Coconut Oil Benefits
For hundreds of years, countries south of the equator have enjoyed the health benefits of coconut oil. Coconut oil is a versatile healthy oil that is packed full of healthy fatty acids, vitamins and nutrients. What is coconut oil good for? The health benefits of coconut oil are almost endless. The benefits of coconut oil can be enjoyed both internally and externally, and range from everything from disease and infection fighting, teeth and bone strengthening, skin and hair care, to weight loss and lowering cholesterol.
Weight Loss
The benefits of coconut oil include helping with weight loss. Coconut oil contains healthy fatty acids that help to burn off excess fat and helps people maintain a healthy weight. Coconut oil helps to increase metabolism. When combined with exercise and a healthy diet, the health benefits of coconut oil are exceptional.
Coconut Oil And Disease
One of the biggest benefits of coconut oil is its ability to fight devastating diseases like cancer and HIV. Considering the way coconut oil helps to strength the immune system and all the healthy fatty acids, and vitamins and nutrients it contains, it is an excellent fighter of disease. The body converts the lauric acids found naturally in coconut oil into monolaurin, which is an amazing disease fighter. Coconut oil can help to prevent and in some cases cure everything from influenza, HIV, bladder infections, breast cancer, herpes, cytomegalovirus, colon cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes. It can also help prevent Huntington’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease and osteoporosis. Coconut oil can also help to relieve or eliminate symptoms from things like chronic fatigue syndrome, pancreatitis, crohns, cystic fibrosis, gallbladder disease ulcerative colitis, heartburn, hemorrhoids and stomach ulcers. In addition, coconut oil dissolves kidney stones and helps to reduce epileptic seizures.
Alzheimer’s
In recent years, the benefits of coconut oil have been studied on Alzheimer’s disease. Studies are showing that coconut oil not only helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, it can cure it. It is believed that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by brain cells dying due to not being able to process glucose properly. Much like with diabetes, brain cells are able to use the medium fatty acids in coconut oil to stay alive and continue functioning properly.
Candida
Candida is a disease caused by excessive yeast growth in the stomach. To help stop Candida, the yeast build up in the stomach must be eliminated; coconut oil helps to eliminate the excessive yeast. The healthy acids found naturally in coconut oil help to kill Candida. Coconut oil also helps to give relief from Candida symptoms and discomfort.
Cholesterol
Coconut oil was once thought to be very bad for cholesterol, but today we know that it is not, it actually helps to lower it. There are three different types of fatty acids, short chain, medium chain and long chain. Long chain fatty acids are bad for a person’s health, while medium chain and short chain fatty acids are good for it; coconut oil contains mostly medium chain fatty acids. Medium chain fatty acids do not raise cholesterol levels and help to promote a healthy heart, and decrease the risk of heart disease.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people throughout the world. Every cell in the human body requires glucose and fatty acids to function properly - without it, cells can weaken and die. In most cases, cells require insulin to process the glucose or fatty acids. However, some people have inadequate insulin in their bodies so their cells are unable to process the glucose or fatty acids properly. Coconut oil is packed full of medium fatty acids that cells can use with or without insulin. Coconut oil does not negatively affect blood sugar and/or insulin levels, nor does it clog arteries - it actually helps open them.
Thyroid
The thyroid is the gland that controls the body’s metabolism and how much calories the body burns. The MCT or medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil help to keep the thyroid gland healthy. Every time coconut oil is consumed, the thyroid gland’s healthy functions are increased, thus increasing the body’s metabolism and energy for a 24-hour period, which helps to increase weight loss and makes sustaining a healthy weight easier.
For Teeth
Coconut oil benefits also extend to helping to strengthen and clean teeth, and stop tooth decay. Coconut oil helps to promote the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium, which in turn helps to strengthen teeth, making them more resistant to decay and stronger. Coconut oil also helps to clean teeth and gums, and helps to stop and reverse the affects of gingivitis. In addition, it helps to whiten teeth and cleans between teeth and under the gum line. Coconut oil makes an excellent addition to homemade natural toothpaste and is the best oil to use for oil pulling which helps to remove unhealthy toxins from the body and helps to clean the mouth and make the teeth and gums healthier. Coconut oil can also provide relief to swollen and inflamed gums simply by rubbing a little on them. In addition, this remarkable oil can also help treat abscesses in the mouth; the oil can be applied directly to the abscess or an oil pulling can be done.
Bone Strength
Coconut oil helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium. Both calcium and magnesium are essential in developing and maintaining strong bones. Coconut oil can help to prevent and possibly cure osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that makes bones fragile and prone to breaks and fractures. Osteoporosis is a very common disease in North America as an estimated one in three women, and one in five men will suffer from it sometime during their lifetime. In women, fractures and breaks caused by osteoporosis are more frequent than heart attacks, breast cancer and strokes combined. Osteoporosis is most commonly seen in seniors. It is recommended that three tablespoons of coconut oil be taken daily to help prevent osteoporosis and five tablespoons be taken daily to help reverse it.
For Stress Relief
Another benefit of coconut oil is that it helps to relieve stress; stress can lead to poor sleep, bad eating habits and a variety of health problems. The smell of coconut oil is very soothing and helps to relax and soothe the mind and decrease tension. The oil can be applied to the temples to help alleviate stress or used as soothing massage oil. Coconut oil makes a great aromatherapy product, especially for people who find the scents of the commonly used stress reducing essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus too strong to enjoy. Refined coconut oil does not work as well for stress relief as unrefined coconut oil does, as it does not contain the light relaxing aroma that unrefined coconut oil does; an unrefined organic virgin coconut oil is best to use for stress relief.
For Scrapes And Bruises
Coconut oil is an excellent lotion to put on cuts, abrasions and bruises. It is packed full of great antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties that helps to kill bacteria and prevent infection. When applied on cuts and abrasions, coconut oil forms a thin protective seal that helps to keep dirt and dust out of the wound, and helps to speed up healing. In addition, the oil helps to prevent scarring from cuts and abrasions. When applied to bruises, coconut oil helps to repair the damaged tissue, which speeds up healing. Coconut oil does not contain unhealthy chemicals that over the counter antiseptic lotions for cuts and abrasions contains, so it much healthier, and smells much better. Coconut oil should be applied on cuts and abrasions once they have been thoroughly washed with water, and generally should not be covered with a band-aid.
The Immune System
Coconut oil health benefits also include strengthening the immune system. The antimicrobial lipids and lauric, capric and caprylic acids found naturally in coconut oil contain a multitude of antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Coconut oil benefits for the immune system include reducing inflammation, helping to heal and repair damaged tissue, and helping to support the body’s natural immune system functions. Coconut oil also helps to protect the body from unhealthy free radicals that can cause disease and premature aging. Coconut oil health benefits can be felt all over, as a healthy strong immune system is able to fight colds and influenza better, protects against disease, increases energy, promotes healthy skin and hair, and promotes an overall feeling of good health. Coconut oil benefits for the immune system can be achieved by taking it as a daily supplement or using it as a cooking oil and a butter, margarine and shortening substitute.
For Hair
The benefit of coconut oil can easily be seen and felt when it is used as a hair conditioner. Coconut oil not only helps repair damaged ends, it is also a natural remedy for dandruff. Coconut oil penetrates the hair better than almost any other type of oil or conditioner, and the healthy fatty acids it contains helps to nourish the hair and repair all the chemical and environmental damage that has been done to it.
For Skin
Combating eczema and acne are two of the most popular skin care uses for coconut oil; however, the uses of it for the skin are almost endless. Coconut oil is one of the very best things to use on skin to help prevent premature aging, wrinkles, and dry skin. It can also be used as a shaving lotion, all over body moisturizer, make up remover, and is excellent for skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. In addition, coconut oil is great for decreasing the look of scars and stretch marks, is great for diaper rash, and helps to block damaging UV rays.
We Recommend
#1 Best Rated Coconut Oil Overall
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Nutiva OrganicExtra Virgin Coconut Oil
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