Virgin Coconut Oil
Are you aware of the amazing role virgin coconut oil plays in health and healing?
The scientific community is only now beginning to discover just how wonderful and beneficial this oil really is.
For a long time, coconut oil has gotten a very bad rap from health professionals.
For decades we have been told that this oil is an unhealthy fat because it is a saturated fat.
We have been told that coconut oil will raise our cholesterol levels, plug up our arteries, and cause heart disease.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Coconut oil is an amazing superfood that you can safely add to your daily diet.
How Can A Saturated Fat Be Good For You?
The results of one study published in the American Journals of Clinical Nutrition showed that a diet high in saturated fat from a coconut-based diet does not have a harmful effect on your vascular health. Other research studies show that some saturated fat in the diet is even necessary for our health.
Recent research also shows that not all saturated fats are alike. The structure of coconut oil is unique. It is high in saturated fat. It is also very high in medium chain triglycerides (MCT's) (62%). That makes it the highest plant source.
The MCT's in coconut oil are much easier to digest than the fats in other oils. They help to increase your metabilism (great for weight loss). They do not raise cholesterol levels. And they do not contribute to heart disease.
Approximately half of the MCT's found in coconut oil are made up of lauric acid. Lauric acid is the most important essential fatty acid needed by your immune system.
Did you know that breast milk also contains very high amounts of Lauric acid? Tropical oils and breast milk are the richest food sources of medium chain fatty acids you can find.
People in tropical regions have been eating coconuts and coconut oil (in their natural state) on a daily basis for thousands of years. When you look at those same people, you'll see that they tend to be healthy and trim. They even have lower rates of heart disease!
In the past, most research studies on coconut oil used hydrogenated coconut oil. There's a huge difference between hydrogenated oils and oils in their natural state.
Hydrogenated oils contain trans-fatty acids. Current research shows that these hydrogenated trans-fats (whether they are saturated or not) produce higher serum cholesterol levels. They are responsible for causing heart disease and a number of health problems.
Artificially hydrogenated trans-fats are found in processed foods, fast foods, and commercially prepared pastries. They are dangerous, so try to avoid them.
The people in tropical regions eat coconuts in their natural non-hydrogenated state. So, it makes perfect sense to use unrefined, virgin coconut oil in research studies. That makes for more realistic outcomes.
Cooking With Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin coconut oil is a great substitute for vegetable oil, margarine, butter, or any other oils you use to cook or bake with.
It is stable so it resists heat-induced damage.
It is the healthiest oil that is safe enough to use for all of your daily cooking needs.
And as an added bonus, it makes your food taste even better!
Coconut Oil And Your Health
Coconut oil is full of the kinds of nutrients your body needs. Here are just a few ways that coconut oil can help you:
- It helps to protect you from cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative conditions
- It helps to improve your digestion
- It helps to improve your metabolism and helps you maintain an ideal weight
- It helps support the proper functioning of your thyroid gland
- It helps support your immune system and strengthens it
Coconut Oil And Infectious Diseases
Coconut oil has powerful antifungal and antimicrobial properties. When you eat coconut oil, the lauric acid it contains gets converted into monolaurin.
Monolaurin is effective in fighting off bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi.
Monolaurin can also inactivate or destroy viruses such as measles, HIV, herpes simplex, cytomegalic viruses, and others. Pretty impressive!
What About Candida?
As I mentioned above, coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids. Research shows that these medium chain fatty acids are able to kill Candida albicans.Caprylic acid is one of the fatty acids found in coconut oil. Caprylic acid has been used as a long time as an alternative treatment for candida yeast infections.
Capric acid and lauric acid are two other medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil. Both are able to fight candida effectively.
Coconut Oil For Your Skin
Ever notice that people who live in the tropics tend to have beautiful, healthy looking skin? It's no coincidence. That coconut rich diet has a lot to do with it.
Virgin coconut oil makes a really nice skin cream. It's all natural and is full of antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals. That prevents damage so that your skin can stay young and healthy.
Coconut oil is one of my favorite skin treats. The great thing about it is that it absorbs easily into your skin and does not leave a greasy feel.
If you use it regularly, it will help to heal and repair your skin over time. Your skin will be left feeling soft and smooth.
Here are some other ways that coconut oil can improve your skin:
- It helps to prevent premature wrinkling and aging
- It helps protect you from the sun and the wind
- It helps protect you from skin cancer
- It helps to prevent blemishes
- It helps to soothe and heal dry, rough, itchy, and scaly skin
- It may help to improve the appearance of your skin if you have psoriasis or eczema
Use virgin coconut oil the same way you would use any lotion. Cleanse your face first, and then gently apply a small amount.
Massage it all over your body when you come out of the shower or bath.
It works wonders for your hair as well. Try using it as a moisturizing conditioner.
What Is The Difference Between Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, And Just Plain Coconut Oil?
Most commercial grade coconut oils are made from copra. Copra is the dried meat of the coconut.
Copra is made in different ways. The coconuts can be dried using smoke, they can be dried in the sun, or they can be dried in a kiln.
The process of making copra is not very hygienic.
The coconuts are dried in the open air. Outside in the sun, they are exposed to all kinds of insects and moulds. The oil that is made from those coconuts is not something you would want to smell or eat.
In order to make the oil "edible," it must be purified. The oil is refined using high heat and chemicals. The final product does not have any taste. It is called RBD coconut oil.
RBD stands for "refined, bleached, and deodorized." RBD oil is often hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
Hydrogenated oils can contribute to heart disease. RBD coconut oil is clearly not a healthy choice.
Virgin Coconut Oil
Almost all virgin coconut oil is expeller pressed from fresh coconut meat. No copra is used at any stage.
Virgin coconut oil is natural and unrefined. There are a couple of ways that virgin coconut oil is made.
The oil may be separated from the coconut through a traditional process of fermentation. Or, it may be processed in a mill. In the mill, the oil is expeller pressed, filtered, and heated to remove the moisture.
The oil is not deodorized so it retains the distinct taste and smell of coconuts. If the virgin coconut oil is not good quality, you may find that it tastes a little bit soapy.
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
The term "extra virgin" coconut oil refers to oil that is extracted from the first pressing from the fresh meat of mature coconuts. The oil is purified by natural settling only. It is not purified in any other way. No heat or chemicals are involved in the process. It is neither refined nor deodorized. Extra virgin coconut oil has a mild fresh coconut flavor.
Virgin coconut oil and extra virgin coconut oil are recent newcomers to the market.
Before 1998 all coconut oil was made from dried copra.
At this time there is no official grading or standardization of the quality of coconut oil. Oil producers simply classify their products according to their methods of producing the oil.
When you are buying coconut oil, look for a brand that is cold-pressed and unrefined. It may be worth trying out different brands of virgin and extra virgin oil so that you can find one that is the highest quality.
I've tried a few brands and so far, I really like Nutiva's Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
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