Coconut Oil Nutrition

Candida Herbal Remedy Via Coconut Oil

2009-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

It is my belief that one of the major causes of candida infections is the use, or overuse, of antibiotics. Antibiotics will destroy the beneficial flora in your gut. What is so frustrating is that this can be avoided if doctors would tell their patients that they need to replace the intestinal flora that is destroyed by the antibiotics they prescribe.

There are, of course, other causes of candida overgrowth and some of them are: poor diet (eating too much sugar), poor immune system, birth control pills, steroids or any other immuno-suppressive drugs. Different forms of candida can manifest as: athlete's foot, jock itch, vaginal yeast infection, oral thrush, ringworm, digestive disorders, chronic fatigue, anxiety disorders, weight gain, etc. A large number of the health problems in America today are caused by the fungus Candida albicans.

Now to the topic of healing candida with coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the best remedies I have found. It has a medium-chain fatty acid known as caprylic acid. Caprylic acid has been used for some time as a natural remedy for curing candida. In fact it was one of the remedies I've used myself. I didn't, however, know that it came from coconut oil until the last couple of years. Since then I have kept coconut oil in my diet.

Caprylic acid is not the only active ingredient in coconut oil, there are three active ingredients. They are, caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These are medium-chain saturated fatty acids. You can find studies about these fatty acids and how each one of them is able to kill Candida albicans by researching them online. There are some studies that also show how coconut oil is more effective than prescription drugs.

What I love about coconut oil is you can use it both internally and externally. It is used topically for healing fungal skin infections and internally to kill candida in the gut as well as systemically. It can also be swished around in the mouth to cure oral thrush.

In areas of the world where people eat a traditional coconut-based diet there is almost never any yeast infections of any kind. Having coconut oil in your diet will help you keep candida and other fungal infections away.

In using coconut oil topically simply apply it directly on your skin. It absorbs real well and fast. You can add vitamin E to make it more effective. Internally you can take a tablespoon full of coconut oil and just eat it plain. I do this everyday. It really tastes pretty good. You can also use coconut oil to cook and to put in your smoothies. Just look through this blog to find out all the different ways you can use it and to find out more about how it can improve your health. Be sure and buy organic extra virgin coconut oil to get the best quality available.

Human Breast Milk Made More Beneficial With The Consumption of Coconut Oil

2008-09-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

The unique composition of human breast milk fat includes the fatty acids, lauric acid and capric acid, which have potent antimicrobial properties. These fatty acids offer the nursing infant protection from viruses such as herpes and HIV, protozoa such as giardia lamblia, and bacteria such as chlamydia and heliocobater.

A study published in 1998 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that lactating mothers who eat coconut oil and other coconut products, have significantly increased levels of lauric acid and capric acid in their breast milk. Thus, the milk supply has increased amounts of the protective antimicrobials , which will give even greater protection to the nursing infant.

Pregnant females store fat to assure successful lactation. Any lauric acid and capric acid in the diet becomes part of the adipose stores. The milk fat of a lactating mother is made up of these stores as well as her current diet. If her diet doesn't contain lauric acid, then generally her milk fat will contain around 3% lauric acid and round 1% capric acid.

When a lactating woman adds foods rich in lauric acid to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breast milk increases substantially to levels three times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. In countries where coconut oil is a diet staple, levels of lauric acid in the mother's milk can be as high as 21% and capric acid can be as high as 6% giving her infant even more protection against viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.

Coconut oil can be used instead of butter in cooking and baking. You can stir it into oatmeal or even use it as a spread. Also, this oil's antimicrobial properties are beneficial for the skin. Pregnant women in many cultures the world over rub cocnut oil on their expanding bellies to keep skin soft and prevent itching.

REFERENCES

Fife, Bruce. The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil

Francois CA, Connor SL, Wander RC, Connor WE. Acute effects of dietary fatty acids on the fatty acids of human milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;67:301-308.

Bach, A.C., et. al. 1989. Clinical and experimental effects of medium chain triglyceride based fat emulsions-a review. Clin. Nutr. 8:223

The Latest Coconut Oil Research

2008-08-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

By: Mary G. Enig, PhD

One of the very useful oils in the food supply comes from the coconut. Coconut oil has suffered from unjust criticism for more than 30 years in the United States because some of the governmental and food oil organizations, as well as consumer activist organizations such as Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), have claimed that coconut oil as a "saturated fat" is shown to be atherogenic. This is not true.

There is a variety of supportive research published in 2003, 2004, and 2005, which shows the importance of coconut oil. Also, information on coconut oil is currently coming into the research literature from numerous countries, including India, Norway, Iran and the United States.

The following are some of the most recent studies showing the benefits of coconut oil. These studies contradict claims that coconut oil contributes to heart disease and also support earlier research showing an antimicrobial role for the fatty acids in this traditional fat.

BENEFICIAL FOR HEART DISEASE

Recent research contradicts claims that coconut oil causes atherosclerosis and heart disease. In a study published in Clinical Biochemistry, 2004,1 researchers looked at coconut oil as a component of diet in laboratory animals (Sprague-Dawley rats). In this study, virgin coconut oil, which was obtained by wet process, had a beneficial effect in lowering total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and low density lipoproteins (LDL). The effects were uniformly beneficial. In serum and tissues, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol levels were lowered and HDL-cholesterol was increased. The polyphenol fraction of virgin coconut oil was also found to prevent in vitro LDL-oxidation. We know that oxidized cholesterol can initiate the process of atherosclerosis—the fatty acids in coconut oil prevent this oxidation. The results in this study were interpreted as due to the biologically active polyphenol components present in the oil.

LOWERS LP(A)

Another study dealing with lipoproteins and cholesterol was carried out in women. Researchers found that coconut oil-based diets lowered post-prandial tissue plasminogen activator and lipoprotein (a).2 Lp(a) is a blood marker that is a much more accurate indication of proneness to heart attack than cholesterol levels. Researchers had believed that levels of Lp(a) were unaffected by various forms of dietary fat intake. However, in this study, Lp(a) was lowered when the subjects consumed a high-saturated fat diet and somewhat lowered when they consumed a slightly lowered-saturated fat diet. The saturated fat used in both of these diets was coconut oil. The control diet was based on a monounsaturated oil.

POISON ANTIDOTE

One of the more interesting uses of coconut oil found in the human toxicology literature involves the beneficial use of coconut oil as a successful treatment for acute aluminium phosphide poisoning. This poison is used to control pests in grain storage facilities where it functions as a poisonous gas, namely phosphine gas, which is a mitochondrial poison. There is no known antidote for aluminium phosphide. The patient described in this case study survived following rapid treatment which included taking baking soda and coconut oil, as well as supportive care, and it was concluded that coconut oil had a significant use as an added part of the treatment protocol in this type of poisoning.3

ANTI-MICROBIAL

A few researchers have known for some time that a derivative of coconut oil, lauric acid and monolaurin, are safe antimicrobial agents that can either kill completely or stop the growth of some of the most dangerous viruses and bacteria. Many bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics but herbal oils such as the oils of oregano and the major fatty acid from coconut oil, lauric acid, which the body turns into the monoglyceride, monolaurin, are showing great promise as anti-bacterial and anti-viral agents. Monolaurin, in particular, is being shown to be useful in the prevention and treatment of severe bacterial infections, especially those that are difficult to treat or are antibiotic resistant. Difficult bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus as well as other bacteria have been studied here in the United States in research groups such as Dr. H.G. Preuss’s group at Georgetown University. They found that monolaurin combined with herbal essential oils inhibited pathogenic bacteria both in the petri dish (in vitro) and also in mice (in vivo).4

REFERENCES

1. Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation. K.G.Nevin and T. Rajamohan, Clinical Biochemistry 37,2004;830-835).
2. A Diet Rich in Coconut Oil Reduces Diurnal Postprandial Variations in Circulating Plasminogen Activator Antigen and Fasting Lipoprotein (a) Compared with a Diet Rich in Unsaturated Fat in Women. H. Muller, A.S. Lindman, A. Blomfeldt, I. Seljeflot and J.I. Pedersen. Journal of Nutrition. 133:3422-3427, 2003.
3. Successful treatment of acute aluminium phosphide poisoning: possible benefit of coconut oil. S. Shahin, R. Mojgan, P. Abdolkarim, R. Mmohammad-Hosein, A. Mohammad. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 24:215-218, 2005).
4. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of herbal essential oils and monolaurin for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Preuss HG, Echard B, Enig M, Brook I, Elliott TB. Molecular Cell Biochemistry, 2005:272:29-34).

The Need For Healthy Fats in Your Diet

2008-08-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Nutritionists recommend that 30 percent of our diet comes from fats. Our cells require fats to work properly. Each cell membrane in our body is made up of 50 percent saturated fat. When we do not take enough saturated fats, our cells stop functioning properly.

People often think that the less fats we eat, the better. However, you do not necessarily need to reduce your fat intake. You only need to choose a fat that doesn't contribute to weight gain, a fat that is beneficial to you. Yes, you can lose fat by eating fat. Having the right type of fats makes you feel full and stops you from craving for food.

The reason why most low-fat diets don't work is that people cannot stay on the diet for long. They will have cravings for food and ultimately go on eating binges. All that hard work going on a low-fat diet then goes down the drain. The coconut oil diet can help you as it has the right type of fats.

Coconut oil is known as the "energy fat" and is favored by dieters, athletes, and body builders. It is slightly lower in calories than most other fats and oils and is processed in the liver and converted directly into energy. The body needs fats to function properly. Taking most of the fats in your diet from coconut oil will make you more energetic and lower your calorie intake. Talk about killing two birds with one stone with the coconut oil diet.

Why is the fat in coconut oil so good? The reason is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. One system of classifying fatty acids is based on the molecular size or the length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA).

Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA. These MCFAs and MCTs make the coconut oil diet beneficial.

Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested than the long-chain fatty acids found in other oils. This is because they are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy. There is therefore less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system and, being easily digested, they also tend to improve the absorption of other nutrients. Therefore, the body functions more efficiently when you take the coconut oil diet.

Protect your immune system and nourish your health with virgin coconut oil.

Coconut Oil Heals Digestive Conditions

2008-07-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

People from many diverse cultures, languages, religions, and races scattered around the globe have revered the coconut as a valuable source of both food and medicine. Wherever the coconut palm grows, the local people have learned of the importance of coconut oil use in effective medicine. For thousands of years coconut oil products have held a respected and valuable place in local folk medicine.

Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut's amazing healing powers.

Modern medical science is now confirming coconut oil use in treating many medical conditions. Coconut oil, in one form or another, is used in hospital formulas to nourish seriously ill patients who cannot take solid food. Instead of food, the patients take formulas containing coconut oil. Quick nourishment is delivered to these patients as coconut oil is rapidly absorbed. They get nutrients from the formulas containing coconut oil, thereby speeding up their healing process.

Coconut oil is an important ingredient in the baby formulas that hospitals use to feed new-born babies. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut nourish babies and help them to grow. They also serve the purpose of protecting babies from virus and bacteria while their immune system is still weak.

Coconut oil is also recommended by medical doctors for people with digestive problems. The fat in coconut oil is easily absorbed without the need for digestive enzymes. This is critical as the cells in our body require fats to function well. People with digestive disorders can still get their supply of fats from coconut oil for their cells. Coconut oil also improves vitamin and mineral absorption.

Protect your immune system and nourish your health with virgin coconut oil.

Saturated Fat in Coconut Oil is A Good Fat

2008-05-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

In the past, saturated fats as a whole were called bad fats that can cause all kinds of heart related diseases. Did you know that humble coconut oil is 92% saturated fats? Then why is it that there are many advantages of taking coconut oil as a health supplement?

Supporters of extra virgin coconut oil argue that coconut oil helps them to improve skin condition, have more energy, and even to lose weight. Huh? consuming saturated fats to lose weight? How is that possible?

These advocates hail extra virgin coconut oil as one of the hottest new nutritional supplements to hit the health and nutrition industry in years. This logic flies against conventional wisdom, doesn't it?

Saturated fats were the main culprit for heart disease. When hydrogenated vegetable fat (trans fat) was invented like in margarine, it was supposed to replace "unhealthy" saturated fat like in butter and was thought to be a healthier form of fat. Only until it was discovered in the last few years that hydrogenated vegetable fat(trans fat) basically sticks to artery walls and harden. This causes the blockages which lead to all kinds of heart disease. So hydrogenated vegetable fats are more dangerous to your heart health than the saturated fat found in coconut oil and butter.

It is with this thinking that proponents of coconut oil is now arguing that not all forms of saturated fat may be bad and the coconut oil may be one of them. Dr. Bruce Fife, a US based naturopath and author of "The Coconut Oil Miracle" remarked during a press conference in Singapore last month, "Not all saturated fatty acids act in the same way. The fat in coconut oil is different from most other fats and has many health giving properties".

He further added that, "The Lauric acid (in coconut oil) boosts immunity, has antioxidant properties and is being investigated in reducing viral load in HIV patients. You should also take into account the size of the carbon chain in the fatty acid. Most of the oils and fats we consume are long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil is the richest source of medium-chain fatty acids, which actually behave very differently from the long-chain versions."

"Medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil boost the body's metabolic rate and promote weight loss. They are broken down immediately in the liver to produce energy and are not stored as fat," he added. Coconut oil also stays liquid above 76 degrees, so it will not harden and cause blockages in the arteries like hydrogenated oils do. Coconut oil has been referred to as the "oil from heaven". There's good reason to believe that consuming Extra Virgin Coconut Oil may change your health for the better.

Effectively Fight Viral Infections with Coconut Oil

2008-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Viruses are a headache for doctors because there are no drugs that are effective against them. Doctors are only able to prescribe anti-viral drugs to reduce the severity of the viral infections and the symptoms.

The only real defense against viruses is our body's own natural defenses. Upon entering the body, a virus triggers the body's immune defenses. These defenses begin with white blood cells, such as lymphocytes, which learn to attack and destroy the virus or the cells it has infected.

If the body survives the virus attack, the lymphocytes "remember" the invader and are able to respond more quickly and effectively to a subsequent infection by the same virus. This is called immunity.

A cold, flu, herpes and mononucleosis are viral infections. When most people get hit by a cold or flu, it usually lasts a few days to a week or more. There is no medicine or cure for the common cold or flu. Your body's immune system has to fight the virus by itself. That is why it takes a long time to recover from flu.

Coconut oil has medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that can kill lipid-coated viruses. MCFAs are easily absorbed into the lipid membranes of viruses. MCFAs weaken the membrane so that it disintegrates. The membrane splits open, spilling its insides and killing the virus.

Coconut oil strengthens your immune system by providing a good source of energy and stimulating metabolism. An increased metabolism makes the immune system more efficient. The body can heal and repair itself faster. White blood cells are more efficient at fighting invading viruses.

Coconut oil is not a cure for viruses nor is it guaranteed to make you feel better when you are down with the flu. However, there are many instances when people suffering from flu infections recover faster by taking dosages of coconut oil daily.

2 to 3 tablespoons a day are ideal for general health, you may need to up your intake when you're fighting an infection or trying to overcome a disorder. Indeed, one can try taking coconut oil to speed up recovery from illness. After all, coconut oil provides many nutritional benefits. In this age of super viruses, we cannot depend on medications to protect us. Coconut oil is a food we can take daily to boost our immune system and fight viral infections effectively.

Protect your immune system and nourish your health with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Advantages of Coconut Oil Dieting

2008-01-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

People who use coconut oil products know of it's many benefits, especially when it comes to dieting. Even though it's a fat, it's not an unhealthy fat. Research has shown that it can assist you in losing weight rather than gaining it.

Nutritional evaluations of coconut oil that were performed over 25 years ago were on hydrogenated coconut oil instead of the organic product. This is how the confusion about saturated fats was started. Extra virgin organic coconut oil is completely pure, and will improve any diet. Coconut oil is beneficial because it has medium-chain fatty acids instead of long-chain fatty acids found in most other oils.

Because medium-chain fatty acids have smaller molecules, they are digested a lot quicker and not stored in the body as fat. Therefore, this form is thought to increase metabolism and burn fat, if ingested at the recommended amounts. Over half of the fatty acids that are in Coconut Oil diet are in the form of lauric acid. The body turns this fatty acid into a chemical called monolaurin, which is found in human breast milk and is a potent virus-fighting agent. It's been shown to fight bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections.

Another benefit of coconut oil is it's ability to regulate thyroid function. Nutrition expert Bruce Fife, ND has said that intake of about three tablespoons per day of extra virgin coconut oil can help reverse hypothyroidism, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health problems, such as obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease. He also cites a study by the University of Colorado that says that coconut oil dramatically increases the rate of calorie burning. This means that coconut oil can be beneficial whether your thyroid is sluggish or normal.

Despite their reputation, some fats are always necessary...even in weight loss diets. So, extra virgin coconut oil is a delicious and healthy way to get healthy fats in your body. It can be used as an addition to smoothies and shakes, or for cooking and baking. Since it tolerates heat without oxidizing, it can be used in frying. Furthermore, it comes from completely organic sources.

Coconut oil can also promote healthier looking skin. Studies show that the right kinds of fat can decrease the chance of wrinkles in the skin, which is wonderfully appealing to anyone, especially younger people attempting to maintain their current looks. Users have reported that it also lowers sugar cravings and eases some digestive problems. Supplement your diet with extra virgin organic coconut oil, and get the advantages of coconut oil dieting.

Benefit Your Thyroid Hormones With Organic Coconut

2007-12-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

The thyroid gland is one of the larger endocrine glands in the body. This double-lobed structure located in the neck produces hormones, mainly triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These are the hormones that regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other body systems. Hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid) and hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) are very common problems of the thyroid.

Most people with thyroid problems experience symptoms such as low body temperature, headaches and migraines, cold hands and feet, dry skin, slow heart rate, hair loss, joint aches, fatigue, constipation, and weight gain. Thyroid disease can affect almost every aspect of health, so it helps the understand them and the symptoms that occur when something goes wrong.

There are dietary oils that can negatively affect thyroid health. We cook with them almost every day and they are abundant in commercially prepared and packaged foods. It's very possible that they're among the worst and main offenders when it comes to the thyroid gland malfunctioning. These dietary oils are the vegetable oils which are polyunsaturated oils. The most common source of these oils used in commercially prepared foods is the soybean. Soybean has been proven to slow thyroid functions.

Unfortunately, organic coconut oil is not a thyroid cure alone...but it can help people with low thyroid function. Coconut oil stimulates metabolism and boosts energy. Organic Coconut Oil has medium chain fatty acids(a different type of fat), which are also known as medium chain triglycerides. Medium chain fatty acids are known to increase metabolism and promote weight loss. It can raise fundamental body temperatures while increasing metabolism. Used in combination with other factors, organic coconut oil has the potential to greatly improve thyroid levels. Organic Coconut oil has helped many people end their dependence on thyroid medication.

Next to Organic Coconut oil, Iodine is important for the production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). It is in most foods that we eat such as diary products, fish and including iodized sea salt. When there's a deficiency of this important mineral in our blood stream it can cause hypothyroidism. Iodine deficiency is the number one cause of primary hypothyroidism and goiter on a worldwide basis, but this is one cause of the disease that is a hundred percent treatable.

Here's more about coconut health and thyroid treatment.

Coconut Oil Cooking, The One Healthy Oil For Cooking

2007-11-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

Did you know that 99% of your supermarket vegetable oils change into Trans-Fatty Acid when heated. Whenever we cook food, we usually always add something to the pan, vegetable oil! Unfortunately, 99% of the oils on the market change into what is called a Trans-Fatty Acid when heated. Yes, even extra-virgin olive oil when heated turns into a "nasty" trans fat! The problem with trans fats is that they are like putting glue into your body! With many Americans already suffering from high cholesterol rates, high-blood pressure, heart disease, and weight challenges. No one would choose to add more trans fat into their diets if there was an affordable and great-tasting alternative.

With this in mind, extra virgin coconut oil is a wonderful cooking health solution. If there is any oil to be considered the healthiest oil in the world, I certainly would vote for extra virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil has been consumed in tropical places for thousands of years. Unfortunately, we "modern" people have lost a very important heritage, the understanding of nature's magic and healing power. I have no doub't that for every disease or illness, there's a remedy among the hundreds of thousands of herbs(many yet to discover), fruits, vegetables, roots, etc.

By remedy I mean that if we eat as many unrefined and raw foods as possible, we could prevent many of our "wellness" problems. We prefer to think about ourselves as the most intelligent animal on the planet. Yet, we deliberately..or maybe unknowingly destroy our body. We slowly (some faster than other) eat ourselves to a painful death. A key component of our daily intake of nutrition, should be essential fatty-acids. Not just any fat, it is extremely important that we consume right kind of fat.

Saturated fat is considered to be "bad fat", but in the case of coconut oil it's unique in its structure. Extra virgin coconut oil is 63% saturated fat in one tablespoon, but included in this is medium chain triglycerides. Which is the highest source of any naturally occurring vegan food. 50% of these MCT's are made up of lauric acid. This acid is most, if not the most important (EFA)essential fatty acid. It's key to building and maintaining the body's immune system. One of the other sources of high concentration of lauric acid, is mothers milk.

EFA's(essential fatty-acids) are the good, healthy fats that you hear about in the news and that often come from fish, such as cod liver oil. But here's the really cool part, coconut oil does not turn into trans fats even when heated or cooked with under normal conditions. As a matter of fact, the coconut oils ability to resist turning into a trans fat when heated is 10 times STRONGER than any other cooking oil on the market! PLUS, because essential fatty acids are important for the brain, heart and to keep your fat metabolism running smoothly. It actually will help you lose weight!

Coconut oil is a clean cooking oil, instead of the greasy "coating" that usually accompanies foods cooked in oil or soaked in dressing, coconut oil leaves a "clean" glaze on the food that brings out the natural taste of the food. It`s a good idea to replace your other cooking oils with coconut oil. Coconut oil has been considered the fountain of youth, cause people typically feel and look years younger after using extra virgin coconut oil. Recent studies, show that the medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested than fats found in other oils. They are immediately converted into energy, because they are processed directly in the liver. So you can use virgin coconut oil, to get a quick energy boost. And it is healthy too.

Throw out your old cooking oil and start your road to health and wellness with The One Healthy Oil For Cooking!

Coconut Oil Has Dramatic Skin Benefits

2007-10-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil works well for protection against harsh chemicals and environmental toxins. By including coconut oil in your diet may be the internal help you need to make your dry skin moist and supple. Nearly one third of the world's population depends on coconut to some degree for their food. In the Philippines, for example, coconut has been a dietary staple for hundreds of years. The meat of the coconut is used in many different foods, and the oil is used in salads and cooking. Even though Filipinos live in a climate that exposes them to the sun year-round, their youthful, soft and wrinkle-free skin is attributed to coconuts.

The numerous extra virgin coconut oil health benefits:

* Coconut oil is an antioxidant and does not cause free radical damage, unlike the polyunsaturated fats used in the North American diet.

* It improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

* It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that help prevent many diseases, including those of the skin.

* It softens the skin, relieves dryness and flaking, and prevents sagging, wrinkles and age spots.

* It helps prevent thyroid dysfunction, which often manifests in dry skin.

* It reduces the symptoms associated with psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis.

It has also been used to treat cardiovascular health, improve energy and metabolism, and is excellent for weight loss.

The dietary consumption of coconut oil to provide the nutrients and moisture you need internally and a good shielding lotion to protect against dry skin used by outside irritants is the perfect combination for dry skin care.

Enjoy the benefits of coconut oil and skin care.

Coconut Oil Nutrition Facts

2007-10-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

For many years fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad. Fats by themselves doesn’t necessarily cause disease, and can actually play a role in its prevention. The fact is that some fats are very bad for us and some fats are actually very good for us.

The past has shown that diets that restrict all fats fail when it comes to weight loss. Ever since the end of World War II, we have been told that we need to restrict saturated fat in our diets. So we switched to margarine from butter, and did what we could to restrict fat. We have been constantly told that the reason for our health problems is that we still eat too much fat, especially saturated fats.

Since we have been told to eat a low fat diet to lose weight, the results are that nearly two thirds of adults are now classified as overweight and more children are overweight now than ever before. Something must be wrong with that "logic", probably because we need special kinds of fats in our diets that we're not getting.

Most of us grew up being told that vegetable oils were the good oils and saturated fats were the bad ones. Now we are finding out that it is just the opposite. Diets that are moderate to high in “good” saturated fats and oils such as coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and olive oil are actually very good for us. Note that only coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and butter are the only oils you should ever cook with. Olive oil is good for you as long as you do not heat it.

What makes these healthy oils great is that they raise good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure. As a matter of fact, people who started adding at least 4 tablespoons of coconut oil to their diets every day, have found that they can now lose weight when they could not before on a fat restricted diet. Sometimes the addition of these oils even helps with their health problems.

Polyunsaturated oils should be avoided, they carry toxic fatty acids (long chain fatty acids or LCT’s). LCT’s tend to produce fat in the body due to there complexity, your body takes longer to use the fats so it ends up storing them in the body. Polyunsaturated oils are the vegetable oils we commonly see in the grocery store, such as soy, corn, cottonseed, rapeseed(canola) and safflower oils.

We've been told that they lower cholesterol, but the way that they do it is not healthy, as it ends up collecting in the liver. These oils are easily oxidized and damaged by free radicals. When cooked they become rancid in a few hours, even in the refrigerator. This causes damage to our body at a cellular level, this ends up showing itself as problems like diabetes, cancer, hypothyroidism, and heart disease. Not to mention these oils help us to get fat, lower the metabolic rate in our bodies, help suppress the thyroid function and cause our skin to age quicker.

Trans-fat is one of the WORST of the fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids often appear on ingredient labels as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It is what they do to vegetable oils to make them into hard fats such as margarine and vegetable shortening. It's used in the prepared food industry in baked goods like cookies, cakes, crackers, most peanut butter, and just about everything else we eat. It's typically added to prolong shelf life, and it's a cheap way of doing it.

These bad fats are used almost exclusively in fast foods that are fried. These oils are also sensitive to light, and turn rancid while still sitting on your supermarket shelves. Unlike Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and butter which are healthy fats/oils, safe to cook with, and can be heated. When any other oil is heated it becomes a trans-fat, and when eaten they turn into something like poison in your system. It's like eating krazy glue, your body can not process this kind of chemically made fat. Trans-fats not only increase levels of bad cholesterol, but they will decrease levels of good cholesterol in the blood stream and trans-fatty acids have been linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Fats such as margarine, shortening, and any hydrogenated oils should be avoided like the plague, as well as foods items that contain them.

The FDA finally put forward an attempt to do something about trans-fats, in January 2006 they required food products to have a label showing the amount of trans-fat they have in them. You should be aware that trans-fats are found in over 40% of the products on our supermarket shelves. Scary isn't it?

The fatty acid chains in coconut oil are medium-chain fatty acids (MCT’s) and they promote weight loss by increasing the body’s metabolism to create energy. Coconut oil has become popular lately, because it has been discovered that coconut oil is nature’s richest source of MCT’s. If you decide to add coconut oil to your diet be sure to only purchase organic extra virgin coconut oil because is hasn't been bleached, deodorized, or refined. This is usually found in health food stores, because it's from the best part of the coconut and has not been chemically and heat processed.

Even the saturated fat from animals isn't as bad as it once was thought to be, especially if it is from organically raised animals (free range and grass fed). Organic butter has a very high conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content, which helps us lose weight and gain muscle. But non-organic meats may still be dangerous because of the way the animals were raised or fed. Most grocery store meats are filled with hormones, pesticides, medicines and unhealthy fat that gets transferred to us when we eat it.

Organically grass fed and free range animals and animal products avoid these problems, and give us a much healthier source of protein and saturated fat. Organic saturated fats and oils are actually good for you and should be eaten daily. The body needs these fats for healthy functioning.

Fry and bake again while enjoying the benefits of coconut oil!