Coconut Oil Benefits

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of a harvested, mature fruit of the coconut palm tree. This oil has been used by a variety of cultures in industrial, medical and culinary applications. The capric, caprylic and lauric acids are naturally found in coconut oil. These provide the body with soothing, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties that can help to avoid many negative health effects and making it easier to maintain homeostasis.

Coconut Oil Benefits

The different natural acids within the coconut oil can provide different effects as they are utilized by the body. Understanding how this works can help you determine the best way to apply coconut oil.

1. Health Benefits

Consuming coconut oil has been found to improve a number of health conditions throughout the body. In most cases this involves replacing your regular cooking oil with coconut oil.

Used For	Description
Heart Diseases	The lauric acid in coconut oil makes up approximately 50 percent of its total composition. The high levels of this acid prevent the saturated fat content of coconut oil from raising LDL cholesterol, cutting down the risk of atherosclerosis, high cholesterol or high blood pressure that are a common risk with other types of cooking oils.
Infections and Healing	The capric acid, lauric acid and caprylic acids in coconut oil act as microbial lipids that can kill off viruses, bacteria and fungus in the body. Lauric acid in particular is used by the body as monolaurin, a substance that can help to ward off herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza or HIV. Other acids can also be effective in managing helicobacter pylori or Listeria monocytogens, hroat infections, athlete’s foot, and ulcers. The antimicrobial property of this oil has also been found effective in keeping out air, dust, bacteria, viruses or fungi that will impair healing.
Digestive Problems	Because the saturated fat in coconut oil also has antimicrobial properties is will help the body rid itself of parasites, bacteria or fungi that may cause digestive issues. It is also known to help the body absorb amino acids, vitamins and minerals from other portions of your diet more effectively. These combined benefits have been found to help manage symptoms from conditions like irritable bowel syndrome more effectively.
Candida	Candida, caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the stomach can limit the effects of the necessary bacteria that aid in the digestive process, leading to inflammation and distress in the digestive tract. Consuming coconut oil has been found to keep the affected tissue moist so it will not peel or crack while reducing the inflammation of this area. The capric acid in the oil can also react with enzymes in the stomach to create monocaprin that is very effective in killing off excess yeast.
Liver Diseases	The medium-sized triglyceride chains and fatty acids can be broken down more easily than oils that contain long chains. This reduces stress on the liver so you can gain energy from these products more easily without as much of the oil being stored as fat.
Kidney Disease and Pancreatitis	Coconut oil has been linked to preventing kidney stones, pancreatitis, gall bladder and other kidney diseases.
Diabetes	Coconut oil helps to improve insulin secretions so the body can utilize blood glucose more easily. This helps to control the body’s blood sugar to reduce diabetes symptoms.
Bones	Because coconut oil improves the absorption of minerals, including this oil in your diet will allow the body to take in more magnesium and calcium that are essential to building healthy bone tissue.
Dental Health	The added calcium absorption that coconut oil provides will also encourage the healthy maintenance of your teeth.
HIV and Cancer	It is generally believed that consuming coconut oil will reduce the susceptibility to developing cancer or HIV. It may also reduce the viral load experienced by patients already infected with HIV.
Weight Loss	Coconut oil is made up of small and medium chain fatty acids that can be easily broken down by the endocrine or thyroid systems without putting undue stress on the pancreas. This will increase the body’s metabolic rate so you will burn more energy, allowing you to lose weight more effectively.
Stress Relief	Massaging coconut oil on the head is found to be a soothing way to minimize stress and mental fatigue.

Further information on the numerous health benefits of coconut oil and how to use this oil effectively can be found here:

2. Beauty Benefits

In addition to the internal benefits of using coconut oil, there are benefits to applying this oil topically. The natural content of coconut oil can improve the look and overall health of your skin and hair.

Used For	Description
Hair Care	Applying coconut oil to the hair can reduce protein loss that can leave the hair dull and damaged. Massage the oil into your hair after showering to help damaged hair regrow and to address the damage from hygral fatigue. Massaging coconut oil into the scalp is known to help reduce dryness that can lead to dandruff. The antimicrobial properties of this oil may also be effective in killing off lice or their eggs.
Skin Care	Coconut oil is very effective as a moisturizer for dry skin that does not provide any known side effects. Massaging this oil into the skin can help to battle skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, wrinkles, signs of aging or flaking skin. The oil also contains antioxidants that can ward off degenerative diseases that could damage the look of your skin.
Shaving	Replacing your standard shaving soap with coconut oil may reduce irritation of the skin and provide a smoother shave. Rub this oil on the skin just before shaving. It should not rinse away if you are shaving in the shower.

Additional information about how to properly use coconut oil for beauty benefits can be found in the following video:

3. Culinary Benefits

Those interested in taking better advantage of the benefits of coconut oil can incorporate this ingredient into their diet in a number of ways.

Coconut oil does not break down at high temperatures like some other cooking oils, which makes it ideal in frying, baking or other applications. Simply replace your standard oil with coconut oil to see these benefits.
The tropical, nutty flavor of coconut oil makes it an ideal addition to smoothies. The added oil will also make your smoothie creamier and rich.
Replace other cooking oils with coconut oil when making homemade mayonnaise. Making condiments such as mayonnaise from scratch with coconut oil can also help you avoid the transfats and artificial ingredients that are in many store bought versions.
Coconut oil will solidify at cooler temperatures. You can take advantage of this by adding this ingredient to no bake desserts that are prepared by chilling them in the freezer or refrigerator.
Adding a spoonful of coconut oil to tea or coffee instead of cream can provide a richness for this beverage that is laced with healthy additives rather than excess fat and sugar in most creamers.

If you are interested in learning more about how to apply coconut oil to a variety of culinary applications, the following video provides a quality resource: