日本でもそうですが、ココナッツは、健康食品として、USでも注目されているそうです。
果たして、どれほど体に良いものなのか、まず、以下に重要な点を引用しましたので、お読み下さい。
Some health experts say coconut can help fight infection in the body and raise its levels of good cholesterol.
健康の専門家によると、ココナッツが体の中で感染予防に役立ち、良いコレステロールレベルを上げるとしています。
infection 感染
cholesterol コレステロール
Elissa Goodman is a holistic nutritionist. She says coconut has many health benefits.
"It revs up your metabolism. It also acts as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. So, it's great for the immune system. It's great for the heart. It raises your HDL (High-density lipoprotein) and it also is great for like any kind of urinary tract infections, any kidney issues, weight. I mean, the possibilities of using coconut oil for your health (are) endless."
a holistic nutritionist ホリスティック栄養士
revs up スピードアップする
metabolism 代謝
viral ウィルス
fungal 真菌性
the immune system 免疫システム
HDL 善玉コレステロール
lipoprotein リポタンパク質
urinary tract infections 尿路感染症
HDL is what doctors call “good cholesterol.” Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is bad.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. provides information about cholesterol on its website. It says most of the body’s cholesterol is LDL. High levels of LDL cholesterol can block arteries, the tubes that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The blockages can lead to heart disease and stroke.
The CDC website says HDL cholesterol helps remove LDL cholesterol from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke.
arteries 動脈
stroke 脳卒中などの発作
LDL 悪玉コレステロール
Walter Willett is a doctor and nutrition expert at Harvard University’s School of Public Health.
Willett says there isn’t yet enough research about how coconut oil affects the body to claim it is healthful. However, scientists and nutritionists do know the chemical makeup of coconut.
Unlike other plant-based oils, coconut oil is a saturated fat. Willett explains that “coconut oil is about 90 percent saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter” which has about 64 percent.
Saturated fats are in animal fats, such as butter, meat, egg yolks, and in some plants like coconut and palm oils. In humans, saturated fat often increases cholesterol levels in the blood.
Unsaturated fats often come from plants. Eating foods high in unsaturated fats can reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
Willett says that "too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. But coconut oil also increases HDL cholesterol - the good cholesterol.
So, Dr. Willett says it is "less bad" than saturated fats that do not raise HDL levels.
ココナッツは、HDLレベルを上昇させない飽和脂肪ほどは悪くない。（ココナッツはHDLレベルを上げるので、そんなに悪いわけではない。）
the chemical makeup 化学的組成
plant-based 植物由来
saturated fat 飽和脂肪
Coconut oil might not be the new super health food that some claim. But moderate use in cooking could be a good for some people.
An important note when buying coconut oil: Look for “virgin” on the label. Make sure it is not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction that turns unsaturated fats into saturated ones. Hydrogenated fats are also called trans fats. The CDC says trans fats raise your bad cholesterol and may even lower good cholesterol.
hydrogenated 水素添加された
この記事では、医学的には、ココナッツオイルは、スーパー健康食品というわけではない、と言っていますが、前出の a holistic nutritionistとは明らかに見解が違うようです。
そもそもa holistic nutritionist ホリスティック栄養学とは何かとちょっと調べてみると、例えば次のような説明がありました。
What is a Holistic Nutritionist?
Holistic Nutrition is a natural approach to health that uses evidence-based techniques for diet, lifestyle and detoxification. Instead of focusing on just one
aspect of the person, or taking a one size fits all methodology, holistic nutrition evaluates the complete health history, emotional state, lifestyle habits and current diet habits of an
individual to determine the root cause of his or her health issues.
（http://www.healthyeatingandliving.ca/post/what-is-a-holistic-nutritionist より引用）
detoxification 解毒
one size fits all methodology 一元的な方法論（a one size fits all とは、例えば、洋服でフリーサイズが全てのサイズの服を代用する、といった単純化した方法論のことをいっています。そのような方法論はホリスティック栄養学ではしない、としています。）
とすると、この記事で論じているココナッツオイルの効用に関しても、ホリスティック栄養学から導かれる結論は、個人の個別要素も考慮しているので、客観性にずれが生じているかもしれませんね。
もっとも、ココナッツオイルの効用については、研究がまだ進んでいないようなので、今後の研究結果を待ちましょう。