Coconut Oil Health Benefits
Breaking down coconut oil myths, what kind of coconut oil is good for you and when processing turns it toxic, and the vast health benefits from weight loss and anti-inflammatory actions to improved heart, liver and kidney health.
Benefits
Good Saturated Fats+Lowers Cholesterol
Not Readily Stored As Fat+Easily Digested
Anti-Bacterial+Anti-Microbial
Fights Alzheimers Disease+Memory Boosting
Promotes Heart Health
Kidney+Liver Function
Inflammation
Good For Cancer Patients+Reduces Chemo Side Effects
Immune Boosting
Increases Absorption of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Eases Pancreatic Stress
Skin Health
Balances Hormones
Virgin coconut oil vs. refined coconut oil
Do not buy chemically refined oil. Always buy virgin and organic when possible. Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat and often uses harsh chemicals like hexane and bleach to extract the oil. Note that it is possible that companies create refined oil uses safe and non-toxic techniques via “steam refined” extraction, so always make sure to read labels and look for Non-GMO certification as well. Virgin coconut oil is made using fresh coconut meat which is hand scooped from the shells and cold pressed to safely extract the oils. (1) (2)
Coconut oil contains healthy, medium-chained fatty acids, known as MCFA's, including Caprylic acid, Lauric acid, Capric acid. Around 62% of coconut oil is made up of these 3 healthy fatty acids and 91% of the fat in coconut oil is healthy saturated fat. Most fats take much longer to digest, but MCFAs only have to go through a 3 step process and are metabolized in the liver and used for energy fuel while other fats have go through a 26 step digestive process and is more likely to be stored inside our fat cells as ‘backup’ energy. (3) (4) (5)
Coconut Oil is…
Easier to digest
Not readily stored as fat
Anti-microbial + anti-fungal
Smaller in size which allows for easier cell permeability for immediate energy
Processed by the liver, meaning they are immediately converted to energy instead of being stored as fat
Health Benefits
Fights Alzheimers Disease+Memory boosting: Digesting MCFA's by way of the liver creates ketones which supply energy directly to the brain without the need of insulin to convert glucose into energy. The brain creates its own insulin to process glucose, and an Alzheimer's brain is inefficient in this conversion process. Ketones from coconut oil offer a supplementary source of this compound (6) and this is also known to improve memory in the elderly. (7)
Heart Health: Increases healthy cholesterol levels (HDL) which promotes heart health and also helps convert bad cholesterol (LDL) into the good kind. (8) (9)
Kidney+Liver Function: MCFA's act as a natural antibiotic and can help clear urinary tract infections. Studies have shown that it directly protects liver from damage. (10)
Inflammation: High levels of antioxidants found in coconut oil help to reduce inflammation and work to lubricate joints. (11)
Cancer Fighting Supplement: Ketones produced during coconut oil digestion cannot be consumed by cancer cells and it is believed that diets high in ketones can help starve the body of "cancer fuel" like processed sugars. And because MCFA's digest the lipid wall of bacteria, they can also attack a specific bacteria (helicobacter pylori bacteria) which is known to increase the risk of stomach cancer. (12) (13) (14) (15) It has also been demonstrated that coconut oil reduces chemotherapy side effects. (16) (17)
Immune Boost: Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is known to reduce candida, fight bacteria, and create a hostile environment for viruses. (18) (19) (20)
Increases Absorption of Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Coconut oil helps the body absorb fat-soluable vitamins like calcium and magnesium and if taken at the same time as omega-3 fatty acids, it can make them twice as readily available to be absorbed by the body. Coconut oil can also destroy candida and bad bacteria in the gut which can decrease stomach acid and cause inflammation. (21)
Eases Pancreatitis: The MCFA's of coconut oil do not need pancreatic enzymes to be broken down, so replacing other oils and butters with coconut oil eases strain on the pancreas. (22)
Skin Health: the fatty acids in coconut oil reduce inflammation internally as well as externally. Inflammation is a common root of most skin issues. (23) (24) (25)
Balance Hormones: Studies have found that coconut oil can have positive effects of estrogen. (26)