Keto Coconut Oil Substitute

Are you looking for a good coconut oil substitute? Coconut oil is a very popular healthy fat to add to many different foods. However, some people experience negative side effects when consuming coconut oil. Let's take a look at a few coconut oil alternatives.

What is Coconut Oil?

It's no surprise that coconut oil comes from pressing the white "meat" that is inside coconuts. This produces an oil that has a high amount of saturated fat. However, coconut oil is packed with a special fat called medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). This special fat has many health benefits. This is why coconut oil is generally considered to be a healthy fat source and is often used to supplement keto diets.

MCT oil is quickly turned into ketones by the liver when you're in a state of ketosis. That is why coconut oil is very popular on low carb diets but coconut oil has several other benefits.

Civilizations that relied on eating high amounts of coconut are associated with healthier hearts. This suggests that coconut oil is heart-healthy. Coconut oil can also help encourage fat burning because of the high content of MCT. Coconut oil is thought to have anti-microbial effects. It can help to reduce hunger and raise good cholesterol.

Coconut oil has also been shown to be very beneficial to skin, hair, and teeth. That is why you will find so many health and beauty products that contain coconut oil. Finally, coconut oil has been studied to show improvements in cognitive ability.

What are the side effects of Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil sounds great. It's a really healthy fat to add to your diet. However, some people experience negative side effects when they eat coconut oil. One of the most common side effects is gastrointestinal distress. Eating coconut oil can cause some people to have diarrhea. Sometimes this goes away after your body gets used to eating coconut oil but for some people it never does.

For some people, coconut oil can cause acne outbreaks, throat irritation, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, and night sweats. These are obviously some very serious side effects and you should stop the use of coconut oil if you experience these.

How do you get the health benefits of coconut oil if you experience these side effects? You need to look into coconut oil alternatives. Let's take a look at a few of these coconut oil substitutes.

Avocado Oil

Another popular fat oil is avocado oil. This is extracted from avocados. It has a mild taste and it has a better tolerance for heat than coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. You can use avocado oil in your cooking or as a supplement to your diet. This is a great choice because it contains many vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants.

Avocado oil has many of the benefits of coconut oil to your skin and hair health and gives you that healthy dose of fat that you need to stay in ketosis.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. It contains a large number of antioxidants. Olive oil also has very strong anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is a leading driver of several diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even obesity. Olive oil helps to fight chronic inflammation

There have been several studies on the link between olive oil consumption and strokes. These studies show that areas that consume more olive oil have a lower risk of developing a stroke. Olive oil is also a key diet ingredient in preventing heart disease. Plus olive oil has even shown signs of fighting Alzheimer’s disease.

It's been shown to reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes. The antioxidants found in olive oil have been shown to be cancer-fighting agents. This super food can also help to fight Rheumatoid arthritis.

Sunflower Seed Oil

This oil is extracted form the seeds of  a sunflower plant. It's said to contain many healthy unsaturated fats that are known to be heart healthy. Sunflower seed oil is rich in the beneficial omega acids omega-6 and omega-9.  Many of the health benefits of sunflower seed oil are from the varieties that contain 80% or more oleic acid.

Diets rich in monounsatured fatty acides like those found in sunflower seed oil have been shown to reduce high bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. A study showed that people who consumed sunflower seed oil for 10 weeks had lower bad cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels compared to those who ate a diet without sunflower seed oil.

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil has been shown to prevent high blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. It contains proanthocyanidins which are beneficial in fighting the development of skin cancer. Grapeseed oil is found to be helpful in accelerating the wound healing process. It's also known to be anti-inflammatory.

Grapeseed oil studies show that it's beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels. It also has many benefits to your hair and skin health, like many of the fat oils on this list.

Almond Oil

Almonds are a super healthy food and common on many diets. The oil extracted from almonds also has many beneficial properties. This oil is rich in vitamin e and a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. Almond oil is antioxidant-rich and is known for fighting free radicals, which are unstable atoms that can destroy cells.

Almond oil boosts your immune system and fights inflammation. It has a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids which helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, boosts heart health, and improves memory. It can even lower your risk of developing cancer.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp oil is another oil that is rich in omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It can reduce the inflammation that can lead to heart disease and cancer. This oil is very beneficial to skin health. It's known to fight against acne, eczema, psoriasis, and lichen planus. All are diseases that affect the skin.

Hemp oil can actually help to reduce the symptoms of PMS due to the gamma linolenic acid (GLA) that it contains. It's also a very strong anti-bacterial agent.

Butter

In a list of oils and fats, we can leave out butter. Some people might think that butter is unhealthy, but that's not necessarily true. Real butter is another type of fat that has been shown to fight heart disease. On top of that, it also helps to regulate hormones and thyroid functions. An underactive thyroid can lead to weight gain.

Butter also combats fungal infections and improves fertility in both men and women. It boosts immunity and is great for your teeth and bones. Plus the fat in butter gives you the energy to fuel your body throughout the day.

Butter is also the perfect coconut oil substitute for cooking applications and it's a common ingredient infamous bulletproof coffee.

Summary

There are many benefits to coconut oil, but some people experience some bad side effects. If you are one of these people then you will want to look into coconut oil substitutes. All of the various substitutes we mentioned above would be a great alternative to coconut oil. We also recommend that you try MCT oil. This is the extracted medium-chain triglycerides from coconut oil. You may be able to get many of the benefits of coconut oil without all of the side effects in the concentrated MCT oil.

John Ward

John Ward has been experimenting with low carbohydrate diets since the early 2000s. He successfully used a low carb diet to lose 50lbs in the past and currently follows a keto diet for a variety of reasons including general health and managing mood levels.