One of the main ingredients used in many raw dessert recipes is coconut oil, also referred to as coconut butter.
Aside from the numerous uses coconut oil has externally, ie. on skin, hair, wounds etc. internally, its nutritional benefits are manifold, and can be attributed to the presence of a number of fatty acids, along with a huge amount of antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, demulcent (soothing) and antioxidant properties.
Consisting of 92% saturated fats, (which would normally scare you off given all the negative publicity surrounding saturated fat and heart disease) it is in fact a healthy fat, mostly made up of medium chain triglycerides, which are known to assimilate well in the body. Comprising of approximately 50% lauric acid, and the remaining 42% a combination of capric acid, caprylic acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid, these fatty acids offer numerous benefits to your health.
Here's a few reasons coconut oil should become a part of your diet:
1. In mothers breast milk lauric acid is converted to monolaurin, the antimicrobial fatty acid that protects infants from viral and bacterial infections. Similarly, the lauric acid found in coconut oil is converted to monolaurin in the body, offering the same antimicrobial and antiviral protective properties.
2. Regular consumption can help to reduce blood pressure, total cholesterol (LDL/VLDL), and triglyceride levels, and contribute to an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol.
3. Its short and medium chain fatty acid profile is easy to digest and assists thyroid function, and reduces the strain on the pancreas, making it beneficial to the metabolism, and a beneficial ingredient in a weight loss program.
4. With its high lauric acid content, it is a powerful immune system strengthener. It assists in the combat of a number of viruses and bacteria (eg. helicobacter pylori), and its antimicrobial and antifungal properties are also beneficial in digestion related disorders arising from the presence of various bacteria, fungi and parasites.
I'd say they're 4 good reasons to introduce coconut oil into your daily diet. 1 tablespoon a day in a smoothie, in a raw dessert, or licked off the spoon, either way you'll be doing your body and your health a big favor.
How is coconut oil used in raw dessert?
Use it in replace of butter/gelatine. Because of its ability to harden into butter like consistency in cool weather, and melt into oil in warmer weather, it is used to make desserts that set, such as raw cheesecakes, raw cake, mousse, ice cream, cashew cream and whole lot more.
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