The use of coconut oil around the world in tropical regions is prolific: South and Central America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Micro-, Mele- and Poly-nesia and most of Asia. Early European explorers, including Captain Cook, wrote affectionately about the beauty of communities across the Pacific using coconut oil as an integral part of their daily lives. In England, after the war, coconut oil was sold as "margarine" and in the USA as "coconut butter".
All this changed in 1954 even though it has been known for nearly a century that coconut oil is more nutritious than other oils. Over many decades, coconut oil received bad publicity due to its saturated fat content but what the proponents of "saturated fat is bad for you" did not do was to differentiate between the three different types of saturated fat. All the saturated fats were simply generalised under one category, ignoring the fact that some saturated fat is in fact necessary for human health.
Modern research has shown that not all saturated fats are alike and coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up due to its medium chain fatty acids - the closest to those found in human breast milk that nature provides. They are the reason why coconut oil is used extensively in baby formula and also in sports drinks and energy bars, where it is usually described as MCT (medium chain tryglycerides). This disguises the fact that some form of coconut oil has been used. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are more easily digested than fats found in other oils. This is because they are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy. There is therefore less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system and, being easily digested, they also tend to improve the absorption of other nutrients.
Modern medical science has uncovered many health benefits of coconut oil such that it can actually protect you against heart disease, diabetes, cancers, liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, dental decay and skin infections.
But coconut oil's health benefits don't stop there. It also relieves symptoms associated with illnesses like pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, chronic inflammation, prostate enlargement, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers, constipation, psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis. But that's not all.
It continues to astonish doctors by its ability to kill viruses such as influenza (aka flu), hepatitis C, herpes, measles and bacteria such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and fungi and yeast such as Candida, ringworm, and thrush. These are resistant to drugs and antibiotics. The credit goes to MCFAs in the oil as they basically strengthen your immune system while killing bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites ever present around us.
Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds, right now some doctors are including coconut oil in their treatments against the world's most deadly incurable killer - HIV / AIDS. All thanks to the super antimicrobes in coconut oil which can rip the HIV viruses apart. Besides so many health benefits, coconut oil also helps you lose weight. Let's take a look at the next section for its weight loss prowess.
Weight Loss Benefits of Coconut Oil
Although coconut oil is a fat, it won't cause weight gain easily, but instead, promote weight loss. How?
First of all, it gets converted to energy immediately (like carbohydrate) once digested in your body. Secondly, it improves your thyroid function, the gland that controls your metabolism. Finally, coconut oil amazingly boosts your metabolism due to its abundant MCFAs.
MCFA creates a thermogenic (or calorie-burning) effect where it burns more calories at an accelerated rate to produce more heat. Hence, you can remove unwanted fat faster than you expect. The thermogenic effect actually makes you feel warmer and more energetic up to 24 hours!
Healing Benefits of Coconut Oil
Having an active metabolism also enables your injuries to heal and repair faster so as to reduce your risk to inflammation. When used as a topical cream, coconut oil soothes and heals the irritated or affected areas on your skin caused by skin diseases such as psoriasis, hemorrhoids, warts and athlete's foot. It's also an effective healing salve against blisters and sunburns. Plagued by acne on your face? Coconut oil will clear up the acne for you too.
Again, it's the MCFAs at work. They accelerate the metabolic rate and hence the healing process of damaged tissues.
Coming from a natural vegetable source, rich in antioxidants and free from pesticides and other chemicals and contaminants, you can use coconut oil as an excellent beauty and hair care product. It does more than what a simple skin cream can do. While other creams temporarily moisturize the surface of your dry skin, coconut oil penetrates multiple layers under your skin to prevent free radical formation, remove dead layers and encourage growth of new, healthier tissue. When applied to your hair, coconut oil becomes your natural hair conditioner and dandruff controller.
Are you stunned by the many health benefits of coconut oil? Don't take my word for it. Go get a small bottle for test-drive and use it every day over the course of 2 weeks. The results you get will speak for themselves. And make sure you get virgin coconut oil for both optimal health and skin care benefits.
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