Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Is there any truth to the claims of the health benefits of coconut oil? After all, a mere decade or two ago it was called a “saturated fat”, deemed to be dangerous to your health, and avoided by health conscious consumers.

The negative finding published in the past seems to be based on the results of only one study that is never named. The study in question is said to have used hydrogenated coconut oil. Researchers now know that it is the hydrogenation process that is actually bad for you and not the tropical oils themselves.

Now it seems that there are quotes everywhere on the Internet claiming that coconut oil cures everything from obesity to heart disease and HIV.

An important fact to remember is that there is quite a lot of difference between organic, virgin coconut oil and hydrogenated coconut oil. In order for the coconut oil to retain the substances that create the most benefit the coconut should be processed in one of two ways.

• Quick drying the coconut meat and then pressing the dried meat to harvest the oil.
• Wet milling by pressing the fresh coconut and extracting the coconut milk, followed by separating the oil from the coconut water.

Once the oil is separated in this way it is very shelf stable and will last for years without going rancid. Pure coconut oil has a delicate coconut flavor.

So, if you are using pure and organic, cold pressed, virgin coconut oil what are the health benefits that you might expect to gain?

Researchers have found that coconut oil is the highest vegan source of medium chain triglycerides. Half of these are made up of a very important, in fact the most important fatty acid used to maintain the immune system. Lauric acid has been associated with a healthy immune system and coconut oil has a similar percentage of lauric acid to human milk. No other vegetable is known to have lauric acid.

• Coconut may raise the beneficial cholesterol in some individuals.
• Helps to prevent atherosclerosis

A chemical called monolaurin is a precursor to lauric acid. It is present in coconut oil and has helped in fighting a number of viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. It does this by creating a negative effect on the lipid membranes of these cells. This results in protection from a number of microbes and illnesses including:

• Cancer
• Free radicals
• HIV
• Measles
• Herpes simplex
• Influenza
• Pneumonovirus
• Staph
• Many groups of Streptococci

Since medium chain fatty acids are sent straight to the liver by the body, they are quickly metabolized and used for energy. Other fats circulate through the bloodstream and settle in the unwanted areas.

Other metabolic benefits are:

• Coconut oil, made up largely of medium chain fatty acids actually helps to promote weight loss by speeding up the metabolism.
• Supports healthy thyroid function
• These healthy fats help you to feel fuller. When you feel full there is less of a chance that you will over eat.

• Treating pancreatitis
• Improves mineral absorption by the body
• Helps controls blood sugar
• Helps prevent urinary tract infections
• Effective against fungal infections:
  • Athlete's foot
  • Candida
  • Diaper rash

In order to see these benefits and others, you should ingest about four tablespoons full of organic virgin coconut oil every day.

The health benefits of coconut oil are many and more are being discovered all the time. It is not a magical cure-all, though. While it can help guard against illness, and work with the body's natural healing abilities it does not work overnight.

Always discuss your health concerns and issues with your doctor or other health care practitioner. Don't make changes without asking your pharmacist if you are on medications. Most importantly, don't change your medication without discussing your choices with your health care practitioner.

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