The coconut that you were afraid to eat as ‘fat’, are actually a true friend of your heart

Coconut … On hearing its name, we miss the beautiful beach and sweet, cold water of South India. The more tasty and succulent in eating raw coconut, the more it is a treasure of health. But often there is a big question and fear in people’s mind – “Coconut has a lot of fat, is it dangerous for our heart?”

For many years, we have been told that fat means cholesterol, and cholesterol means heart disease. But this is half true. The truth is that not every fat is bad, and raw coconut is a great example of this ‘good fat’.

Let’s remove this misunderstanding today and know how raw coconut can prove to be a ‘superfood’ for our heart health.

How does raw coconut work on our heart?

1. Increases good cholesterol (HDL): There is two types of cholesterol in our body – a good (HDL) and a bad (LDL). Raw coconut helps to increase the level of good cholesterol i.e. HDL in our body. This good cholesterol acts like a ‘scavenger’, which helps in removing the bad cholesterol frozen in the veins.
2. Treasure of medium-chain fatty acids (mcfas): Fat found in coconut is different from common fat. It is very easy for the body to digest and it immediately turns into energy instead of accumulating as fat. This does not cause extra burden on the heart.
3. Helpful in controlling blood pressure: Potassium is found in good amounts in raw coconut. Potassium helps to balance the effects of sodium (salt) in our body, which helps in keeping blood pressure under control. And when the blood pressure remains under control, the heart itself remains healthy.
4. Rich in antioxidants: It contains many types of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation in the body and keep the arteries healthy, which reduces the risk of heart diseases.

But remember – ‘Very everywhere’

This does not mean that you sit and eat coconut throughout the day. Anything can be very harmful. Including a balanced amount of raw coconut in your diet – whether you eat it directly, by making a sauce or putting it in a vegetable – a great decision can be made for your heart.

So the next time someone tells you that eating coconut increases cholesterol, you can tell them which one increases cholesterol – ‘good one’!