Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/coconut-oil-and-weight-loss/
A calorie is not a
calorie.
Different foods and macronutrients go
through different metabolic pathways.
The different types of foods we eat can
have a huge effect on our hormones and metabolic health.
Some metabolic pathways are more efficient
than others and some foods require more energy to digest and metabolize.
One important property of coconut oil is that
it is “thermogenic” – eating it tends to increase energy expenditure (fat
burning) compared to the same amount of calories from other fats .
In one study, 15-30 grams (1 to 2 tablespoons)
of medium chain fats per day increased energy expenditure by 5%, totalling about 120
calories per day.
Several other studies confirm these
findings. When humans replace the fats they are eating with MCT fats, they burn
more calories.
Therefore, a calorie from coconut oil is
NOT the same as a calorie from olive oil or butter (although
these fats are perfectly healthy too).
Bottom Line: Many studies show that
medium chain triglycerides can boost metabolism, in one study increasing energy
expenditure by 120 calories per day.
Coconut Oil Can Reduce Appetite, Making You
Eat Less Without Trying
“Weight loss is all about calories in,
calories out.”
Even though I think this is a drastic
oversimplification, it is mostly true.
If your body expends more energy (calories)
than it takes in, then you will lose fat.
But even though it is true that we need to
be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, it doesn’t mean that calories
are something that we need to count or be consciously aware of.
Humans are very capable of remaining lean
and healthy in their natural environment. The obesity epidemic didn’t start
until 1980 and we didn’t even know what a calorie was back in the day.
Anything that reduces our appetite can make
us take in fewer calories without having to think about it. It appears that
coconut oil has this effect.
Many studies on medium chain fatty acids
show that, compared to the same amount of calories from other fats, they
increase feelings of fullness and lead to an automatic
reduction in calorie intake.
This may be related to the way these fats
are metabolized. It is well known that ketone bodies (which the liver produces
when you eat coconut oil) can have a powerful appetite reducing effect.
Whatever the mechanism is, it works. In one
study of 6 healthy men, eating a high amount of MCTs caused them to
automatically eat 256 fewer calories per day.
Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Fat,
Especially The “Dangerous” Abdominal Fat
If coconut oil can boost metabolism and
reduce appetite, then it should help you lose fat over the long term.
In fact, there are several studies that
support this.
In one study, 40 women were given either 30
grams (2 tablespoons) of either coconut oil or soybean oil for 28 days.
They were instructed to eat fewer calories
and walk every day. These were the results:
- Both groups lost weight (about 2 pounds).
- Only the coconut oil group had decreased waist circumference (belly fat) while the soybean oil actually had a mild increase in belly fat.
- The coconut oil group had increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels, while the soybean oil had reduced HDL and increased LDL.
In this study, coconut oil did not cause
overall weight loss compared to soybean oil, but it did lead to a significant
reduction in belly fat.
In another study in obese men, 30 grams of
coconut oil for 4 weeks reduced waist circumference by 2.86 cm, or 1.1 inches.
There are also other studies showing that
medium chain fats lead to weight loss, reduced waist circumference and various
improvements in metabolic health.
The weight loss effects of coconut oil
appear to be fairly mild, except for the abdominal fat.
Abdominal fat, also called visceral fat or
belly fat, is the fat that tends to lodge around your organs and cause
inflammation, diabetes and heart disease.
Any reduction in abdominal fat is likely to
have very positive effects on your metabolic health, longevity and drastically
reduce your risk of chronic disease.
These results are far from being dramatic,
but consider that all these people are doing is adding coconut oil to
their diet.
Combined with other proven weight loss
strategies (like cutting carbs and
increasing protein),
all of this can add up to a significant amount.
Therefore, coconut oil can support a
healthy, real-food based weight loss diet, but don’t expect it to work any
miracles on its own.
If you’re interested in even more research
on coconut oil, then you can find a very impressive collection of studies here.
Bottom Line: Eating coconut is
particularly effective at reducing the harmful belly fat in the abdominal
cavity, which is strongly associated with disease.
What About The Calories?
It’s important to keep in mind that coconut
oil is fat.
Fat has 9 calories per gram… and coconut
oil is no exception.
Therefore, if you are eating a fixed amount
of calories and then add coconut oil on top of that, then it’s likely to
make you gain weight, not lose.
However, most people aren’t counting
calories and eating a fixed amount per day.
In these cases, adding coconut oil to your
diet will reduce your appetite and probably make you eat less of other foods instead.
So this really is not about adding fat
calories to your diet, it is about replacing some of your other cooking
fats with coconut oil.
It’s also important not to go overboard and
think you need to add tons of coconut oil to your diet to reap the benefits.
The studies above used about 30 grams per day, which equals 2 tablespoons.
Even if coconut oil is good for
cooking and has some powerful health benefits, your diet should
still consist primarily of whole, nutritious foods like plants and animals.
You can read more about the other amazing
health benefits of coconut oil here.
No comments:
Post a Comment