The Benefits of Coconut Oil
Make It the Best Fat for Your Diet

Coconut oil has gained a reputation for being unhealthy because it's made up of mostly saturated fat. However, not only is coconut oil extremely healthy, there are many significant benefits of coconut oil that are not even available from any other food!

The primary health benefits of coconut oil fall into
these general categories:

• improvement in your heart health
• promotes weight loss
• improved energy levels and endurance


• strengthens your immune system health
• supports healthy digestion and metabolism
• keeps your skin and hair healthy and young-looking

Although it was not known how the benefits of coconut oil did their magic, it has historically been used in Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicinal system in India.

Coconut Oil
Improves Your Heart Health

Even though coconut oil is predominately a saturated fat, it has been found to have many factors that contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease compared to other dietary oils. Natural coconut oil tends to increase HDL cholesterol and actually improve your cholesterol profile. New research has demonstrated that the medium-chain fats in coconut oil protect against heart disease and may one day even be used as a treatment to cure it!

Other benefits of coconut oil include:

• improved cholesterol readings
• lower body fat deposition
• reduced tendency to form blood clots
• fewer uncontrolled free radicals
• lower levels of blood and liver cholesterol
• higher antioxidant reserves

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that help in taking off excess weight. MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.

One of the benefits of coconut oil is that it increases your body's metabolism by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy. Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut oil is also easy to digest and helps in the healthy functioning of your thyroid gland. Research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. A sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Coconut oil aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and amino acids — thus preventing various stomach- and digestion-related problems, including irritable bowel syndrome.

The saturated fats present in coconut oil also have germ-fighting properties that help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion.

Coconut oil is able to boost energy levels and endurance. It breaks down quickly in the liver and can be used like you would use a carbohydrate. Athletes and bodybuilders use the benefits of coconut oil in their nutritional drinks. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs enhance physical or athletic performance.

Coconut oil helps maintain normal blood sugar levels. Regular use of coconut oil reduces your risk of developing diabetes, and is effective in controlling the symptoms of diabetes.

Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level — another one of the great benefits of coconut oil.

The lauric acid in coconut oil is an effective way to help strengthen your immune system. Lauric acid is the predominant type of medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) found in coconut oil. MCFAs are powerful germ fighters and are known to kill dozens of disease-causing organisms.

Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. It kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis.

Coconut oil also kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, measles, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia, and many more bacterial infections. It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more.

There's no better oil for your skin than coconut oil. It smoothes and moisturizes, promotes skin elasticity, helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals.

The benefits of coconut oil for the skin are not just temporary; coconut oil will also aid in restoring your skin's youthful appearance. Coconut oil aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. When coconut oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep connective tissues strong and supple.

Detergent- or soap-based shampoos leave your hair dry, rough, and hard. The natural oils in coconut counters this effect, keeping your hair smooth and shiny, and add a sweet and refreshing scent.

Coconut oil is one of the most common natural ingredients found in shampoos and hair conditioning products today, for good reason. Coconut oil contains several different nutrients that keep your hair strong, protect it from the effects of aging, and make it healthier and shinier.

The various fatty acids present in coconut oil serve as very good anti-dandruff agents, and work better than any anti-dandruff shampoo.

For the Liver: Because medium-chain fatty acids are easily converted into energy, they help to reduce the work load on the liver and help prevent liver diseases.

For the Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.

For Your Bones: Coconut oil improves the ability of your body to absorb important minerals, including calcium and magnesium, which are necessary for bone development. Therefore, coconut oil is very useful for women who want to prevent osteoporosis.

Coconut oil is useful in a number of medicinal applications:

Healing: When applied on infections, coconut oil forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dirt and bacteria. Coconut oil is also effective on bruises, as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Fatigue: The saturated fats present in coconut oil, being a great source of energy, effectively combat fatigue and energy depletion.

Oxidation/Aging: Coconut oil contains high levels of antioxidants which help to protect the body from free radicals and prevent degenerative diseases and premature aging. The antioxidant properties of coconut oil counter the adverse effects of free radicals and aging,

Candida: The antimicrobial properties of coconut oil, already mentioned above, have been found effective against candida.

Dandruff: coconut oil prevents peeling away of skin on scalp and conditions like dandruff by keeping the skin moist and smooth.

How to Use Coconut Oil

There are several ways you can add coconut oil benefits to your everyday life, and it really is easy! Coconut oil is stable even during long periods of storage, and needs no refrigeration. Because its melting point is 76° F, it can be used in both liquid or solid forms. It has a neutral flavor that makes it ideal for use in frying, cooking and baking.

Here are just a few suggestions:

• use it in any recipe that calls for vegetable oil, shortening or butter
• it makes a healthy butter replacement on bread or vegetables; if you add a bit of salt to it, you won't be able to tell the difference
• coconut oil is the best oil for making popcorn; it stands up to high temperatures as well as any other fat
• use it externally as an oil for your skin, hair care and massage

You can even eat coconut oil right out of the jar. It gives you a quick burst of energy without creating a spike in your blood sugar levels.

Coconut Oil and Smoothies Make a Great Combo!

One of the easiest ways to add the benefits of coconut oil to your daily routine is by using it as an ingredient in your smoothies. Coconut oil adds a rich, creamy texture to any smoothie recipe, although it may congeal if you add frozen ingredients.

If you haven't discovered the magic of smoothies yet, you might want to consider them. There's no easier way to increase your daily intake of antioxidants than a well-made smoothie.

You can discover how to make a smoothie the healthy way elsewhere on this website.

There are several excellent organic coconut oils that I can recommend. Click on any of the graphics below for more information on any one of them:

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