Is it true that coconut oil can help you lose weight? The truth is this

Recently, coconut oil for weight loss has been a hot topic on the Internet. Many posters said that they have tried it themselves and really lost weight. However, most people still doubt the authenticity of coconut oil for weight loss, because it is just a cooking oil. Can it really help lose weight if it is used to cook normally? Let’s learn the truth about coconut oil for weight loss!

The most prominent nutritional advantage of coconut oil: medium-chain fatty acids

As the name suggests, coconut oil is the oil extracted from the pulp of coconut trees. Due to its saturation level of over 90%, it has good stability, antioxidant and high temperature resistance, and is showing signs of surpassing olive oil. More than 50% of them are lauric acid, which is a medium-chain fatty acid and the main component of fat in breast milk. Lauric acid can enhance the body's immunity and has strong antibacterial properties against bacteria, viruses, and even gastrointestinal parasites in the body. It is suitable for children, the elderly, and people with weak immunity who are susceptible to infection. Moreover, coconut oil is more affordable than olive oil and difficult to counterfeit, so it is loved by many people.

The truth about coconut oil helping you lose weight

Before discussing this issue, let's first explain the concept of the thermal effect of food: the thermal effect of food is the calorie consumption caused by eating. Generally speaking, the thermal effect of carbohydrates and fats is only about 5%, while the thermal effect of protein is as high as about 30%. Therefore, it is less likely to gain weight if you add protein foods to your diet. But there is one exception, and that is coconut oil. Among all fats, only coconut oil has the same high food thermic effect as protein, that is, the extra calories consumed in digesting food.

In addition, coconut oil is the only oil in our daily food that is composed of medium-chain fatty acids. Medium-chain fat molecules are smaller than long-chain fat molecules in other foods and are easily digested and absorbed by the human body. The digestion of therapeutic coconut oil does not require the use of the human pancreatic digestive enzyme system, and puts little pressure on the body's enzyme and hormone systems. Moreover, the liver is more inclined to use medium-chain fatty acids as a fuel source for energy production, thereby improving the efficiency of metabolism and reducing fat accumulation in the body. However, since the amount of oil you eat every day is small, this calorie difference alone is not enough to lose weight!