Lipid (fat) researchers are becoming increasingly familiar with the incredible health benefits of a unique group of saturated fats found in coconut oil. This unique group of saturated fats found in mother milk and coconut oil is known as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA).

Saturated fats are classified into two primary categories:

Long-chain fats (long-chain triglycerides)
Short and medium-chain fats (short-chain and medium-chain triglycerides)

Each subgroup has distinctly different biological effects and is metabolized by the body differently. Coconut oil is one of the world's few saturated-fat vegetable oils. Lipid researchers now admit that not all saturated fats are the same.

The saturated fatty acids found in butter, cream, and some meats are palmitic acid and myristic acid, and have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. However, coconut oil does not contain these fatty acids, and instead contains lauric acid, stearic acid (also found in dark chocolate), capric and caprylic acid. Unlike palmitic acid and myristic acid (the saturated fat culprits) these acids behave differently in the body, and research show that they do not raise heart disease risk. In fact, it has been proven to be good for you.

Coconut oil contains about 64% medium-chain fatty acids. The most abundant saturated fat found in coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid called lauric acid. The only other natural source abundant in lauric acid is breast milk.

It's common knowledge that mother's breast milk is undoubtedly the most perfect food found in nature. It is designed to nourish and build the immune system and protect infants against illnesses and infection. The medium-chain fatty acids in breast milk improve nutrient absorption, aid digestive function, help regulate blood sugar levels, and protect the baby from harmful microorganisms. The baby's immature immune system is supported by the antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties of these vital fatty acids.

In the same way, the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil provide the same immune-building benefits and anti-viral/anti-bacterial benefits when given to pets. Many pet owners have reported that their pet's allergies, chronic ear infections (smelly ears), eye tearing, have dramatically improved and cleared when they started giving coconut oil regularly to their pets.

Besides lauric acid, coconut products also contain other MCFAs, such as capric acid (7 percent) and caprylic acid (8 percent), both of which also have many beneficial effects on health that are lacking in other oils.

There have been many misleading information and erroneous claims about coconut oil. The following table lists some of these claims and the truth about them.

False Claims	Truths
Coconut oil is rich in cholesterol.	Coconut oil has no cholesterol.
Coconut oil is like animal fats --- saturated.	Both fats are saturated fats, but their composition is very different. Animal fats are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFA), meaning it is made up of 14-24 carbon atoms. Coconut oil contain medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), which range from 8-12 carbon atoms. The length of the carbon chain in fats is a key factor in the way dietary fat is digested and metabolized and how it affects the body. The MCFAs are broken down and used for energy production and seldom end up as body fat or as deposits in arteries. They produce energy, not fat. Medium chain fatty acids do not have a negative effect on blood cholesterol and help protect against heart disease.
Coconut oil increases cholesterol levels and causes heart disease.	Coconut oil has no cholesterol. The medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in coconut oil are broken down and used for energy production and seldom end up as body fat or as deposits in arteries. They produce energy, not fat. Medium chain fatty acids do not have a negative effect on blood cholesterol and help protect against heart disease. People from countries who take large amounts of coconut oil (such as Polynesian Islands, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines) have shown to have low cholesterol and rarely develop heart diseases.
Polyunsaturated oils are the safest and the best.	Not true. Polyunsaturated oils are the sources of inflammatory prostaglandins, allergic leukotrienes, blood clot inducing thromboxane, and when partially hydrogenated, are converted to transfatty acids that are even more atherogenic (the ability to promote the development of atherosclerosis, the formation of a thick, plaque-induced containing cholesterol and other lipids, especially on the innermost layer of arterial walls.). Polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils, such as corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oils) are made up of double-carbon bonds, which are highly vulnerable to oxidation and free-radical formation. Polyunsaturated oils become toxic when they are oxidized as a result of exposure to oxygen, heat, or light, causing rancidity or formation of free radicals. Unfortunately, cooking accelerates the oxidizing process making the oil even more rancid and unhealthy. Because of this, It is best to keep vegetable oils in sealed, airtight, opaque containers and stored in the refrigerator to slow down rancidity. Unlike unsaturated fats, the saturated fats in coconut oil do not have any missing hydrogen atoms or double-bonded carbons. This means coconut oil is not vulnerable to oxidation and free-radical formation. Coconut oil that has been kept at room temperature for over a year has been tested for rancidity, and showed no evidence of it.

Protein-rich foods such as meat increases thermogenesis and have a stimulatory or energizing effect on the body. One food that has proven to rev up your metabolism even more than protein is coconut oil. The medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) shift the body's metabolism into higher gear, so to speak, so that you burn more calories. Because MCFAs increase the metabolic rate, coconut oil is a dietary fat that can actually promote weight loss.

Dr. Julian Whitaker, a well-know authority on nutrition and health, makes this analogy between the long-chain triglycerides and medium-chain triglycerides: "LCTs are like heavy wet logs that you put on a small campfire. Keep adding the logs, and soon you will have more logs than fire. MCTs are like rolled-up newspaper soaked in gasoline. They not only burn brightly, they will burn up the wet logs as well." (Murray, 1996)

This is why many pet owners have reported that their dogs or cats have lost weight after taking coconut oil on a regular basis.

Click here for more information on how coconut oil can help your pet with weight loss.

When coconut oil is eaten, the body transforms its unique fatty acids into powerful antimicrobial powerhouses capable of defeating some of the most notorious disease-causing microorganisms. The unique properties of coconut oil make it a natural antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoal food.

Lipid-coated viruses and bacteria are easily killed by medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which primarily destroy these organisms by disrupting their lipid membranes. Medium chain fatty acids, being similar to those in the microorganism's membrane, are easily attracted to and absorbed into it. Unlike the other fatty acids in the membrane, MCFAs are much smaller and therefore weaken the already nearly fluid membrane to such a degree that it disintegrates. Then white blood cells quickly clean up and dispose of the cellar debris. MCFAs kill invading organisms without causing any known harm to the other tissues.

Numerous reports published on discussion forums provide impressive anecdotal evidence on how coconut oil has cleared up smelly ear infections in dogs, "greasy or smelly" dogs with various skin infections, and even urinary tract infections in cats. The fact is, many of these problems are caused by microorganisms that have been proven to be killed by lauric acid.

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