What is refined coconut oil

The term virgin has come to mean that the oil is generally unprocessed. For example, virgin coconut oil usually has not been bleached, deodorized, or refined. Whole kernel oil , which is made from the coconut kernel with the inside skin left on, is more nutritious and has a slightly nuttier flavor, whereas white kernel oil is made from coconuts whose brown inner skins have been removed and has a milder, more delicate aroma. Both oils have the same culinary and body care uses.

Whole kernel is marginally more nutritious and has a slightly nuttier flavor. The nature of all oils is such that it involves processing; oils are not whole, and do not naturally exist by themselves in nature. Coconut oil is most commonly processed using expeller-pressed or cold-pressed methods. Expeller-pressed is a mechanical process that extracts oil from seeds and nuts, at high pressure and heat, and is usually used for refined oils.

Cold pressing does not designate what type of pressing machine is used. However, oil that has been cold pressed should not have been exposed to high heat before or after pressing. Centrifuged coconut oil is generally one of the purest and most expensive oils. During the centrifuge process, coconuts are shelled, crushed and ground into a slurry. First, the milk is extracted from the meat; then the remaining coconut is placed in a high speed centrifuge that rapidly spins the contents.

Partially hydrogenated fat is a manmade product — a type of trans fat that is especially bad for your health. If you choose refined coconut oil, read the label to ensure your choice is pure coconut oil with no additives.

Refined coconut oil is more processed than unrefined. If it's important to you to eat food products that are as close to their natural state as possible, refined coconut oil is probably not a good choice for you.

Refined coconut oil has a smoke point of degrees F. You can use it for sauteing or baking, but it isn't acceptable for frying due to this temperature barrier. Unrefined coconut oil undergoes a process called "wet milling. This makes unrefined, also known as "virgin" or "pure," the least processed form of coconut oil available. With less refinement, you get a bigger coconut flavor. Plus, you also receive more nutrients. When coconut oil is refined, the baking and bleaching reduces the number of polyphenols and medium-chain fatty acids available.

Like other plant-based lipids fats , coconut oil is naturally cholesterol free and it has a sweet, nutty flavor that can be appealing when used in cooking. As evidence was mounting several years ago that partially hydrogenated oils should be avoided because of the trans fats that were produced during hydrogenation, some food manufacturers switched to tropical oils — coconut oil and palm oil — in food product formulation.

Because of their high level of saturation, these tropical oils are solid at room temperature — just like the partially hydrogenated oils that they were replacing. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends the use of coconut oil in moderation. What about refined coconut oil, is that a healthier choice? As fruits or seeds are pressed to release oils, certain impurities such as proteins, carbohydrates, phenolics and unwanted flavor compounds can end up in the oils.

Refining of oils removes impurties and stabilizes the oil, but does not create a healthy ier product. The bottom line: for heart-health, limit your intake of coconut oil and other saturated fats and oils.