August 10, 2015

The Top Ten Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an amazing superfood that has a long list of benefits. It is one of the richest sources of saturated fats out there and is very rich is Lauric Acid. But what exactly can coconut oil help you with?

According to Walter C. Willett, M.D., of Harvard School of Public Health, “What’s interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives “good” HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether its saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so.”

Here are the top ten amazing health benefits of coconut oil:

Sore Throats

Coconut oil is an excellent choice for sore throats because it “creates a soothing layer over one’s sore or scratchy throat”. Reap the benefits of coconut oil by eating a spoonful straight from the jar or mixing it into your favorite hot tea.

Cracked Heels

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for your dry, damaged feet. Massage a spoonful into the cracks of your heels after scrubbing away the dead, dry skin. Put on some socks to lock in the moisture while you sleep. By the time you wake up, your feet and heels will be good as new!

Bug Bites

Its summer time and that means BUG BITES! Tired of scratching the night away? Apply some coconut oil to your bites! The oil is known to “kill harmful microbes in the infected area” to help your skin heal faster and get rid of the infection.

Fat Burner

A study done by Authority Nutrition discovered that 15-30 grams of coconut oil per day, increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%. In other words, the study found that coconut oil can help you burn an extra 120 calories per day.

Kills Bacteria

Also according to Authority Nutrition, “when digested, coconut oil forms monoglycerides known as monolaurin”, which kill harmful pathogens including “bacteria, fungi and viruses.” People have also been known to use coconut oil as a home remedy for treating toenail fungus.

Helps with Seizures

“The fatty acids in coconut oil are turned into ketones, which are being applied to epilepsy treatments. Many epileptic patients are put on a special diet where they consume very little carbs and a lot of fat, which creates increased amounts of ketone bodies in the blood.” Authority Nutrition reports that, “because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet.”

Skin Moisturizer

Coconut oil is said to improve moisture and lipid content of the skin. The fatty acids in the oil make it a perfect option for cleansing, moisturizing and protecting the skin.

Boost Immune System

According to Organic Facts, coconut oil is a great tool to help strengthen the immue system because of its “microbial lipids, capric acid and caprylic aid which all contain antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties.”

Dental & Bone Health

The Weekend Collective reports that coconut oil facilitates our body’s ability to adsorb vitamins and minerals, including calcium and improve quality of teeth, as well as tooth decay.

Inflammation and Arthritis

Because coconut oil contains MCFA’s, it is said to be a great reliever of inflammation and pain in the joints. MCFAs “ease and loosen up stiff muscles and joints”, according to the Weekend Collective.

Dr. Willett, M.D., says, “Coconut is a wonderful flavor and there’s no problem using coconut oil occasionally. I don’t think coconut oil is as healthful as vegetable oils like olive oil and soybean oil, which are mainly unsaturated fat and therefore both lower LDL and increase HDL. Coconut oil’s special HDL-boosting effect may make it “less bad” than the high saturated fat content would indicate, but it’s still probably not the best choice among the many available oils to reduce the risk of heart disease.” But it does seem that this oil in particular has beneficial uses other than in cooking. Try it out for yourself and let us know the results!