Coconut Oil - More Than The Average Saturated Fat

Coconut Oil - More Than The Average Saturated Fat

Description: Known as Sanskrit “the tree which provides all the necessities of life”, the Coconut Palm yields 50-75 coconuts per year and not a part of it goes unused. Coconut water contains sugars, fiber, protein, anti-oxidants and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The sap from cutting the flowers from the tree is used to make a drink called “toddy”. The fibrous husk from the tree, the coir, is used in many things including ropes, mats, brushes and potting soil. If you no longer need a coconut tree, the apical bud of an adult tree can be eaten as “palm-cabbage”, and the “heart of the palm” is a delicacy in gourmet salads. The ‘no longer’ clause due to consuming these will kill the tree. And of course, there is the white meat of the nut that can be eaten directly or used to make coconut milk, coconut cream, and coconut oil of which we will focus today.

Benefits: Researchers have increasingly revisited the health benefits of coconut oil. The findings have associated it with many healthful benefits starting with weight loss due to the medium length of the fatty acid chains (aka MCT’s). Though it is considered a saturated fat, coconut oil is a different structure from the notorious saturated animal fats, and even offers benefits not available in the longer chained plant oils. The medium length of the coconut's fatty acid chain enables rapid breakdown in digestion as well as ease of use when burned for energy. These same MCT’s, along with monoglycerides, are found primarily in coconut oil and breast milk and contribute toward well-being, which includes a role in thyroid health. It has tested well in helping prevent hypothyroidism due to its evasion of rancidity. Studies show that rancidity is harmful to the thyroid as well as many cells throughout the body. (The plant oils used by mainstream food manufacturers have a high propensity toward rancidity and must be processed through hydrogenation into trans-fatty acids.)

Another benefit of using coconut oil is that it supports the suppression of Candida (aka, yeast) in the digestive system. While yeast commonly inhabits your digestive system, it is kept controlled due to the body’s presence of probiotics (aka “good” bacteria). In the event the person starts taking antibiotics, prescription medications, birth control pills or maintains a poor diet and experiences daily stress, Candida yeast begins to fiercely outnumber the good bacteria, causing evidence of infection. Also, digestive disorders such as Crohn's disease and IBS can have positive results from one consuming coconut oil. The MCTs will not only be easily digested, but will also assist in the absorption of the nutrients from other foods.

Blurb: While time may be limited on the amount of pampering a mother can do for herself, there are steps that can be taken to look our best and coconut oil is here to help. Coconut oil is used for treating damaged hair, dry scalp and pimples, moisturizing dry and aging skin, and enabling anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral effects throughout the body. It has also shown great reduction of keratosis polaris, rosacea and psoriasis. You do not have to pay absorbent fees for beauty products. Instead, buy a large jar of the solid oil and use it directly on the appropriate area as well as ingesting it for overall well being…it tastes great and goes down smooth!

Information found at http://www.coconut-info.net and http://en.wikipedia.org

Have you heard about coconut oil yet?

The Many Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Have you heard about coconut oil yet? People are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible results. They are losing weight, getting more energy, and getting healthier. Coconut oil is safe to use, and does not turn to fat in your body. It raises the metabolism, so you burn more fat and have more energy. It does not increase your cholesterol, but actually helps lower it. Coconut oil is wonderful diet addition for just about everyone.

Coconut oil is full of healthy benefits. Next to mother’s milk, it is nature’s highest source of medium chain fatty acids (MTC’s), which raise the body’s metabolism, leading to weight loss. It has fatty acids such as lauric acid and monoglycerides, similar to mother’s breast milk.

When lauric acid is consumed in the body, whether through mother’s milk or coconut oil, it enhances the immune system to help the body fight infections, diseases, bad bacteria and yeast invasions. Lauric aid is known to be anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

Coconut oil raises the metabolism, which helps people who are trying to lose weight and people suffering from thyroid problems. Coconut stabilizes the blood sugar levels, helping with diabetes. It also protects the heart cells from damage.

Coconut oil helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women who suffer the effects of PMS have found the symptoms lessened when coconut oil was consumed often in their diet.

Coconut oil does not raise cholesterol. Studies have shown that people who use coconut oil have lower cholesterol than those who do not, even when the people consuming coconut also eat other high cholesterol foods like eggs and meat.

Unlike refined vegetable oils, coconut oil does not become rancid easily. When oil becomes rancid it becomes toxic as it oxidizes and causes free-radical damage in the body. The unsaturated oils in cooked foods can become rancid within hours of cooking it, even in the refrigerator. Coconut oil is so stable that it can be left a room temperature for at least a year, and it will not become rancid. Some coconut oil producers say coconut oil will last at least 3 years at room temperature before becoming rancid. Since it is such a stable cooking oil, you can use coconut oil in place of other oils, margarine, butter and shortening, for all your cooking needs.

Coconut oil smells good, tastes pleasant and is so good for our bodies that some people consume it straight, by the tablespoon, and use it in place of other oils on their salads. Many people also use it as an ingredient when juicing or making smoothies.

If all this good news isn’t enough, coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It not only gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes, but it aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, and there is solid research that shows the MCTs in coconut oil do overcome yeast infections. Coconut oil also makes an excellent massage oil.

By Dianne Ronnow. © 2005 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.