Tap Into The Health Powers of Coconut Oil! Coconut Oil, Uses, And Benefits!
Coconuts are a member of the palm tree family, and grow in tropical climates closer to the equator, in both hemispheres of the world. They are cultivated in over 80 countries within these regions. Coconuts have several layers, and the exterior shell is a hard, fiber-like membrane that requires a sharp knife and a little work to crack.
Coconut oil benefits are many. Cultures and populations, especially those situated in the Pacific coastal areas, have long thought coconut to be very significant as a food source and a source of effective medicine. Traditional or folk medicine has long recognized its benefits.
The oil is used not just in tropical countries, where coconut plantations are abundant, but also in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. People are discovering the wonders this oil can create, and it is again gaining popularity throughout the world.
Why This Oil is Good For You?
Modern medical science is reporting positive results in treating many conditions with coconut oil. Medical journals are reporting on the varied range of health benefits available from the use of this oil. Is coconut oil good for you? The answer is yes!
This wonder oil benefits in improving HDL cholesterol levels and heart health, skincare, haircare, weight loss, treating yeast infections, improving digestion, and boosting immunity against a host of infections and diseases.
People,
are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible results. They are losing weight, getting more energy, and getting healthier. Coconut oil is safe to use and does not turn to fat in your body. It raises the metabolism, so you burn more fat and have more energy. It does not increase your cholesterol but actually helps lower it. Coconut oil is a wonderful diet addition for just about everyone. Let us look at some of the known benefits of this oil.
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil:
1. Protects Your Immune System:
Maintaining a well-balanced diet and carefully monitoring your daily food and drink intake is central to keeping a well-balanced and healthy immune system. Your immune system has to fight off scores of bacteria every day and having a low immune system means you are more likely to catch viruses and other illnesses.
Ingesting coconut oil can help your immune system in a surprising number of ways. coconut oil has great natural health benefits and works as an effective cure for a number of common illnesses including eczema, indigestion, and a variety of skin diseases like age spots. However, coconut oil can also aid your immune system in a number of surprising ways.
Coconut Oil,
- Can boost your immune system is through the ingestion of saturated fats- the most beneficial of which are – medium-chain triglycerides.
- These are the most easily digestible saturated fats as the body transports them straight to the liver where they are not used for the production of fat, so you don’t have to be overly worried about increasing your cholesterol as you boost your immune system.
Medium-chain triglycerides are used by your immune system to create antimicrobials – which we more commonly think of as antibodies. Antibodies are the primary defense mechanism your body has when fighting infections and viruses so having moderate amounts of saturated fats is necessary to keep your antibody production up.
The Fats,
in coconut oil contain antimicrobial lipids which have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Coconut oil contains Lauric, Caprylic, and Capric acids which, when broken down, are converted into specific antibodies used in your body’s defenses against a range of diseases including herpes, influenza, and other infections/diseases.
Having the right antibodies to fight specific bacteria is central to your body’s wellbeing so adding some coconut oil to your diet is an easy way to ensure you stay happy and healthy.
2. Aid Weight Lose:
Many people think that because virgin coconut oil has a high proportion of saturated fat it is bad for you to eat. This is one of the greatest myths surrounding coconut oil and now turn to dispel this myth and see how you can use coconut oil as an aid to weight loss.
Coconut oil is made up of what is called medium-chain triglycerides. Triglycerides are made of fatty acids that our bodies either use as energy or store. Most of the oils we consume are long-chain triglycerides which are more difficult for the body to utilize and thereby end up getting stored on our hips.
The Medium-Chain Triglycerides,
because the molecules are smaller, act more like carbohydrates in the body, and are used faster than their long-chain counterpart. The result is improved energy levels and metabolism. Because fat is very “satisfying”, it acts as an appetite suppressant.
3. One of The Best Oils You Can Use For Cooking.
It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don’t do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.
It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.
4. Great For Skin and Hair:
Balding patches, round crowns, skin trouble, and hair fall, all of this can take a toll on your self-esteem. Say goodbye to all of that, because apart from using this for healthy eating, one can also save their skin and hair too.
Who wouldn’t like compliments on glowing skin and flawless bouncy hair, so say goodbye to chemical treatments and welcome the natural cures of coconut oils? The skin would be smoothened and your hair would shine, be ready for those praises.
5. Boosts Energy:
Combine those healthy omega-three fatty acids with your increased metabolism and the ease with which your body can convert coconut oil into energy and you’ve got a healthy energy boost. In fact, many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have found that adding coconut oil to their diet has helped them gain more energy.
6. Good For Menopause:
Coconut oil helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women who suffer the effects of PMS have found the symptoms lessened when coconut oil was consumed often in their diet.
7. Kills Hunger:
8. Improves Digestive System:
Coconut oil has long been held to be a useful supplement to aid in digestion. This is one of the key reasons it is the primary ingredient in many curry sources – and why curry goes down so well. coconut oil has strong anti-microbial benefits which when ingested help you to fight off nasty bacteria and bolster your immune system.
Many digestive problems are caused by the presence of microbes in the food we eat. We have a natural set of microbes in our stomach acid that aid digestion but these often react negatively with certain enzymes found in other foods.
This means,
- That the key way virgin coconut oil can help our digestion is by curing indigestion.
- The saturated fats in coconut oil, especially Lauric acid, and Capric acid aid your stomach, and digestive tract, in neutralizing micro bacteria.
- These fats help remove parasitic bacteria and fungi keeping your digestive tract and stomach at its optimal performance.
9. Helps to Fight Infections:
Coconut oil can help fight a variety of infections and that it aids your immune system thanks to fatty acids such as lauric acid and capric acid. However, the natural health benefits of coconut oil actually go far far beyond this as it is a versatile treatment for a variety of internal and external infections.
coconut oil can be used to treat a variety of skin afflictions and is brilliant for cuts, scrapes, and bruises. On your skin, virgin coconut oil is aptly suited to preventing common skin afflictions such as eczema and other rashes as it creates an impermeable layer of oil between your skin and the air.
On Cuts,
- Bruises and scrapes virgin coconut oil helps in the same way as above – by keeping the area free from infection.
- Yet the moisturizing effects also help heal the skin by giving it the nutrients it needs to rejuvenate and repair skin tissue.
- The nutrients in coconut oil not only help heal your skin but they also help tighten skin.
- this is great for removing stretch marks and minimizing scar tissue.
10. Enzymes in Coconut Oil:
- Are known to kill many viruses including influenza, measles, herpes, hepatitis, and SARS.
- This means that coconut oil can actually protect you from catching some of the worst diseases we are exposed to in the modern world.
- The enzymes work by simply decomposing the harmful bacteria- thereby neutralizing any potential they have to create negative effects.
11. Candida:
Coconut oil is a great treatment for candidiasis and other yeast infections. Organic coconut oil is one of the most efficient natural health aids in fighting candida off completely. Changing your diet in this simple way can really help relieve you of Candida forever.
Candida is notoriously hard to remove from the body as the source of the infection is not necessarily the same as the location of the infection itself. Candida grows in a low PH and overly toxic environment.
If You Are Overweight,
Eat a lot of junk food or underweight and sedentary your bodies skin and immune system are less tolerant, meaning you are likely to develop candida or yeast infections much more frequently.
In Your Diet,
coconut oil helps bolster the immune system as well as being a much better source of saturated fat than junk food helping you to actually lose weight whilst still maintaining a balanced diet.
12. Supports Your Cardiovascular System:
The high amount of saturated fats in coconut oil would seem to indicate that it would have a negative impact on your health by creating more fatty tissues. However, research into the chemical composition of these saturated fats has shown that they are primarily medium-chain triglycerides, the least harmful, and most beneficial, form of saturated fats your body can use.
The most common causes of cardiovascular disease are;
- High cholesterol.
- Heredity.
- Smoking.
- Obesity.
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
This means that coconut oil would seem an unlikely candidate as a dietary supplement to decrease your risk of heart disease but it actually isn’t.
Coconut Oil Nutrition Facts:
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these are the nutrition facts for a 1 tablespoon serving of coconut oil.
- Calories 121.
- Protein 0 grams (g).
- Fat 13.5 g.
- Saturated fat 11.2 g.
- Carbohydrates 0 g.
- Fiber 0 g.
- Sugar 0 g.
Composition and Amount of Fatty Acid in Coconut Oil
Fatty Acids | Type – Size | Amount |
---|---|---|
Butyric acid | Saturated / Short-chain | 0.009 % |
Caproic acid | Saturated / Short-chain | 0.477 % |
Caprylic acid | Saturated / Medium-chain | 6.802 % |
Capric acid | Saturated / Medium-chain | 5.39 % |
Lauric acid | Saturated / Medium-chain | 41.84 % |
Myristic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 16.653 % |
Pentadecylic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 0.015 % |
Palmitic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 8.636 % |
Margaric acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 0.009 % |
Stearic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 2.516 % |
Arachidic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 0.076 % |
Behenic acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 0.019 % |
Lignoceric acid | Saturated / Long-chain | 0.031 % |
Palmitoleic acid | Unsaturated / Long-chain | 0.016 % |
Oleic acid | Unsaturated / Long-chain | 6.253 % |
Gondoic acid | Unsaturated / Long-chain | 0.041 % |
Linoleic acid | Unsaturated / Long-chain | 1.676 % |
Alpha-linolenic acid | Unsaturated / Long-chain | 0.019 % |
How to Store Virgin Coconut Oil to Retain Its Nutritional Benefits?
Do you need to store virgin coconut oil in the fridge after opening?
You don’t have to keep it in the fridge since virgin coconut oil is exceptionally stable in itself. However, though, don’t purposely place it near any heat source especially of high temperature for a long time. It may not turn bad easily but its nutritional benefits will probably degrade over time.
Also, storing it in the fridge will make it so hard that you need to use the sharp object to scrape it out for use or spend some minutes to melt it with heat before using it.
What to Expect:
A. Side Effects:
Because coconut oil is food there are no side effects. There is always a possibility of an allergic reaction. This you would care for in the same way you care for any other food allergy. One thing to watch out for is consuming too much of this oil.
B. Excessive May Harm:
Just because We said coconut oil is good and provides many health benefits doesn’t mean you start eating too much of it. You could end up running diarrhea-like symptoms if your body is not used to such a sudden change. Go slow with 1 to 2 teaspoons each time and gradually increase to 3 or 4 tablespoons a day. you have to moderately add the dosage to condition your body into adapting to it eventually.
Benefits of Young Coconut Water:
- Excellent for rehydration.
- It has cooling effects on your body.
- Helps to soothe and prevent skin eruptions and rashes, when applied to the skin.
- Outstanding nutrition source for infants.
- Improves muscle and physical growth in children.
- Prevents and eases cholera through the presence of organic sodium and albumin in the coconut water.
- Eliminate the pain of kidney stones by fighting Nano-bacteria and the growth of bad calcium in your kidneys.
- Used as a blood plasma substitute because it’s sterile and accepted by the body.
How to Use Coconuts Oil?
- Excellent for cooking and baking.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Supports heart health.
- Balances cholesterol.
- Improves thyroid function.
- Supports weight loss.
- Increases energy and stamina.
- Improves digestion.
- Supports immune function.
- Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral.
- Kills candida, parasites and other microorganisms.
- Aid in preventing gingivitis and periodontal disease.
- Skin conditions (dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, fungal infections, burns).
- Skin care.
- Haircare.
Summing Up:
Coconut oil absolutely warrants further study. What we comprehend regarding the health advantages of this amazing oil is actually only a tiny part of what we need to learn. There’s still lots of work to be done.
People with lower thyroid function and slower metabolisms may notice the effects of virgin coconut oil. If you have hypothyroid, go easy on the oil, as it may cause an allergic reaction, such as making your heart beat faster, when consumed excessively.
Though the energy boost from coconut oil isn’t similar to caffeine, it keeps your body’s overall energy elevated for many hours without creating addiction or dependence on it.
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Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”