Drinking coconut oil to lose weight, is it safe?

Various kinds of diets are used by many people to lose weight or to maintain their weight. Yes, it is not easy to get the ideal body weight. However, drinking coconut oil might be one easy way you can do to lose weight.

How to do it? Is it true that coconut oil can help cut fat in the body? Isn't coconut oil high in fat? Find out here!

Is it true that drinking coconut oil can help you lose weight?

Coconut oil contains a healthy type of saturated fat, namely lauric acid. Coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconuts which contain a relatively large amount of medium chain fatty acids, so they are not easily stored in fatty tissue such as long chain fatty acids. This is what makes coconut oil aids in weight loss. Why?

Because the fatty acids in coconut oil require a fairly high energy level for the body to digest. So, this can encourage the body to burn more energy. As a result, you can lose weight.

According to a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1996, consuming 15-30 grams (1-2 tablespoons) of medium chain fatty acids per day can increase energy consumption by 5% or about 120 calories per day.

In addition, coconut oil which has medium chain fatty acids can also help reduce your appetite. So, you will eat less at the next meal and you can have more control over your food intake. This certainly helps you lose weight.

This has also been proven in several studies on medium chain fatty acids. Some of these studies have shown that moderate chain fatty acids can increase feelings of fullness and lead to reduced calorie intake. This may be influenced by the way fat in the body is metabolized.

So, coconut oil can help you lose weight by increasing fat burning and reducing appetite. In fact, there is also research showing that moderate chain fatty acids (which coconut oil has) can reduce waist circumference or belly fat. Research published in ISRN Pharmacology in 2011 showed that men who consumed virgin coconut oil daily for four weeks experienced a reduction in belly fat of about 1%.

Are there any side effects from drinking coconut oil?

Although the body needs more energy to digest the fat contained in coconut oil, coconut oil also contains high calories and saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is higher in saturated fat than pork oil. This of course can actually increase your body weight, if consumed in excess. Several long-term studies have also linked coconut oil to heart health.

So, if you want to lose weight by consuming coconut oil, it is better not in large portions. Drinking large amounts of coconut oil will only add calories to your body. It can also signal your body to store more fat, which in turn can add to your weight.

However, consuming small amounts of coconut oil may not help you lose weight either. The best thing to do as an effort to lose weight is to change your eating habits to be healthier (reduce carbohydrate and fat intake, and increase protein and fiber intake) and do regular exercise.