Coconut Oil Benefits

Coconuts are the hottest trend in the market today.  You can’t scan the internet without seeing something about coconut.  Coconut oil, milk, health, cooking the list goes on.  But, what are coconuts and what’s all the rage?

Appearance

Coconut is a fruit, nut, and seed every bit of the coconut is used.  Because of this, a coconut is called “the tree of life.” Making coconuts full of health benefits.

Coconut is extracted from the kernel and when purchased raw it is a thick butter-like substance.  It can also be acquired in an oil substance.

Coconuts are Full of Fatty Acids

Fatty acids have three primary purposes.

1. Providing energy
2. providing building blocks for cell membranes
3. converts to perform special duties in your body like hormones protecting nerves and organs.

There are three types of fatty acids

1. short chain
2. medium chain
3. long chain

Each one of these chains is digested and metabolized differently.  Coconut oil is 63% medium chain 30% long chain saturated fat.  Medium chain fats are absorbed and transported directly to the liver to be burned for energy. The long chain is turned into triglycerides and then taken up by cells and used for energy or are stored.  Long chain fats do come with some health concerns, such as increased heart, diabetes, blood pressure and inflammation risk.  They do, however, lower HDL.

You don’t want to consume large quantities of coconut oil or any saturated fat.  But because of coconut oil mainly coming from medium chain fat and the fact they are metabolized into energy(which fuels your body) it is not terrible for you because it comes from natural raw form.  If it’s not used for energy right away, it’s turned into ketone bodies, meaning you won’t gain fat if not used.

Additional Health Benefits

Coconut Oil has some additional health benefits that you might now realize.

• Lowers risk of Alzheimers
• helps support the immune system
• antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal properties
• full of antioxidants
• helps prevent high blood pressure by increasing HDL
• Coconut oil helps protect your kidneys strengthening it to fight back against infections. Coconut helps flush out toxins from your body helping with immune support.  This is done from a substance in coconut oil called MCFA.  A natural antibiotic.
• Prevents some types of cancers.  Studies have found that coconut oils MCFA helps kill off H-Pylori bacteria protecting your stomach from cancer.  This is a particular strain known to increase the risk of developing stomach cancer( this type of cancer my mother-in-law passed away from).  Next, coconut oil creates ketones and because of these ketones cannot be used by cancers cells as energy a tumor requires glucose to grow.  The less glucose and more ketones will have fewer resources to grow.
• Improves Digestion-with millions of Americans suffering from digestive issues that then result in other more serious conditions.  The added help from coconut helps in improving digestion.  When you consume coconut oil with omegas, you can double the effect you have on your digestion.  Helping to absorb vitamins, magnesium and calcium.  Coconut oil kills the harmful bacteria and helps with good bacteria helping to maintain a healthy balance of stomach acid and digestion.
• Protects bone support the high level of antioxidants found in coconut oil helps with this condition helping aid your body in absorbing calcium and magnesium, which are essential for bone health.
• Weight loss coconut oil helps promote natural weight loss.  Because of coconut oil’s medium and short chain fats, these help to increase thyroid function.  Thyroid function helps control metabolism and how many calories we burn.  Along with diet and exercise and increase metabolism, this is a natural drug-free weight loss system.
• Diabetes- is on the rise.  34% of Americans are obese, and 36% are overweight.  These both double one’s risk of getting diabetes.  Balancing insulin levels so the cells work properly.;  The medium chain fatty acid in coconut oil helps digestive system work better as we discussed, but also this helps the insulin and hormones in our body function speeding up metabolism and increase energy contributing to weight loss.
  

  How I use coconut oil

• Cooking– Can be used at high temperatures.  Stable won’t go rancid like other oils can be used in cooking your daily meals and baking.
• Smoothies adds flavor as well as nutrients.
• Snacks– some of my favorite meals are used with coconut oil.  I use it in all my no bake recipes in place of butter or other oils.  
• Hair-after my pregnancy I lost a lot of hair. Handfuls, this is a good natural way to aid in hair growth.  A once a week treatment 3-5 Tbsp for 5 minutes.
• Diaper rash-I used this in place of chemical rash creams.  Just apply right on the area.
• Body care and skin care- This oil is quickly absorbed into the skin.  The high levels of vitamins help repair damaged skin and helps maintain a natural look.
• Coffee-add a little to your coffee.  Start your day off with extra energy, speeding up your metabolism, boosting your immunity.  
• I use organic coffee
• t tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• sprinkle with cinnamon on top
• you can add stevia or raw honey for a little-added sweetener

I have tried many brands of coconut oil.  They all are a little different in taste.  This is the one I use Nutiva Organic Virgin , 15 Ounce (Pack of 2).  I haven’t mastered all the uses of coconut oil yet and would love to hear ways you use it.