Description
Adding coconut oil to your drink of choice is a convenient way to get the benefits of coconut oil.
How to Do It
- Add one tablespoon of coconut oil to your drink of choice, e.g. coffee, tea, smoothie.
- Blitz in a blender for 20 seconds to ensure the oil is incorporated into the drink.
Benefits
- Decreases appetite.
- Could help to increase the number of calories you burn, helping you lose weight.
- Acts as a quick source of energy.
- May improve your mood
- May help you focus
Time Commitment
5 minutes
Why it works
- Coconut oil is made up of a type of fat known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). These fats are smaller than others, so they go straight to the liver and are turned into ketones (1). As an alternative energy source, ketones suppresses your primary hunger hormone, ghrelin, decreasing your hunger (2).
- MCTs in coconut oil may increase the number of calories you burn when compared to longer chain fats (3). One study found that medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil increased daily calories burned by 5% (4).
- According to research, MCT’s are used by the body as an immediate source of energy (5).
Suggested Frequency
Daily
Supporting Studies and Articles
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5044790/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5813183/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25636220
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8654328
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27080715
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173254/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30395784
Side Effects
- Overconsumption of coconut oil could lead to a weight gain. Even though coconut oil may have the ability to aid weight loss, too large of a serving would lead to an overconsumption of calories. It is, therefore, essential to stick to the recommended serving.
- Coconut may upset your stomach and cause diarrhea. This can largely be avoided by not drinking coconut oil on an empty stomach and making sure not to drink excessive amounts.
- Coconut oil may increase LDL cholesterol in people with a genetic sensitivity to saturated fat. LDL cholesterol is a marker of heart disease (6).
Required Equipment
- Drink of choice, e.g. coffee, tea, smoothie
- Coconut oil
- Blender
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Miranda Kerr
Category Health/Productivity/Mood:
Health, Productivity, Mood
Suggested Time of Day
Coconut oil can be drunk at any time of the day, but because it increases energy and suppresses appetite, it’s more productive to drink it when you need it, e.g. mid-afternoon.
Healthy fat slows down protein absorption so it may be a good idea to consume coconut oil at night so that your muscles keep getting protein as you sleep.
Notes
- If your coconut oil drink has an unseemly oil film on top, blend for longer to incorporate the oil better.
- Please consult your doctor if you're unsure about how coconut oil may affect your health.
- Those allergic to coconuts should avoid drinking coconut oil.
- Virgin coconut oil contains more nutrients (such as vitamin E) than oil-copra coconut oil (7). It is, therefore, best to seek out virgin coconut oil.
- It has been suggested that the primary fatty acid in coconut oil could have both medium chain and long chain triglycerides (7). More research is needed to confirm just how potent the MCTs in coconut oil are.
- Coconut oil is a great oil to cook with
