Coconut Oil – Why Is It So Wonderful?
Coconut oil is a staple in my kitchen. I use it for just about everything! I consider it a super food because of all of the wonderful things it can do for your body. In addition to coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut meat are also very nutritious. I use coconut milk in place of dairy since I don’t have easy access to raw milk and most pasteurized milk products don’t agree with me.
The first thing to remember about coconuts and coconut oil is that they have been a major source of nutrition in traditional cultures for hundreds, if not thousands of years. One thing that I always like to do when assessing food is to think about the traditional cultures who eat that food item. If they have been eating that item for eons, then I consider it to be real food.
MCFAs and LCFAs
Since the middle of the 20th century, saturated fat has been portrayed as a the bad guy. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but it is important to understand that not all saturated fats are created equal. Saturated fat is an essential nutrient that is needed for the body to maintain proper cellular function. Coconut oil has the highest amount of saturated fats, at 92%, but well over half of those are made up of medium-chain fatty acids. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are metabolized much differently than long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), which is what most vegetable and seed oils consist of. Contrary to most mainstream medical advice, MCFAs do not raise cholesterol levels and they actually have been shown to help protect against heart disease. Studies have shown that they can help lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Lauric Acid
The most important MCFA in coconut oil is lauric acid. Coconut oil is made up of about 50% lauric acid. The best place to find lauric acid in abundance is in a mother’s breast milk. Lauric acid is critical for immune development and function, which is why infant formula has lauric acid added to it. Lauric acid is not only needed by babies, but it’s an essential nutrient for all of us in order to keep our immune systems functioning optimally. Sally Fallon recommends that people with compromised immune systems should consume between 20 and 25 grams of lauric acid per day, which is the equivalent of 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil. The next best place to get lauric acid, after coconut oil, is in grass-fed milk fat or butter. All other oils are deficient in MSFAs.
Studies have also shown that MCFAs actually help boost metabolism and can prevent weight gain and even stimulate weight loss. This is because they are easily digested and quickly turn into energy and they do not spike blood sugar levels because insulin is not needed to help digest the oil. This helps alleviate the strain that other oils can put on the pancreas and digestive system. In addition to helping the immune system and providing quick, healthy energy, it has also been shown to help regulate and maintain normal thyroid function.
Health Benefits
While coconut oil is not quite back into the mainstream diet, it is gaining popularity and the scientific community is beginning to acknowledge the potential health benefits of this oil. Some reports show that coconut oil can potentially help with the following problems:
- Kill viruses, bacteria, yeasts and fungus
- Eliminate parasites
- Boost energy
- Improve digestion and absorption of nutrients
- Improve insulin levels and helping regulate blood glucose
- Eliminate stress on the pancreas
- Prevent osteoporosis
- Reduce inflammation
- Support thyroid function
- Prevent weight gain and promote weight loss
- Reduce skin ailments like eczema and psoriasis
- Control dandruff
- Help prevent wrinkles and sagging skin
This is not a complete list of the wonderful benefits of coconut oil, but it is a few of the things that studies have shown coconut oil to help with. I am not a doctor, nor am I recommending that coconut oil is a treatment for illness. I just have done a lot of research and spoken with a lot of people who have had success in the areas above when adding coconut oil to their diet. I personally use coconut oil for just about everything, from sauteing to baking to skin care. It is a very versatile oil and should become a mainstay in your kitchen.
What do you use coconut oil for?
Sources:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig
Coconut Oilby Dr. Mercola
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil by Coconut Connections
The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife
This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday, 35th Edition | Sunday School
10 Responses to Coconut Oil – Why Is It So Wonderful?
I read that mixing coconut oil and baking soda makes a good deodorant. I have used it a few times and it seems to work well, although I haven’t tested it while hiking on a hot day.
I’ve read that too, but I’ve never tried it. I use coconut oil on my skin all the time and it works wonders. I might have to try the deodorant thing. I have stopped using commercial deodorants because of the chemicals and aluminum and have switched to natural ones from Vitamin Cottage, but that took me a little time to switch over as I was always worried about smelling! Maybe I’ll test this coconut/baking soda combination out this winter …
I use coconut oil to remove my waterproof eye makeup. No stinging of the eyes AND it’s great for my skin, so I don’t worry about getting all the oil off when I’m done. I’ve worn waterproof mascara for years, and hate the commercial mineral oil concoction. One day I thought, huh, I wonder….and sure enough it took my mascara right off!
Great tip Anne! Thanks!
I use it all the time – in place of “vegetable oil” in cooking, like butter in baking (when I need a d/f option”) I fry with it, I put it in my hot tea to drink, I use it for hand and foot lotion. I love coconut oil. This is a great post – lots of wonderful information!
Hi Christy – thank you for stopping by and commenting. You know, you’re not the only one to tell me to put it in my tea. I have yet to try it – It just sounds strange to me, but I know people who say they never drink tea without it now. I think I’m going to have to give it a try! I also use it in pretty much all of my cooking and baking. I probably go through about a quart a month. In addition, I use it on my skin, both as a moisturizer and in my body scrub. I have a simple scrub recipe here, if you want to check it out: www.deliciousobsessions.com/2010/09/simple-body-scrub/. Thanks again!
I only recently bought a jar of coconut oil. It is one thing that Sally Fallon recommends that I had not gotten to trying yet. This is a nice concise article on the benefits and the controversy of the saturated fat; thanks. I was looking to use it some in cooking and for skin moisturizing. –Renee
Thanks Renee – I’m glad you stopped by. Once you start using the coconut oil, you’ll become addicted! I use it in everything – almost all of my cooking and baking gets coconut oil. I also use it on my skin – it’s a great moisturizer. I have a recipe for a simple body scrub here: www.deliciousobsessions.com/2010/09/simple-body-scrub/. It will make your skin feel heavenly! I am glad my article was helpful – thank you for commenting!
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