAY to make oil. Oil doesn't exist naturally. You can't hold a bucket under a coconut and wait for oil to drip out of it. The coconut has to be treated in a certain way for the oil to be produced. The idea is to choose the oil that has been the LEAST processed. There are many different grades of coconut oil and the trick is to choose the right grade. According to the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community Standards for virgin coconut oil, coconut oil can only be sold as virgin coconut oil when it is “obtained from the fresh and mature kernel of coconut by mechanical or natural means with or without the application of heat, which does not lead to alteration of the oil.”

That's the trick. You don't want the oil to lose any of its nutrients during the extraction process or it really won't be doing you any good at all and then, what's the point? Some coconut oils are deodorized, some are refined, some have sodium hydroxide added to remove impurities and prolong shelf life, some are even put through hydrogenation and some are bleached. It's the same as choosing white, refined rice, or organic brown rice. The less something is processed, the better it is for you.

In the case of coconut oil, it's always best to go with organic, and even better if it's organic virgin coconut oil as this type is not  heat treated, is in no way refined, and contains all the natural goodness that gives coconut oil all it's beneficial properties PLUS the coconuts are organic which makes them even more potent. Don't waste your money buying any other type of coconut oil, seriously. Incidentally, there is NO such thing as extra virgin coconut oil so don't let manufacturers fool you. Virgin coconut oil is more than sufficient.

Coconut oil also happens to be the best oil to cook with. It is not heat sensitive and doesn't oxidise easily so it's perfect for frying anything. You can use it in place of butter when baking, or even on a slice of bread. 

That's it, in a coconut shell;) Dischem sells organic virgin coconut oil and it has a lovely taste, in my opinion! 

Give it a try!