Your health is just as important.

After writing about knowledge I have gained as a result of my interests, my nephew emailed me to enquire about fats, especially saturated fats.

I believe our children's health as well as our health is important to us and our children. Without good health and sufficient energy to care for them, our children can be neglected.

As a start, I would like to go into fats and oils as they are consumed by us everyday in our food.

Except for trans fat, all fats are necessary dietary components. With fat-soluble vitamins such as A,E,K and fat-soluble antioxidants, our body is unable to benefit from them unless oils and fats are available to absorb them into the body.

We have read that unsaturated oils and fats are good for us because of their essential fatty acid content which is not manufactured by our own body. We have read of Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 which are needed by our body. They are derived mainly from vegetable or seed oils. Some of them possess many health benefits.Some of the more popular oils are flaxseed oil, rice bran oil, groundnut oil and olive oil.

However, we ought to know that, with the exception of olive oil, unsaturated oils can turn rancid very fast, within a few hours after being taken into the body. It seems even ultra violet rays can cause peroxidation in unsaturated fats.

Another thing to bear in mind is that since vegetable oil turn rancid fast, we should not buy too much a any one time and we should keep them in dark containers away from light.(I keep my olive oil and coconut oil away from any source of light.)

According to a reseacher, many studies have shown a close relationship between consumption of excessive unsaturated oils and the incidence of cancer. Seed oils have also been found to block protein digestive enzymes. According to him, it has been established that unsaturated fats suppress the metabolic rate, apparently creating hypothyroidism. This researcher found that excess 'unsaturated oils, except olive oil, inhibit enzymes,feed cancer cells, suppress the immune system, inhibit thyroid function and cause hormonal imbalances, are cardiotoxic, promote seizures, diabetes and aging.

Read more about the above at www.litalee.com/shoexd.asp?id=192
and go to 'benefits of unsaturated fats'.

Trans fats must be avoided as they cannot be processed by our body. Trans fats are artificial food usually produced in factories. Trans fats are created when oils are highly heated. So, deep-frying is not a healthy method of cooking. Through hydrogenation, trans fats are created. In factories, through patial hydrogenation, passing hydrogen through to get the oil solidified, magarine is manufactured. According to studies, consuming trans fat can bring on coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, liver dysfunction and infertility.So choose your food wisely.

As for saturated oils, we have saturated fats of animal origin. Such fats contain a lot of cholesterol. We should consume as little of this as possible as we grow older.

However, researchers have found that there is a saturated oil which has many health benefits. It is virgin coconut oil.

What is the difference between this saturated coconut oil with saturated oil from animals. The fatty acids or fat molecules can be classified according to the saturation of the fat. It can also be classified according to its molecular length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. There are short-chain, medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids.According to studies, coconut oil is mostly medium-chain fatty acids. Most of the other fats and oils, be they unsaturated or saturated, from animals or plants, are long-chain fatty acids.

Medium-chain fatty acids do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect heart disease.

Besides, there is no cholesterol in coconut oil. Studies reveals that, unlike most vegetable or seed oils, coconut oil do not turn rancid easily, being stable for at least two years.

The health benefits of coconut oil are plentiful. Coconut oil has an antioxidant effect.

It is the only oil which contains lauric acid which is the same as the lauric acid in mother's milk. This lauric acid keeps infants from getting viral, bacterial or protozoal infections.

In Malaysia where dessicated coconut is available easily, consuming dissicated coconut everyday can supply the body with a little lauric acid. I eat the dessicated coconut with my bread, rice or simply scoop them into my mouth. As they are made from old coconuts, I get truly extra virgin coconut oil as well as fibre together with all the other nutrients. And it is delicious! Of course, I still take at least 2tablespoonful of virgin coconut oil each day. As for myself I use it as a hair tonic, a skin lotion and I feel it works as I have always been in good health and I see no bad side effects.

Well, taking coconut this way ought to be safe as such food has been consumed in huge quantities in many tropical countries apparently without problems until somebody frightened us with cholesterol in coconut milk or cream and oil some time ago. Anyway, studies have revealed that such countries as the Phillipines, Thailand and Malaysia were in better health during those coconut- enjoying years.

From the studies made, coconut oil is an anticarcinogenic oil. It is beneficial for prevention and treatment of some heart diseases.

Well, I suppose you can obtain more information about coconut oil benefits by searching for 'benefits of coconut oil' in the internet. Perhaps you may go to: www.coconutoil.com/ray-peat-coconutoil.htm or
www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/coconut_oil.html

All comments or knowledge which you wish to share are welcome. Please do not hesitate to comment as we in The Art of Living Foundation believe we are a 'One World Family'