coconut oil

Kwilliams75

Is coconut oil thought high in saturated fat good or bad for you? Does anyone use it for cooking and if so can you really taste the coconut flavor?

jdelisle

There are different kinds of coconut oil, some taste like coconut (better in desserts) and some have no flavour at all. I have heard people say before that coconut oil is not good for you, but there are several hundreds of years worth of study that points in the other direction. Coconut has been called "the fruit of life" by ancient cultures for it's medicinal purposes.

rjlam

according to my naturopath, coconut oil is good for you but you must make sure that you purchase it through a health food store.

TropicalKitty

There are health benefits for coconut oil - the fatty acids it contains (lauric acid is the most prominent) does some good stuff in the body. Of course, I wouldn't use a ton of it.

As for flavor, it depends on what you get. There are different versions of it where some are more coconutty than others. Another nice thing is that it is more heat stable (of course this is reflectant of the saturated fats in it) and is good for cooking at higher temps, that unsaturated fats (like olive oil) can't be used for.

jalovec

The type of fat in coconut oil is more easily used as fuel for the body (medium-chain triglycerides instead of long-chain). Supposedly it is good for you (in moderation). The less processed (look for virgin oil) has a nice very mild coconut taste. It's really good for baking.

sonshineysteph

I got the Baby Cakes (sugar free, gluten free, vegan) cook book for Christmas and most of her recipes use coconut oil. I've tried several of her deserts so far and I definitely can not taste any sort of coconut flavour. I'm not sure about fat or calories, but I know that plant oils are for sure better than animal fats like butter.

mmnichol

There's been a turn-around in the thinking on coconut oil, I believe its now being treated as a super oil due to its benefits to the body. I comes in a jar and is solid, but is touted to be good for brain function. If u google this it should bring up the recent articles on this product. I use it to fry eggs in, has a high heat threshold. You can also use it on your skin.

Jain

I've just starting using it, and made lentil dahl tonight with it. And no I couldn't taste it, but the dahl was richer tasting than when I use the same amount of EVOL.