Coconut oil for weight loss?

Coconut oil enjoys researchers attention: there are quite a few professional articles on the benefit of this unusual oil. Why unusual? It's a plant oil while it contains only a small amounts of characteristic for all plant oils unsaturated fats. On the other hand, saturated fats are usually considered an attribute of animal foods. What else makes coconut oil unusual is that it is very rich in short and medium-chain fatty acids that are believed to be protective against oxidative damage to cells. Basically, research finding were the following:



1. The mixtures of medium-chain fats found in coconut oil play an important role in the regulation of body fat deposition or "burning".



2. Virgin coconut oil is capable of lowering lipid levels and "bad" cholesterol in tissues and circulation.



3. The coconut-oil enriched diet was found effective in a decrease of the fat stores in experimental animals.



4. Addition of saturated fat from coconut oil and removal of starch from a diet improved glycemic control and were associated with weight loss.