Coconut oil vs Olive Oil – Which should you choose?

You have been told for years that olive oil is extremely healthy for you. It has been my go-to oil for salads and cooking for quite sometime now. However, there is a growing trend when it comes to cooking, and that is to cook with coconut oil instead. So, which one should you use?

The problem with cooking with olive oil is that it breaks down at high temperatures and forms free radicals (not good for you). Coconut oil has a higher smoke point and therefore remains stable at higher temperatures. Therefore, coconut oil is my oil of choice for cooking. Olive oil is great as a salad dressing, but for cooking on the stove I go with the coconut oil.

They are both equal when it comes to calories, however coconut oil is higher in saturated fat, the kind the government health bodies have scared you from for years now. All fats are not created equal and many athletes actually add fat to their diets. Low fat diets aren’t always the best idea, and low-fat foods can be some of the worst for you.

Below are some benefits to coconut oil and a link to more information.

*Coconut oil stimulates the thyroid, regulating metabolism and increasing overall energy.

*Coconut oil has been known for its healing power. Being a MCFA(medium chain fatty acid), it has anti-microbial properties, meaning that it helps break the lipid coat of bacteria and viruses and allows the body’s white blood cells to work more effectively.

*Coconut oil promotes healthy gut flora by allowing the friendly bacteria to flourish in the gut and killing any microorganisms or parasites that are not beneficial to the gut lining. It also kills candida (yeast overgrowth) in the digestive tract.

*There are also claims in regards to the benefits of coconut oil and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Fife mentioned that coconut oil provides ketone bodies which promote healing in the brain, and that many Alzheimer’s patients have had a regression in their symptoms after using coconut oil. Any kind of brain healing sounds good to me.