The Amazing Benefits of Coconut Oil

The coconut palm from which we get coconut oil, is grown in more than 80 countries of the world, however the eighteen members of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), of which India is a member, produces 90% of the world’s coconut oil production.

Coconut trees have been cultivated for over 4,000 years in India.  This fact leads most botanists to believe that the species originated somewhere around the Indian Ocean.

Almost every part of the coconut palm can be used by humans in some way, and has some significant economic value. It is thought to be one of the most useful trees in the world with a reported 360 uses, half of which are for food.   

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel of mature coconuts that have been harvested from the coconut palm. Coconut oil has been used in cooking and as a health and beauty aid for many thousands of years.

Approximately 50 percent of the fat that is found in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is very rarely found in nature. Coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance that is found on Earth.

Our bodies convert  the lauric acid in coconut oil into a chemical called monolaurin. It can destroy viruses such as HIV, herpes, influenza, measles, and the parasite called giardia lamblia. Due to this antimicrobial and anti-viral activity, coconut oil is a great addition to the medicine cabinet.

Coconut oil is helpful in the treatment of ear infections and fungal and yeast infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm. It is helpful in the treatment of cold sores, thrush, vaginal dryness, skin irritations and rashes including chicken pox and shingles.

When you add coconut oil to your daily diet, you will be promoting a healthy heart, supporting proper thyroid function, and promoting healthy brain function. You will be strengthening your immune system, providing an excellent source of fuel, and even maintaining healthy, younger looking skin. Coconut oil helps to improve the digestive system and can help with various stomach and digestive related problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 

Coconut oil is great for cooking and baking because it can withstand high temperatures without the damage that occurs to other oils such as olive oil.

It is a healthy replacement for corn or mustard oil, or shortening in any type of recipe.  

Make sure that the coconut oil you choose is certified organic. We use organic, virgin coconut oil (unrefined). It has a pleasant, coconut aroma and a more pronounced coconut flavor. If you don’t care for the taste or smell of coconut, but you want the benefits of coconut oil, the organic, refined version would be a good choice. It’s all a matter of personal choice. We buy coconut oil at our local health food store, but if you can’t find it locally, you can find it here.

You can use coconut oil in entrees, desserts, soups, salads, side dishes, and baked goods. You can add it to beverages, smoothies and to your tea to enjoy the benefits. There are many ways to add it to your daily diet.

Coconut oil is a wonderful beauty product as well. It can be used as a makeup remover, a facial cleanser, a shaving lotion, a face and body moisturizer, an eye cream, a cuticle cream, a lip balm, and a great pre-shampoo conditioner. There are so many fabulous ways to use coconut oil it is difficult to list them all. 

In our home we enjoy the many benefits of coconut oil every day.

How do you use coconut oil?