Coconut Oil and Cholesterol

Coconut oil has been on something of an upswing lately. Once found mostly in beauty products, culinary uses have expanded even as beauty products utilizing the desirable oil have exploded. The benefits of coconut oil are more than just pleasant aromas and appealing cost; it can replace less healthy oils in the diet, often without overly altering the taste and flavor of your favorite dishes.

Coconut oil comes in two main forms; refined and unrefined. The difference is whether or not the product is purified and processed after extraction from the warming and pressing of coconut pulp. The unrefined oil is often a little more expensive, but either works basically the same though refined oil has lost some of its nutritional value. Both are excellent for frying since coconut oil has a high smoke point.

In the past, some medical professionals included coconut oil in their assault on ‘bad’ dietary oils and fats. Saturated fats in particular have been under attack for some time, but the medical community is starting to believe the case against them might not be as settled as was once thought. But the change in information has left some consumers wondering what to think, and who they should listen to when it comes time to fill out their grocery lists.