Is Non Organic Coconut Oil Bad

About Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a kind of cooking oil derived from coconuts. It used to be used quite regularly in baked goods and frying in the United States because of its long shelf life.

Unfortunately, coconut oil is almost completely saturated fat, the kind of fat that's been linked to increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. So the oil was tossed aside in favor of what was thought to be healthier hydrogenated oils, mostly soybean oil.

The trouble with hydrogenation, as you probably already know, is that it produces trans fat, which may be even more dangerous than saturated fats. Government health officials say we should eliminate our consumption of added trans fats (some trans fat is naturally found in meat) to protect our hearts.

Because of this, and news that coconut oil has its own health benefits, more and more people are turning back to coconut oil for cooking and other purposes.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Proponents of coconut oil, particularly unrefined, organic oil say that there's no reason to believe that eating a lot of coconut oil causes heart disease. There are plenty of studies of people living in tropical climates who get tons of saturated fat from coconut oil and they have lower rates of heart disease than people on the current typical Western diet.

What's more, those people also seem to have lower incidences of cancer and colon problems. Because it can stimulate the thyroid hormone, some say that it is helpful as a weight loss aid. It also has antiseptic properties, is incredibly shelf-stable (it doesn't go bad even after sitting at room temperature for a year) and may even be beneficial for lowering cholesterol (particularly when the virgin oil is used).

One component of coconut oil, lauric acid, is rare in the American diet but is a major component of breast milk, leading some to argue that it must be important to health.

Is Non-Organic Coconut Oil Bad?

The question many people have about using coconut oil is: is non-organic coconut oil bad? The answer is not necessarily.

This question probably springs from the fact that people think of coconut oil as being something unhealthy because it's so full of fat. They might think that the organic version must somehow be better for them than the non-organic version.

But the truth is, in terms of the amount of fat you're getting, organic and non-organic coconut oil are the same. Organic oil isn't any healthier or less healthy than the non-organic oils you'll find on the shelf.

Of course you might consider organic oil better than non-organic oil because it is sure not to contain coconut that's been grown with the use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals.

In some cases organic coconut oil may be less processed than conventionally produced oil, particularly if you're considering a virgin or unrefined organic coconut oil product.

Using Coconut Oil

Organic coconut oil can be used in many different ways depending on the type of oil you buy. Coconut oil is able to take relatively high heat, so it's a good choice for sautéing and light frying.

Coconut oil can be used in baking (particularly if you can find coconut oil-derived shortening) and is a great skin care ingredient. Use the solid or liquid oil as a moisturizer, massage oil or to make your hair smoother and more silky.

Just apply the oil to your hair, let it sit for an hour, and wash out with a gentle shampoo. This is a great way to make your hair more healthy looking without chemicals.

There's still some controversy about the use of tropical oils like coconut and palm oil, but now that we know about the dangers of trans fats, it's likely we'll see more of a swing back to these oils that don't actually seem to cause harm to the islanders who discovered them and have used them for generations.