Coconuts may bring to mind tropical islands and palm trees, but there is a lot of nutritional value hiding underneath their hard shell that most people wouldn’t think of. Coconut oil is ideal for stimulating weight loss, increasing energy, and contributing to a healthy immune system. It is also beneficial when used for cooking and for supporting healthy hair and skin when used as a moisturizer or hair mask.

Why Coconut Oil is Good for You

Coconuts have been widely misunderstood mainly because the 90% of saturated fats found in coconut oil gave it a bad reputation. The American Heart Association warned people that high saturated fat content in oil was a catalyst for heart disease and had an overall negative affect on cardiovascular health. However, the saturated fats found in coconut oil are very different from those found in other fats. Unlike most oils coconut oil consists of special fatty acids, called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s). Triglycerides are the main constituents of vegetable oils and animal fats. MCT’s help increase metabolism and are more easily digested than fats found in other oils.

Team Triglyceride!

The three unique Medium Chain Triglycerides found in coconut oil are:

• Lauric Acid
• Caprylic Acid
• Capric Acid

These three power house fatty acids all have antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal properties. Lauric Acid, found in human mother’s milk, makes up 50% of the fatty acids from the fat of a coconut. This acid helps strengthen the immune system by protecting the digestive tract from harmful microorganisms. Caprylic Acid, also found in breast milk, has anti-fungal properties and helps to battle against bacterial infections. Once digested in the body Capric Acid turns to monocaprin, which is known to have antiviral effects on sexually transmitted bacteria. Monocaprin ‘eats away’ at the envelope around viruses thereby deactivating them.

Although you may not think that your body knows the difference between the types of fatty acids, it does. You will feel and see the results.

Eat Fat, Lose Weight and Increase Energy

You can still eat fat and lose weight! The trick is to substitute the desirable fats for undesirable ones. According to Dr. Herb Joiner-Bey, N.D., author of The Healing Power of Flax, “The body will respond differently to different fatty acids.” The MCT’s found in coconut oil are better for your body since they break down faster and metabolize more quickly than long chain triglycerides, like those found in butter. The ability of coconut oil to assist the function of the thyroid increases metabolism and helps facilitate weight loss. Food digested more quickly will be less likely stored as fat and the faster food is burned in your body results in the experience of higher levels of energy.

How to Use Coconut Oil

Keep the butter in the fridge next time you decide to bake. Dr. Herb Joiner-Bey says, “Coconut oil works beautifully as an alternative for butter and vegetable shortening,” and that, “It is great to bake sweet confections, like cookies, with coconut oil.” Not to worry if you think your favorite treats will end up tasting like coconuts. The flavor will not be changed there just may be a slight aroma of the tropical fruit. The oil can also be spread directly on to bread or muffins instead of using hydrogenated oils like margarine that can increase cholesterol levels.

Coconut oil can also relieve your skin from the damages of the hot sun or dry air when used as a moisturizer. Hair can also become softer if the oil is used as a hair mask before washing it.

A Stable Oil to Rely On

One reason coconut oil is great to cook with is because of its stability. Coconut oil will not go rancid for even up to two years sitting in room temperature. This may be because coconut oil has high antioxidant properties, and provides bodies with Vitamin E, whereas unsaturated oils deplete vitamin E.

Part of what creates a stale taste in leftover foods is unsaturated oils in cooked foods that become rancid and harmful to our bodies. Even before food tastes stale digesting fresh unsaturated fats quickly turn sour once they oxidize inside the body. Oxidation essentially is when the food is introduced to heat and oxygen.

Choosing the Best Coconut Oil

There are different types of coconut oil available. Unrefined oil, which is more commonly heard of as virgin oil, does not go through the process of being bleached and deodorized as refined oil does. Refined oil is derived from dried coconut meat, called copra, whereas the unrefined oil is pressed or extracted from fresh coconuts. The refining process reaps the coconut oil of its flavor and fragrance so you will be able to smell and taste the difference of virgin coconut oil.

The oil that is derived from copra can be unsanitary and therefore needs to be purified or refined before consuming it. Copra is usually left to dry out lying in the sun, which is an open invitation to insects and microscopic fungi. Most coconut oils are made from copra that’s why it is good to find companies that process virgin coconut oil from fresh coconuts.

Barlean’s Virgin Coconut Oil

Unrefined oil proves to be the healthiest form and highest quality of oil available since other (refined, purified) cooking oils oxidize quickly and are toxic to the body. Virgin coconut oil, such as Barlean’s, will not go bad for several years. To ensure that you will taste the quality of difference Barlean’s coconut oil is rush air delivered fresh to the U.S. from the Philippine islands province of Quezon. Here are some other reasons to choose Barlean’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:

• Hand Selected and Picked Fresh
• Harvested at the Peak of Flavor and Nutritional Value
• Harvested Year-round, on Demand
• Pressed and Bottled on Demand
• Certified organic by the USDA

Barlean’s recommends using their coconut oil as an all-over moisturizer, massage oil, degreasing agent, and make-up remover. They suggest using it as a supplement to butter and other spreads. You can bake with it or eat it straight by the spoonful.

Resources

Barlean’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil can be found at natural health food stores. For more information go to www.barleans.com

References

“Coconut and coconut oil: recent research has verified traditional beliefs that coconut oil, like other pure, whole foods, have a significant role to play in a well-balanced, nutritious diet.” LookSmart.com. 2007. Gale Group. 14 June 2007.

Lee, Lita Dr. “Coconut Oil: Why it is Good For You” Coconutoil.com. 2007. Mt. Banahaw Health Products Corp. 20 June 2007.

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