Why you should use Coconut Oil

Centrifuge Extracted Coconut Oil

Coconuts have had a bad rap the past 30 some years.

What with being loaded with saturated fats and all, many people have stayed away from coconut, coconut milk, and coconut oils.

Now research and historical facts have proven that this amazing fruit has more beneficial properties than we have been told.

How this got started…

During the 1970s there was some research was done that indicated that some forms of saturated fats caused an increase in blood cholesterol.

Because of this all saturated fat was lumped together and called “bad” for us. There were a few other events that transpired over the next 15 years to put the coconut oil in the negative view for the American consumer, most of them promoted/supported by the ASA (American Soybean Association).

The straw that made the whole thing collapse was Nebraska millionaire Phil Sokolof, founder of the National Heart Savers Association, who in 1988 began running full-page articles accusing food companies of poisoning America by using tropical oils.

Everyone soon believed all this propaganda and the ASA got what they had set out to accomplish — eliminate their competition from imported tropical oils.

When all this bad publicity began on coconut oil, the people who were most familiar with the actual research (scientists and medical professionals), we’re wondering why? They knew that none of what they were hearing was true, but it was too late, people refused to listen.

When I was little and up until the early 1980s, I remember enjoying theatre popcorn cooked in coconut oil. Many commercial products contained tropical oils: bread, cookies, crackers, soups, stews, sauces, candy’s, frozen and prepared foods, etc. It was everywhere and obesity was not as prevalent as it is today.

In fact, Burger King, and Wendy’s announced they would switch from using saturated fats to more “healthful” oils such as vegetable oils, typically soybean oil.

In fact Julia Child mentioned in 1995 how McDonald’s switched from using Tallow to

not so tasteful vegetable oils, here is the video. So not only is do the fries not taste

as good, they are not as healthy either.

Unfortunately, this only increased the fat content of the fried foods and created the latest harmful substance called “trans fatty acids,” which many people are doing their best to avoid now because they are being linked to heart disease, weight gain, and creating harmful toxins in our bodies and our bodies don’t know what to do with these toxins.

Today it is very difficult to find foods made with coconut oil or any tropical oil, for that matter. Public perception is that these are bad, so people won’t purchase products containing these oils. The result is that nearly 80% of all vegetable oil is from soybean oil, which is typically hydrogenated (containing up to 50% trans fatty acids.)

These oils are also usually Genetically Modified and are processed with Hexane. (see this soy article) Most restaurants, that in 1982 served a meal containing only 2.4 trans-fatty acids, now serve a meal with at least 19.2 grams of trans fatty acids.

So, what’s the truth?

I was very resistant to this information and did a lot of research before I started promoting coconut oil. I wanted to understand the underlying chemistry structure and how bio-chemically, these tropical oils work in our bodies.

The truth is that all saturated fats are not the same. Natural plant saturated fats, like those from coconut oils, are very different from man-made saturated fats. If you look at the studies done on coconut oils, there never was any real “bad” information available.

Pacific Islanders, whose diets contain much more coconut and coconut oils than our diets, are living proof. The main reason for their exceptional health and beautiful skin is from the medium-chain fatty acids they are getting from coconuts, that not only pull toxins out of the body but also do amazing things for the skin.

Among Polynesian people, the coconut palm is valued above all other plants because of its healing and nutritional properties.

It is used for food, flavorings, and its rich oil content. Tropical oils, such as coconut oils are also highly saturated which prevents oxidation and the free-radical formation and therefore is the safest plant oil to use in cooking.

You will find that coconut is affordable, and the medium-chain fatty acids give it properties that make it unique and considered by many people now to be the healthiest oil on earth. And unlike other vegetable oils that can turn rancid to some extent by the time they reach the store, coconut oil does not turn rancid.

Health Benefits

Coconut oil can help all kinds of illnesses including skin problems such as psoriasis, dandruff, and eczema. It has even been proven to HELP heart disease. The reason for this is coconut oil is considered anti-viral and anti-fungal and is high in Medium-Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA). Hospitals use MCFA to treat malabsorption syndrome, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, and for treating premature infants. Unfortunately, the MCFA’s that are used in hospitals are manufactured instead of using natural oils. This process leaves out the beneficial lauric acids. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are 48% lauric acid (one main ingredient in breast milk), 8% caprylic acid (which fights fungus), and 7% capric acid.

The most important thing to remember is that coconut oil works on transportation in the body. Many illnesses are caused because there is some form of stagnation in the body. Coconut oil increases transportation within the body, preventing stagnation.

Weight Loss

The other thing (and one that many people care about most) is that coconut oil is used for weight loss. There are many reasons for this: Medium-chain fatty acids are known to increase metabolism and promote weight loss (think transportation again).

Coconut oil can also raise basal body temperatures while increasing metabolism. This is good news for people who suffer from low thyroid function, and thyroid function is one of the more popular reasons people have weight issues.

Also, any man-made product such as pesticides, attenuated viruses (which are in vaccines), and genetically modified foods, contain synthesized organisms with no nucleic affinity, so the body cannot tag or identify and rid itself of these toxic elements. (From — Dr. Kimberly Balas, A Natural Approach to Blood Chemistry)

Our bodies have no idea what to do with these compounds. So, they just sit around on our hips in fat cells also known as love handles. I have had many customers start on coconut oil 1–3 tablespoons a day, only to start noticing their love handles start to disappear within 2 weeks. The medium-chain fatty acids help to quickly pull these synthesized toxins out of our bodies.

Different types of coconut oil

There is cold expeller pressed, which has a neutral taste and is usually less expensive. Usually organic, this coconut oil is good when you do not want to have the smell of coconut on your skin or in your food.

Fermented coconut oil is very good for skin issues specifically but getting harder to find and is more expensive. Then there is Extra Virgin centrifuge spun coconut oil. This is most popular for raw food diets as it has enzymes intact, and also smells like coconut, which some people don’t like.

So, if you want an inexpensive way to start getting healthy. Start eating some coconut oil. It is great on toast; and you can cook up your own organic popcorn in it. You can use it to bake with and it is very good in the bath also. Many people use it topically in their hair, like how you would use a V05 gel to nourish the hair.

It is great for skin and can also be used as an intimate lubricant. For bathing, start with 1 teaspoon in a typical bath — too much just wastes it in the bath. Use it just like you would any other cooking oil, the only difference is you do not have to refrigerate it and the benefits will amaze you.

References:

The Coconut Oil Miracle By Dr. Bruce Fife

About the Author

Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Traditional Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website http://truhealth.com/. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.