Is Coconut GOOD for Diabetics ?

If you’re living with diabetes, you’ve likely been through the diet overhaul and may want to replace the daily fats used in cooking. Researchers suggest coconut oil as a good substitute, but you may not be sure how it would affect your diabetes. Here’s what you need to know about coconut oil and diabetes.

Diabetic patients, especially type 2 diabetes, need to maintain a healthy weight because this type begins with elevated levels of body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin resistance is linked to excessive weight gain.

Studies found that people consuming medium-chain fats like coconut oil as part of a weight loss plan lost more fat than participants using olive oil. This means coconut oil, a solid fat, is harder to convert to stored fat making it easier for our body to burn it off

Coconut is regarded as a highly nutritious ‘functional food’. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Coconut oil is extracted from the coconut fruit, known historically for containing high levels of saturated fat thus regarded more favorably. Unlike the usually consumed dietary fats rich in long-chain fatty acids, coconut oil is a good source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). MCFA are recognized for their easy absorption and metabolism by the liver. Also MCFA are converted to ketones, important alternative energy source in brain, proven beneficial for people diagnosed with memory impairment. Evidences supporting the potential role of coconut in treatment of obesity, elevated insulin resistance and hypertension have been mounting notably. In addition, cytokinins and phenolic constituents found in coconut have shown to assist in prevention of aggregation of amyloid-β-peptide thereby inhibiting a key step in the development of Alzheimer ’s disease.

In terms of diabetes, a study published in 2009 in the journal Diabetes showed that mice fed on coconut oil had less insulin resistance (their insulin worked better) and had less body fat than mice fed lard. Also reduction in blood glucose levels  and lower cholesterol levels has also been reported in rats fed with virgin coconut oil.

ADDING COCONUT OIL TO YOUR DIET

Addition of coconut oil to meals should be done in moderation. Every once in a while substituting the usual fats with coconut oil for sautéing vegetables or mixing cookie dough can be considered. Ensure coconut oil is fully melted before using it in baking recipes to avoid formation of clumps.

Coconut oil packs a flavorful punch, so be careful not to use more than one serving size that should not be more than a tablespoon.

RISK FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED

Despite being rich in all goods, coconut oil is still considered as an unhealthy fat due to its saturated nature leading to greater risk of cardiac diseases. The American Diabetes Association suggests people with diabetes to substitute coconut oil with what it considers to be healthy fats, such as olive oil and safflower oil to help lower chances of a heart attack. Still many studies show coconut oil as a wiser choice when compared to sunflower and soybean oils as the latter are more likely to induce obesity and symptoms of diabetes.