Minola Premium Coconut Oil Shares The Healthy Truth About Coconut Oil and Lauric Acid

I admit, my health was the least of my priorities when I was younger. I wanted to live the good life, so I ate everything I wanted. I seldom exercised and I always slept late. I pushed myself to the limits. "You Only Live Once (YOLO)" was my motto.So when I hit 30, I was barraged with a long, long list of health problems. I became terribly obese, hypertensive, and started to have treatments for fatty liver disease. My kidneys were also overworked and I suffered from proteinuria. Thanks to friends, family, and divine intervention, I finally took the step towards living more healthy.

Almost 200 lbs at only 5 feet tall in 2015. My biggest since I can remember.
You can't even see how big my tummy was in that photo.

One of the "healthy ways" I thought of doing to bring my blood pressure down was to use Canola Oil instead of vegetable oil in cooking. It was more expensive, but they say it was healthy so I joined the bandwagon. That continued until I spoke with an engineer cousin of mine who is also a certified physical therapist/masseuse in Saudi Arabia. He told me to avoid Canola Oil by all means because of the genetically modified rapeseed where it comes from. He also specifically instructed me to use coconut oil instead (and palm oil if coconut oil is not available). I read a few more articles about the horrors of Canola Oil (here's one: http://empoweredsustenance.com/canola-oil-excuses/) that convinced me enough to never buy again. I started buying coconut oil from then on.

Just this past week, I was invited to attend the Coconut Oil Information Forum sponsored by Minola Premium Coconut Oil. The guest speaker, Dr. Fabian Dayrit of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), thoroughly explained the truth about coconut oil - from its history, composition, and scientific evidence of its healthy benefits.

In 2015, I had to take simvastatin (to lower cholesterol), febuxostat (to lower uric acid), and amlodipine (anti-hypertensive drug) for 90 days. I took the drugs from April to June and that scared me to death because these are the same drugs that my parents take as maintenance medicine. My cardiologist and internist also had me avoid eating food with saturated fats. That's when I was challenged to make a major u-turn towards healthier living.

I was so engrossed in the talk, thus the ugly handwritten notes, LOL!

In the said forum last week, I learned that the lauric acid in coconut oil is a saturated fat. Animal fat, you know that fat from liempo and crispy pata, is also a saturated fat. Boy, was I surprised! I thought coconut oil was the healthier option! But as I listened to more information, I then discovered the difference. Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid. You see, the magic word here is MEDIUM-CHAIN.

Lauric acid is a Medium-Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA) saturated fat. It acts differently inside the body. The Long-Chain Fatty Acids (LCFAs) such as palmitic acid (from palm oil) and stearic acid (from some vegetable and animal fat) are also needed by the body but they should be taken in moderation because, unlike MCFAs, LCFAs cannot be immediately utilized by the body. MCFAs like lauric acid has an unusual chemical structure that makes it easily absorbed by the body, going straight to the liver where it is directly used for energy.  No wonder there are so many athletes taking in virgin coconut oil!

So if this is the case, people who are trying to lose weight like me now have a helper. Remember, I cut down my carbohydrate intake since I started my Ideal Protein Diet in September 2016. That was also the same time when I started to use Minola Premium Cooking Oil whenever I need to pan-fry food. Olive oil, a monounsaturated oil, is not really good for frying and is better for salads and sauteed food.   Minola is a less expensive option, too!*wink wink*

The new me. Thanks to Diana Stalder's Ideal Protein Diet and my new love affair with coconut oil.
Still a long way to go, but getting there. Look, my waist is smaller!

Speaking of frying, I was horrified to learn during the forum that frying with poly-unsaturated fat such as soybean oil, corn oil, and canola oil does more harm than good.  Frying with unsaturated oils produces free radicals and trans fat. Simply put, it increases your chances of getting coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer. Gaaah, we used canola oil for years! Dr. Dayrit recommends using saturated oil if you need to fry (especially for deep frying) and do not reuse cooking oil as much as possible.

Dr. Dayrit was able to shed light on the benefits of coconut oil and lauric acid. Here are just a few of the benefits I learned on the forum and from the quick research I did on coconut oil and lauric acid:

Dr. Fabian Dayrit receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from Ms. Ruby Rodriguez and Atty. Jun Nario
of San Pablo Manufacturing Corporation, makers of Minola Premium Cooking Oil.

• Coconut oil can help you lose weight. This was demonstrated in research done by scientist at the Federal University of Alagoas in Maceio Brazil and published in the journal "Lipids" in July 2009. The study proved that coconut oil does not cause abnormal blood levels of cholesterol and fats. MCFAs also promotes thermogenesis that increases the body's rate of metabolism. So now, we can say that coconut oil is the saturated fat that will not make you fat!
• Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties. Ms. Rodriguez of SPMC (shown in the photo above) testified that she applies Minola on insect bites and even when she gets pimples! Virgin coconut oil has also been proven beneficial for patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis (Pharmaceutical Biology, February 2010, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand).
• Lauric acid is the same medium-chain fatty acid found in mother's milk. Coconut oil and breastmilk also almost has the same ratio of MCFA content. Now tell me, is coconut oil healthy or not?
• Lauric acid in coconut oil is a potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral agent. Taking in virgin coconut oil regularly helps strengthen the body's immunity to diseases such as cold and flu.
• Coconut oil is good for the skin and hair. I remember hating my Lola whenever she applies lana (coconut oil) on my hair before. But thanks to her, God bless her sweet soul, my hair is healthy and strong,and survives my annual hair rebonding. Coconut oil is also a good treatment for dry skin, stretchmarks on pregnant moms, cradlecap on babies, and even dandruff and falling hair.

Honestly, I am overwhelmed by the countless benefits of coconut oil. Thanks to Minola Premium Coconut Oil's Coconut Information Forum, I was assured that I did the right thing when I switched to using coconut oil especially in cooking.

To be updated on the latest news from Minola, please follow them on Facebook and on Instagram.


Did you like my post? CLICK THIS to have my posts delivered straight to your email inbox.