Pumpkin Spice Cake

February 2013

Virtues of Coconut Oil

Just a few years ago coconut oil was considered an evil artery-clogging, heart-attack producing fat to avoid. These days you can find jars of it at every health food store. In fact, coconut oil has become so popular you’ll probably see a brand or two on the shelves of your local supermarket.

What’s changed?

Although no one is saying that coconut oil is a new wonder food nor that it is a necessary part of a healthy diet, apparently, as with so many other ingredients and foods, scientists have had to rethink their original findings. At the very least, they now say that coconut oil seems to be beneficial to promoting good health.

To be fair, the new insights are more complicated than they might seem at first glance. It’s not simply that “they changed their minds.” Earlier studies were done using partially hydrogenated coconut oil while the new evidence is based on virgin, unprocessed, untreated coconut oil (which is not hydrogenated). The unhealthy part appears to be the hydrogenation process, which produces heart-damaging trans fats and also destroys essential fatty acids and needed antioxidants.

Virgin coconut oil does contain saturated fats, which we’ve also been advised not to eat. However, its main saturated fat is lauric acid, a so-called medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA), which apparently is more quickly metabolized and is less likely to leave fat deposits in our bodies.

There are other benefits. Studies suggest that foods rich in MCFAs can help burn calories; other findings show that lauric acid can help boost the immune system and still others offer some evidence that the properties in virgin coconut oil can slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. There’s more: the saturated fat in virgin coconut oil does not seem to change the ratio of HDL (high density lipoproteins: good cholesterol) to LDL (low density lipoprotein: bad cholesterol).

Vegans have jumped on the bandwagon because coconut oil is a reliable substitute for butter. Although classed as oil, it is solid at room temperature, so it comes in handy for baked goods such as biscuits, muffins and pie crusts, and for cakes, cupcakes and the soft, sweet frostings that go on top.

All the health benefits and culinary usefulness is fine of course, but when it comes to food the bottom line is how it tastes.

Coconut oil tastes pretty good, actually.

Anyone who has ever tasted coconut knows the flavor doesn’t compare to anything else. It isn’t a tree nut, though it does have a fleeting nut-like taste, and it is vaguely sweet. But the flavor is distinctive and intense, and it carries through to the oil. Just a small blob melted over cooked vegetables can temper sharp-tasting onions and leeks, bitter greens (including collards and kale) and robust cabbages (including broccoli and cauliflower) while at the same time enhance sweeter ones like carrots and beets. Rub coconut oil on Brussels Sprouts, sprinkle them with sea salt and roast them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until they’re crispy and brown (turn them occasionally). Sautee sliced onions in coconut oil on low-medium heat until they’re caramelized to make a side dish for steak or burgers. Put a small dab of coconut oil atop cooked spinach to serve along with chicken. Add a dab of virgin coconut oil to roasted yams for a lower-calorie and lower-fat alternative to old fashioned candied sweets.

Coconut oil is also useful for cooking poultry – rub some onto the skin pre-roasting, for example (sprinkle with spice mixtures such as curry powder or ras el hanout for a real treat). It’s also good as a dip for skinless-and-boneless chicken breasts or turkey cutlets (instead of using egg) before coating them with bread crumbs for baking or frying.

When it comes to baked goods that call for small amounts of butter, the coconut oil-butter substitution is fine at a ration of one to one. But be aware that the flavor change is noticeable. For other pastries and so on, start by substituting a small amount with the other fats called for in a recipe and work more in next time as desired.