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Natural health - Amazing power of Coconut oil


Today I would like to talk about coconut oil.  




It's getting to be very popular worldwide.

And recently I found it's also very popular in Japan and many people who love natural health care are getting into it.

Coconut oil has been one of my favorite natural health foods since a few years ago, however for cooking I mainly use extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil , and we haven't used it much until recently. 

But after reading many benefits of extra virgin coconut oil, we started taking it again.

Extra virgin ( virgin ) coconut oil has so many great benefits to keep good health and also beauty and anti-aging , so it is used by many people worldwide.

I didn't know there are two types of coconut oils which are extra virgin coconut oil ( unrefined ) and refined coconut oil, until recently.

I only knew extra virgin coconut oil and had never tried the refined coconut oil.

According to the information I've read , extra virgin ( or virgin ) coconut oil  contains more of the beneficial fatty-acids which are antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer and immune-boosting.

Also, extra virgin coconut oil is richer in phytonutrients than refined coconut oil.

Refined coconut oil is made from copra which is dried coconut meat.

Depending on the brand of refined coconut oil, it may be different, and we purchased an organic one from BetterBody foods.

The company's description said Refined coconut oil is made from copra, a name for dried coconut meat. The copra is dried with sun drying, smoke drying, or kiln drying and is then refined, bleached, and deodorized.

They use only natural refining aids such as citric acid, charcoal, and diatomaceous earth. All of these are removed again during the refining process.

There is no coconut smell and coconut taste because it was removed during the refining process.  and raises its smoking point to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unfortunately, it also strips the coconut oil of some of its awesome health benefits like its anti fungal and antibacterial properties.

We were using the refined one for cooking, because it fits more with foods  which are not match with the coconut smell and taste, and we also discovered that when you put ( spread ) the refined coconut oil on bread and sprinkle some salt on it, it taste like real butter.

However, I did notice that after we started eating the refined coconut oil, our body started getting thicker and our weight started gaining...

Maybe if you are athlete who does a lot of exercise everyday, it will be no problem.

It's so interesting, because on the other hand, extra virgin coconut oil has the power to lose weight.

So I suppose during the refining process, one of the benefits  of extra virgin coconut oil,  the power to help weight loss was also removed.

So now I'm using extra virgin olive oil for cooking ( or sesame oil depending on the menu. ) again. 

Instead of both kinds of coconut oil ( this way there is no coconut smell and coconut taste mixing in with foods which may not match )

But for my daily drink in my coffee break time , I now drink hot coconut oil milk which is a mixture of hot milk + virgin coconut oil + raw honey + cinnamon powder.

So delicious !  

My husband drinks hot coffee + coconut oil + cinnamon powder + raw honey daily.

What I noticed after drinking coconut oil was whenever I drink it, my face gets like a whitening, really light.  and I get a lot of energy, and don't feel so tired easily !

It's also good for brain and memory and has so many other benefits.

It's almost like if you want to always keep best health as possible, just take extra virgin coconut oil daily forever .



Extra virgin ( unrefined ) coconut oil


We are taking Trader Joe's extra virgin coconut oil.

I've read that the refined coconut oil also has some benefits, just not as abundant as the extra virgin.

Extra virgin ( or virgin ) coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat rather than dried.

It retains its classic coconut taste and smell, as well as all of its health benefits, having the most effects on the inside and outside of your body.

The smoking point for extra virgin coconut oil is 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is still high enough for most baking, sautéing, and frying recipes.



Benefits of extra virgin ( unrefined ) coconut oil


1. Instant Energy Boost

Organic coconut oil can give you an instant energy boost. Coconut oil is composed of approximately 66% medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s ).

 MCT’s are  a good  source of energy that the human body finds  easy to metabolize.

 Most people who try coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life. This is due to those MCT’s,  and coconut oil is nature’s richest source of them.


2. Fights Infections

 Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its anti-fungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. 
According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc.

Coconut oil has been shown to help prevent liver, kidney and gall bladder disease. 
It attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis.

It kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia, and many, many more bacterial infections.

It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more.


3. Helps You Lose Weight 

Unlike many other common oils that are typically stored as fat, Coconut oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. When you add coconut oil into your diet, you’ll feel more full and eat fewer calories over all.

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight.  It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems.  Coconut oil helps to improve our digestive system and thus increase basic metabolism rate. This in turn enables the body to burn more calories, resulting in weight reduction.


4. Great for the Heart

Comprised of about 50% lauric acid, coconut oil helps control high cholesterol, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. The saturated fats in coconut oil do not have harmful properties of those contained in other vegetable oils.

 It keeps our blood platelets from sticking together (and causing dangerous clots). Regular users of coconut oil have a much lower chance of atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and strokes.


5 Enhances Your Memory

There was an article about a lady, who, after failing to get treatment for her husband's dementia, discovered that coconut oil contained natural medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), which shows promise to fight against memory loss and dementia.

So, she gave her husband 1 tbsp. of coconut oil twice a day for a month and a half and saw him almost completely recovered.  This was reported in naturalnews.com

Coconut oil is a mostly saturated fat and provides nourishment for the brain.

60 percent of our brain is made of fat and half of it is saturated. When you restrict your diet of saturated fat you may be starving your brain of the nutrients it needs to function. 

There has also been promising research about the link between coconut oil and the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s. 



6. Helps to raise the amount of HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol

The majority of coconut oil, more than 85%, is saturated fat. The rest is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. We need saturated fat for appropriate cell membrane functioning and structure. Saturated fat also supplies energy to the body.

Saturated fat in coconut consists of lauric acid (50%), capric acid, tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocopherols and specific tocotrienols work as anti-oxidants.

Lauric acid is found in significant amount in human breast milk and it supports the infant’s immune system to fight invading bacterias and viruses.

Lauric acid helps in creating a favorable blood cholesterol profile by raising the amount of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good’ cholesterol.


7 Boost Your Immunity

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system, as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. 


8 Improve skin health

Coconut oil applied topically moisturizes and nourishes the skin. Used topically and orally, it can help in the treatment of skin conditions to fight infection and help wounds heal faster. It can also help minimize wrinkles and delay signs of premature aging.


9 Improve digestion

Coconut oil improves digestion and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), and amino acids.

Those suffering from digestive disorders have seen very positive results from consuming coconut oil, which is rich in MCTs, not only for the health benefits of coconut oil itself, but because the fatty acids in coconut oil  help them absorb nutrients from other foods as well.


 10 Nutrition for Your Hair 

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. 

It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.



More Benefits :

• Helps protect against cancer and HIV and other infectious diseases

• Kills bacteria and parasites like tape worm and liver flukes

• Eases acid reflux, aids in proper bowel function

• Lowers incidence of hemorrhoids

• Heals and relieves intestinal problems

• Soothes earaches

• Deals with symptoms connected with prostate enlargement

• Strengthens the liver and protects against degeneration

• Reduces joint and muscle inflammation



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