Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil information
Myths & Nutrition
Learn
about coconut's amazing nutritional qualities and why it was demonized.
Since the 1960s, coconut oil has been unfairly labeled as "unhealthy."
The media reported studies of how tropical coconut oils were laden with artery-clogging
fats. What wasn't reported was the fact that the coconut oil used in the studies
was hydrogenated — not the virgin oil used for centuries as a staple
food. We now know it's hydrogenation — artificially adding a hydrogen
molecule to oils in order to make them shelf-stable — that's the problem,
not coconut oil. Hydrogenated soy, corn, and canola oils — loaded with
dangerous trans-fats and processed with toxic hexane solvents — are routinely
added to packaged foods. Hydrogenation fattened corporate profits and American
waistlines, and is now linked with diseases.
Why is it that baby formulas often include coconut oil as an ingredient? Because coconut is one of the most healthy super foods in the world. Coconut oil is cholesterol- and trans fat-free, contains only 1% Omega-6 and is rich in medium-chain "good fats" that doctors recommend.
One of the good fats that comprises about 50% of coconut oil, is lauric acid. Lauric acid is a rare medium-chain fatty acid found in mother's milk that supports healthy metabolism and is now being studied for its anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial health-protecting properties. Some researchers predict that lauric acid will become as well known in health circles as Omega-3 is today. In fact, the Monsanto company has already developed a GMO canola oil variety that attempts to mimic coconut oil's high percentage of lauric acid. As we learn about the downsides of consuming too many Omega-6 vegetable oils, coconut oil is making a comeback. We suggest 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil a day.
Hydrogenated
Trans Fat or Healing Coconut Oil
The FDA will begin requiring the labeling of "trans fats" in 2006,
and as a result the entire fat category is undergoing a review of its traditions
and assumptions. Nutiva is well positioned to deliver the nourishing "good
fats" in its hemp and coconut oil products, which can play a vital role
in our health. Outdated "corporate-speak" assumptions including
"zero fat is good," "tropical fats are bad," and "lots
of vegetable oils are beneficial" are being increasingly questioned by
millions of Americans.
The traditional Pacific Islander diet included large quantities of coconut, and those who still follow this diet have a low incidence of heart disease or overweight. When a Western-style diet including vegetable oils replaces their traditional diet, all of the fat-related diseases common in the United States begin to appear.
Healthy Cooking Oil
The Healthiest All-Purpose Cooking Oil. Discover the amazing versatility of coconut oil.
Coconut oil is ideal as a high-heat cooking oil, a "better than butter"
replacement on bread and steamed veggies, or a tasty and nutritious substitute
for shortening in baking.
Taste the Difference
Get the facts on why some coconut oil taste's delicious and
others bland.
How coconut oil is processed is the key to optimizing its taste, texture,
color, and aroma. Within two hours of Nutiva's coconuts being chopped, the
oil is cold-pressed. Contrast this to 99 percent of the coconut oil used today
in cooking and body care: first the coconut is chopped and left to dry in
the sun for days, then the meat is scooped out and sent thousands of miles
to giant oil mills where the oxidizing coco meat is refined, bleached, and
often deodorized — and ironically this product is often labeled as "certified
organic."
There is no comparison between Nutiva¹s raw, extra-virgin Organic Coconut Oil, with its light taste, pleasant aroma, and pure white color, and industrialized coconut oil, with its bland taste, faint aroma, and off-white color.
Nutiva's Raw, Extra-Virgin Organic Coconut Oil: