The Sneaky Oil That’s Worse for Your Waistline Than Sugar

If you’re cutting back on sugar to lose weight and improve your health, there’s a cooking oil that you need to avoid or it can derail your best efforts at staying healthy. Lab tests at the University of California, Riverside, show that if you eat foods that contain or are cooked in soy oil, you are at an even higher risk of gaining weight and developing diabetes than if you consume too much of the infamous sugar known as fructose. Fructose is everywhere — especially soft drinks and other overly-processed foods.

In these experiments, researchers gave lab animals a diet that closely resembled the typical American diet and then they compared the effects of using soybean oil or coconut oil. They also analyzed how added fructose influenced metabolic health. The amount of soy oil they used in this study corresponded to the amount of soy oil that the average American currently takes in.

The results of the study are disturbing if you accept at face value claims that soy oil is an acceptable oil to consume. For a long time, the food industry has been pretending that the cheap, over-processed vegetable oils they use in their products are relatively healthy, but this is far from the truth.

The Problems of Soybean Oil

The California scientists found that soy oil, in sharp contrast with coconut oil, was linked to greater weight gain, bigger deposits of body fat, development of fat in the liver, insulin resistance, and diabetes. They found that fructose, while it wasn’t beneficial in any way, was generally less problematic for metabolic health, although it did cause more kidney problems and bowel issues.

This is a huge revelation, so much so that the researchers themselves were surprised; one of them, Poonamjot Deol, said that “this was a major surprise for us — that soybean oil is causing more obesity and diabetes than fructose — especially when you see headlines every day about the potential role of sugar consumption in the current obesity epidemic.”

This study adds to the growing body of evidence that unrefined coconut oil should be one of the mainstays of your diet, not processed soy or corn oil.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, when used as a healthier alternative, has an abundance of benefits. It contains fats called medium-chain triglycerides that help fight inflammation and provide the body with quick, usable energy. Additionally, it contains natural chemicals that help the body fight off pathogens and can also increase your HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Another reason to favor organic coconut oil is that the organic designation means you’re ingesting fewer pesticide residues. Incorporating coconut oil into your daily routine is an easy way to reap its benefits. Here are a few ways to use coconut oil in the kitchen:

  1. Cooking – Coconut oil has a high smoke point, which means it won’t break down and become toxic when heated to high temperatures. Use it to saute vegetables, cook omelets, or pan-fry meats.

  2. Baking – Replace butter or vegetable oil with coconut oil in recipes for bread, muffins, cakes, and cookies, using the same amount specified in the recipe.

  3. Smoothies – Add a spoonful of coconut oil to your favorite fruit smoothie for an extra flavor boost and some healthy fats.

  4. Popcorn – Melt coconut oil and drizzle it over air-popped popcorn for a healthier, movie-night snack.

  5. Salad Dressing – Whip up a quick vinaigrette by mixing coconut oil, vinegar, and your choice of herbs.

Caution against Overconsumption

While coconut oil has many health benefits, it’s important to note that it’s still a high-fat, calorie-dense food. Consuming too much of it can lead to weight gain, so it’s crucial to use it in moderation and replace other, less healthy fats in your diet accordingly.

In conclusion, swapping out soybean oil for coconut oil in your diet is an excellent way to improve your metabolic health and avoid the hidden dangers of this common vegetable oil. By using coconut oil in moderation and incorporating it into your daily routine, you can enjoy its numerous benefits and support your weight loss and health goals.