If you take part in any kind of sports or go to gym then it is very important to include top quality organic virgin coconut oil such as TIANA Organic Raw Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil into your daily diet.
To realise all the benefits of organic virgin coconut oil for sports nutrition it will help you if you read the following article written by a leading world specialist and nutritionist Dr. Kennedy MS SLP ND.
Coconut Oil For Sports Nutrition
Most nutrition experts agree that carbohydrates should account for most of the calories in an athlete's diet (about 60%) while fat intake should be limited to more than 20% of total calorie intake. When greater amounts of fat are consumed they argue athletic performance may be hampered. It is true that the quantity of fat in the diet is important, but the quality of the fat is even more important. Some fats like trans fats have been linked to heart disease and stroke risk. However, other fats actually have beneficial properties that not only reduce disease risk, but also can improve athletic performance.
Coconut oil contains mostly medium-chain fatty acids with an especially high concentration
of Lauric Acid. When consumed, lauric acid is converted to a substance called monolaurin, which has antiviral and antibacterial properties. Capric acid found in smaller concentrations in coconut oil has similar beneficial properties. Strengthening of the immune system is especially important in athletes. Moderate exercise generally strengthens the immune system. However, intense or prolonged exercise can actually weaken the immune defenses. By incorporating coconut oil into the diet, athletes will be able to train harder and longer with a lower risk of infections during peak training.
Medium-chain fatty acids are also metabolized quickly. In contrast, foods with long-chain fatty acids tend to be stored in fat cells for energy storage. The medium-chain fatty acids contained in coconut oil are metabolized much like carbohydrates and are rarely stored in excess. Therefore, coconut oil actually increases metabolic rate one of the ways that this beneficial oil helps maintain a healthy body weight.
The people of New Zealand have historically consumed a lot of coconut oil accounting for about 30% of their total calorie intake. The prevalence of heart attack and high cholesterol is rare in this population. Coconut oil reduces total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol levels and increased HDL cholesterol in serum and tissues. Coconut oil also lowers LDL oxidation attributed to the high concentrations of polyphenols present in the oil. The end result of these benefits for the athlete is less atherosclerotic plaque buildup on the artery walls. Plaque buildup in athletes effectively reduces blood flow to the heart limiting the amount of oxygen to the heart and muscles and ultimately reducing maximum oxygen intake. For any athletic competition lasting longer than 2 minutes, reductions in maximal oxygen intake hinders performance.
An added benefit of coconut oil is that medium-chain fatty acids can improve endurance exercise performance. Increasing consumption of medium-chain fatty acids lowers the amount of carbohydrates that are burned during exercise. This has two important advantages. First, glycogen stored in the muscles and liver is spared, which allows the athlete to perform longer before fatigue sets in. Second, because carbohydrates are spared, fat becomes a primary source of fuel, which helps athletes to maintain a lean, healthy body weight.
Coconut oil also aids with weight loss by decreasing the appetite during a meal and afterwards too. The fatty acid blend in coconut oil helps people feel satisfied earlier in a meal and helps to stabilize blood sugar levels over the next few hours to maintain energy levels and avoid hunger.
Finally, coconut oil has a stimulating effect on the thyroid gland. When there is adequate thyroid hormone, LDL cholesterol is converted into anti-aging hormones such as progesterone and DHEA. These hormones are ultimately converted to testosterone a hormone with proven benefits regarding strength in athletes. Furthermore, these hormones have antioxidant properties and improve the speed of nerve transmissions the latter benefit being helpful in sports requiring fast reaction times. However, when thyroid hormone is low, LDL accumulates in the blood and ultimately can begin the process of atherosclerosis with the accompanying health risks and negative impact on endurance and performance.
Along with coconut oil as part of the daily diet, all athletes should consume foods rich in natural whole food vitamins. Fruits and vegetables are abundant in health sustaining plant nutrients called phytonutrients and should comprise a large part of the diet along with whole grains, lean meats and nuts. It should be noted that fresh coconut itself is brimming with natural plant nutrients as well. A couple tablespoons of melted coconut oil is great in a smoothie along with a dash of concentrated and phytonutrient rich aloe vera juice. Coconut oil is easy to incorporate into the daily athletic regime.
Coconut oil is a great addition to any athlete's nutrition program. At first glance, some may question the healthfulness of an oil that is primarily saturated fat. However, because of the high concentration of medium-chain fatty acids, this oil has beneficial not harmful effects on athletic performance and general health and well-being.
Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND
Why virgin coconut oils are so different in taste, quality and price?
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