More and more Americans who are entrenched in the western diet are suffering from diabetes. The great news is that coconut oil can help with diabetes. Coconut oil impacts blood sugar levels which often swing wildly based on the food eaten. It's no secret that we have poor quality diets in the U.S. as well as a proliferation of poor quality food, but daily use of cold pressed, virgin coconut oil and cream can offset this.

Diabetics are often required to take their blood sugar levels regularly. When blood sugar levels spike (due to eating the wrong foods), a dose of medication is often the solution to help regulate blood sugar levels. Some people have opted not to take medication and to instead take 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil. The coconut oil acts as a blood sugar regulator, bringing blood sugar levels down to appropriate levels in as little as 30 minutes. While I'm in NO WAY suggesting you quit your medications, I am suggesting seriously considering including this oil in your daily diet. It can't hurt.

Simply replacing polyunsaturated vegetable oils with pure, extra virgin coconut oil would make a big difference and is the place to start. In 1998 extensive research was done in India on precisely this idea. Researchers measured the implications of replacing a diet rich in coconut oil with polyunsaturated vegetable fats. The researchers found that diabetes rates that had previously been nonexistent shot up almost immediately.

Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now described as "the healthiest oil on earth." What makes coconut oil so good? And what makes it different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats? The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty acids. You are probably familiar with the first, which is based on saturation. You have saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.

Another system of classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, diagram shown), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). 98% to 100% of all the fatty acids we consume are LCFA.

The size of the fatty acid is extremely important because our bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly different from those of LCFA more commonly found in today's western diet. So once more: The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium-chain fatty acids. And once more: Both the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.

This is a BIG DEAL and we want to remember it: MCFAs are very different from LCFAs. MCFAs do not have any negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. They help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. While mother's milk contains this type of fatty acid, there are only a few other good dietary sources of MCFA. By far the best sources are from coconut and palm kernel oils.

Finally, everything about the coconut is POTENT! The coconut is known for its ability to kill off harmful parasites, bacteria and even viruses. Thus coconut oil, meat, and cream heal and strengthen the immune system as well - a real boon to anyone struggling with diabetes.

Bottom line: The western diet can learn a lot from other cultures. The days of avoiding coconut oil are over! Now to get us started, here is a delicious recipe for a coconut cream drink, found on https://www.originallivingcoconut.com/RawRecipes.aspx (where the above information was found as well).

Creamy Coconut Spritz

A delicious addition to your morning health drinks, this is perfect any time of the day.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cream of coconut
1 teaspoon cream (raw, if you can possibly find it)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons honey (raw is best)
6 to 8 ounces sparkling mineral water
ice cubes to taste


Directions:

Blend all ingredients well and enjoy.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.

Help on downloading recipes