Coconut Oil has been part and parcel of the Malayali diet for centuries. Of late the humble oil has been getting a bad reputation mainly because of the poor lifestyle of the people in the state. This blog is started for the purpose of discussing the pros and cons of using coconut oil and its taste and health aspects vis a vis other vegetable oils, sharing recipes which use coconut oil etc.
Is coconut oil bad for your health?
You probably know that saturated fats are bad fats that can cause all kinds of heart related diseases. Did you know that and the humble coconut oil has 92% saturated fats? So naturally this question has great relevance.
What we have to understand is that included in this is the highest source of saturated medium chain triglycerides (62%) of any naturally occurring vegan food source. Furthermore around 50% of these MCT’s are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining the body’s immune system.
Dr. Bruce Fife, a US based naturopath and author of "The Coconut Oil Miracle" remarked during a press conference in Singapore last month, "Not all saturated fatty acids act in the same way. The fat in coconut oil is different from most other fats and has many health giving properties". He further added that, "The Lauric acid (I coconut oil) boosts immunity, has antioxidant properties and is being investigated in reducing viral load in HIV patients. You should also take into account the size of the carbon chain in the fatty acid. Most of the oils and fats we consume are long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil is the richest source of medium-chain fatty acids, which actually behave very differently from the long-chain versions." "Medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil boost the body's metabolic rate and promote weight loss. They are broken down immediately in the liver to produce energy and are not stored as fat," he added.
How is it compared with other veg oils?
Let us look at what has appeared in the newspapers recently.
A study conducted by an NGO, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed that dangerous levels of trans fat exist in most brands of cooking oils. The case study looks at major brands of cooking oil in the market They tested 30 samples of branded oils –vanaspati, vegetable oil, ghee and butter. CSE's study further says oil companies make claims about health benefits of their products, which can not be substantiatedFive brands of cooking oil in India that have high levels of trans fat are: Panghat - 23.7%, Raag - 23.31%, Rath - 15.9%, Gagan - 14.82%, Jindal - 13.76%.
Suggested links:
www.coconutboard.nic.in
www.thevirgincoconutoil.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil
Kerala Recipes
Aviyal
Ingredients vegetables 2 cups [beans, carrots, potatoes, elephant foot drumsticks, raw bananas]cumin seeds 2 tspcoconut 3 tbsp (shredded)green chillies 3-4buttermilk 3/4 packetturmeric 1/4 tspcoconut oil 3 tsp (seasoning)coriander leaves 1 tbsp (chopped finely)Salt as neededMethod:
Boil the vegetables in a cooker
Roast in a little oil cumin seeds, coconut, green chillies (separately) and blend in mixer to a smooth paste.
Add the salt, turmeric and the coconut paste to the buttermilk.
Add the boiled vegetables.
Heat on a very low flame till the buttermilk mixture reaches a thick texture.
Keep stirring continuously.
Now add the chopped coriander leaves.
Season with mustard, curry leaves, cumin and red chillies in hot coconut oil.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
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