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Once considered too fatty to be healthy, coconuts may be one of the healthiest foods on earth. Much of the hype about coconuts revolves around their unique fat molecules called medium chain triglycerides, such as caprylic and capric acid.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat molecule made from three fatty acids bound together. You can have long chain, medium chain and short chain triglycerides, depending on the length of the carbon chain in the molecule.
Significance
Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) like caprylic and capric acid are found in only a few foods, such as breast milk and coconut and palm oils. According to Bruce Fife of the Coconut Research Center, medium chain triglycerides are easy for the body to absorb and put very little strain on the digestive system.
Function
Pancreatic enzymes aren't needed to digest caprylic and capric acid, Fife says, nor are the acids stored in the body like other fats, but are burned immediately for energy.
Potential
MCTs' easy digestibility and resistance to storage as fat has lead advocates, like Fife, to claim that caprylic and capric acid can assist in weight loss.
Fun Fact
Caprylic acid has antimicrobial properties against several different disease-causing bacteria, including E. coli and staph, according to a University of Connecticut study published in the Journal of Dairy Science in 2005.
Source:
Coconut Research Center: Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides
PubMed: Antibacterial Effect of Caprylic Acid and Monocaprylin on Major Bacterial Mastitis Pathogens
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