Regular consumption of coconut oil along with a daily exercise routine can help manage high blood pressure and prevent weight gain, reveals a team of researchers from Brazil.
In a study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, an oral supplementation of virgin coconut oil combined with a daily workout routine, improved reduced baroreflex sensitivity and reduced oxidative stress and blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
Baroreflex is the body mechanism that helps maintain blood pressure through the regulation of heart rate, contractility and peripheral resistance. Baroreflex sensitivity or BRS shows the amount of control the baraoreflex has on the heart rate, according to Data Sciences International (DSI), a biomedical research company. Reduced baroreflex sensitivity can be a sign of several medical conditions including cardiovascular or neurological diseases.
During the study, researchers from the Biotechnology Centre at the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil fed rats either coconut oil or saline. The rodents fed on coconut oil were also placed in daily exercise training.
Both coconut oil and exercise lowered high blood pressure. However, combining the two factors helped restore healthy blood pressure. This also protected the animals from putting on unnecessary weight.
"This is an important finding as coconut oil is currently being considered a popular "superfood" and it is being consumed by athletes and the general population who seek a healthy life style," co-author of the study Dr Valdir de Andrade Braga, said in a press statement. "The possibility of using coconut oil as an adjuvant to treat hypertension adds to the long list of benefits associated with its consumption."
What Makes Coconut Oil So Special: Some Health Benefits
Coconut oil contains several healthy fatty acids and antimicrobial properties which entitle it to be classified as a superfood. Following are some health benefits of coconut oil as provided by Mercola. Com and Authority Nutrition:
- Helps improve immunity
- Keeps heart healthy, prevents heart disease
- Good for brain, particularly for fighting Alzheimer's
- Helps in burning excess fat
- Makes skin and hair more beautiful
- Fights off disease-causing pathogens
- Cures epilepsy
