Coconut Oil And Fat Burning

Coconut oil is produced by extracting the fat from coconut meat. You can purchase naturally produced, chemical-free virgin coconut oil in grocery and health-food stores. Coconut oil is solid at temperatures below 76 degrees Fahrenheit. To obtain a liquid oil, simply heat it and use as any other oil for stir-frying vegetables or meat, frying eggs or baking. Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D., claims in his book "The Coconut Oil Miracle" that coconut oil can rev up your metabolism even more than protein does.

MCT Fat

Coconut oil is different from other common cooking oils because it contains MCT fat, or medium-chain triglycerides. The predominant MCT found in coconut oil is lauric acid, a fat that can fight infections from viruses, bacteria and parasites in your body, according to Fife. You can also find these MCTs in human breast milk and palm kernel oil, but not in palm oil. Most of the fat in your diet are long-chain triglycerides, and your body does not metabolize them the same way it does MCTs. MCTs are directly sent to your liver where your body immediately uses them as a rapid but sustained source of energy.

Fat Burning

MCT-rich fats like coconut oil, used in the context of a ketogenic diet, may promote weight loss, explains an article in the 2008 issue of "Epilepsia." Following a ketogenic diet prompts your body to utilize fat as the primary source of energy. The MCTs in coconut oil promotes ketosis, or fat utilization, and can help you lose weight more easily. In a study reported in the March 2003 of "Obesity Research," supplementing the diet of overweight men with either coconut oil or a similar oil for four weeks resulted in greater fat burning. Moreover, your body cannot readily store MCT fats, according to Fife. Coconut oil promotes fat burning and also helps you lose weight by preventing you from storing the fat from coconut oil.

Metabolism

By helping your body switch more easily to fat burning mode, coconut oil can make it easier for you to achieve your target weight. In addition, the use of MCT-rich fat, like coconut oil, can increase your metabolism when compared to an oil rich in long-chain triglycerides, as published in the March 2002 issue of "Journal of Nutrition." To increase your metabolic rate, work to build muscle mass by doing strength training and being active, but also try replacing your usual oil with coconut oil. Before making large changes to your diet or exercise plan, always consult your health-care provider.

Coconut Oil Challenge

Try replacing your usual fats and oils with the same amount of coconut oil for at least two to four weeks to see how it influences your energy levels and weight. Take note of your baseline weight and body measurements and within a few weeks, you will be able to determine whether coconut oil could help your body burn fat.