Top 5 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

For years, coconut oil, alongside butter and other foods that were rich in saturated fats have gotten a negative reputation. There have been all sorts of bogus claims on coconut oil that have popped up, including the myth that it caused weight gain, obesity, and all sorts of heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other complications.


The truth is, these myths are simply not true. In the 60 years that these falsities about coconut oil and other saturated fats were being spread around, the levels of heart disease, obesity and cholesterol serum and even Alzheimer’s disease have been steadily increasing.Studies conducted on Pacific Islanders, who get about 30 to 60% of their saturated fat intake from coconut oil, reported almost non-existent or very minimal rates of cardiovascular disease Coconut oil, as well as other healthy fats (like those found in avocado),  are actually good for us!

The Top 5 Benefits of Coconut oil

1. Coconut Oil is a medium chain fatty acid. In fact, coconut oil has been reported as nature’s richest source for medium chain fatty acids. What makes medium chain fatty acids different from long chain fatty acids? MCFAs are smaller, so they can permeate our cell membranes more easily, which means they don’t require special enzymes in order for our bodies to utilize them. They’re easily digested, naturally putting less strain on our digestive systems. MCFAs are sent directly to our liver, which means they’re immediately converted to energy instead of being stored as fat. Lastly, MCFAs help stimulate our metabolisms, making it an excellent tool for weight loss!

2. Coconut Oil has amazing anti microbial properties. Coconut has a special ingredient which makes it excellent for fighting microbes called lauric acid. In the body, lauric acid is converted into monolaurin, which has anti viral, anti protozoan and anti microbial properties. Monolaurin can help fight the following lipid coated viruses:

•    Measles

•    Influenza Virus

•    Herpes

•    Different kinds of infectious bacteria

•    Parasites such as Giardia and Lamblia

3. Coconut Oil is a natural moisturizer. Besides having loads of health benefits when consumed, coconut oil has also benefits when applied to the skin. It’s often used for massage, to knead away tired muscles. It also has great moisturizing benefits, and can be used in the place of any body lotion.

Coconut oil also has plenty of anti-aging benefits, and can help protect the skin from free radicals, which can cause skin to look older and more tired. Also, when you apply coconut oil to your skin, it can reduce your need to use Vitamin E as another form of skin protection.

4. Coconut Oil is great for cooking. The problem with other kinds of vegetable oils is that when heated they turn rancid. Rancid oil is obviously bad and vegetable oil is responsible for bad cholesterol. However, when coconut oil is exposed to heat, it’s been found to resist mild heat damage. Coconut oil doesn’t turn rancid.

5. Coconut Oil is an effective weight loss aid. Obesity is one of the biggest problems right now. Mostly due to our diets full of trans fat, processed foods and sugar.

Coconut oil is not a trans fat, and as I mentioned earlier, is actually a healthy fat. In one study, coconut oil was fed to chickens, with the intent of making them fatter. But, the researchers found the opposite effect. Coconut oil actually made the chickens leaner, more active and hungrier.

Humans who took coconut oil instead of Long Chain Fatty Acids were found to decrease body weight, and to have reduced fat disposition. Coconut oil has even been found to improve and enhance athletic performance. This is one reason why many athletes are turning to coconut water instead of traditional sugary sports drinks.

Studies have shown that coconut oil has been found to increase activity on the thyroid. If you’re familiar with how your body works, then you may know that having a sluggish thyroid may be the culprit as to why you may have difficulty losing weight.

Are You Ready to Make the Switch?

Foods that are more likely to contain health-harming trans fats are deep-fried foods, processed baked goods, snack foods, processed foods, and fast foods. Aside from soybean oil, other varieties to avoid include corn, vegetable and canola oil, so make sure to always check the labels when you’re shopping. If you want to avoid dangerous fats, you need to eliminate processed foods from your diet. After you’ve eliminated the bad fats, use these tips to make sure you’re eating the right amount of healthy fats.

1. Use organic coconut oil for all your cooking needs. It’s far superior to any other cooking oil and is loaded with health benefits. Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain GM ingredients.

2. Use organic butter (preferably made from raw milk) instead of margarines and vegetable oil spreads. As I mentioned earlier, butter is actually a healthy whole food that has received an unfortunate bad rap.

3. Eat raw fats, such as those found in avocados and raw dairy products, and also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, like fish oil.