Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the carrier oils which has been proven to contain lots of nutrients which does not make it only suitable for consumption but also for the overall improvement of the health and wellbeing.

This article has provided you with these amazing health benefits and other vital information as it regards to coconut oil.

 

19 Interesting Health Benefits of Coconut Oil You may be ignorant of:

1. Burns Fat Quickly

Studies show that medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil increase calories burned daily in the human body, it is a good source of weight loss especially unrefined and cold-pressed coconut oil which is used for hair, skin, and cooking.

Further studies proved that coconut helps to reduce obesity in women as it increases the body’s metabolic substance by removing stress from the pancreas, thereby burning up energy and reducing the overall weight.

Those who want to burn up fat in the body is advised to make use of coconut oil every day as their main cooking oil as it is one of the faster ways for weight loss aside from aerobic exercise.

 

2. Promotes Hair Growth

Coconut oil is richly endowed with antioxidants, vitamins and other nutrients which promotes the growth, strength, and texture of the hair.

It can as well be used for hair treatment as a dandruff eliminator, strengthener, moisturizer, de-tangler, conditioner, split end treatment, and growth enhancer.

Also, coconut oil is the best hair treatment for head lice infestation as it contains antibacterial that prevents this parasite from building a nest in your hair.

It also improves the texture of the hair thereby making it flexible and easy to pack or style in different ways for those who find it difficult to comb and style their hair because of its strong nature.

Coconut oil is also used as hair care oil for treating damaged hair especially “virgin coconut oil’’ as it contains the required proteins for nourishing damaged hair.

 

3. Regain Memory Loss

The benefit of cooking with coconut oil is the content of a high amount of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) which varies from the long-chain fatty acids contained in other foods.

This medium-chain fatty acid absorbs and metabolizes quickly by the liver which is further converted into ketones.

These ketones are an important energy source being used by the brain and have been proved to have positive therapeutic effects on people who have memory loss problems such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Coconut oil contains phenolic compounds that may help to prevent the aggregation of amyloid-beta peptides, which leads to the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

4. Strengthens Muscle

Coconut oil contains a high insulinotropic substance which helps to stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin.

This insulin helps to control your blood sugar levels all through the body and as well pump nutrients into the muscles.

Thus, increased secretion of this hormone is very relevant for bodybuilders and those that want to increase their muscle rate.

 

5. Skin Moisturizer

Coconut oil according to a 2018 research on the effects of plant oils on the skin, tends to contain anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-aging, wound healing and antioxidants properties that help in treating skin problems such as UV radiation, dermatitis, skin dryness, skin wound, antimicrobial activity, etc.

When coconut oil is applied to the skin, it prevents dryness and wrinkles in the skin which leads to aging. It also has no side effect on the skin when applied unlike mineral oil as it forms the basic ingredient of major body care products such as lotion, soap, and cream used for skincare.

A study reviewed that coconut oil contains natural substances that act as a natural sunscreen in the body as it blocks about 20% of ultraviolet rays from the sun thereby protecting the skin from early wrinkles, cancer and diseases.

 

6. Boost Sex Life

Coconut oil adds a little flavor to one's sex life which makes you and your partner feel good when having sex.

It contains anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that prevent vaginal yeast infection.

Cons: While on this, you are advised not to use coconut oil with latex condoms because it weakens the latex which might result in unwanted babies in the future.

 

7. Protects the Kidney & Liver

The kidney and liver are the two organs in our body that should be protected from damage because damaged kidney as we all know leads to kidney failure and in some cases death.

A 2014 study indicates that Virgin coconut oil has an active component of protecting the liver from incurring several damages from toxins due to its ability to remove toxic substances from the liver.

 

8. Prevents Cancer

The presence of ketones in coconut oil aids in the prevention as well as treatment of cancer.

These ketones act as a barrier against tumor growth; tumor cells require glucose in order to multiply and live, and cannot access the energy in ketones when they need it.

Coconut is a relevant chemotherapeutic agent as it inhibits the growth of HT-29 malignant human colon cells compared to other oils like vegetable and mineral oil.

 

9. High Level of Energy

Coconut contains fewer calories than other oils, the content of fat in it is easily converted into energy and does not lead to the accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries.

It is mostly consumed by athletes, dieticians, bodybuilders and others who are aware of these benefits as it helps to boost energy and enhances their performance level.

 

10. Prevents Type 1 Diabetes

A study was carried out on rats by inducing them with Type 1 diabetes and as well as measuring their fasting blood glucose levels from the tip of the tails.

They were treated with coconut oil for four weeks, rats with hyperglycemia were indicated a significant decrease in their blood sugar levels.

And the result got from the research clearly proved the coconut greatly affects the secretion of insulin in the blood which thereby helps in maintaining a normal blood sugar level.

 

11. Reduce Oxidative Stress

Coconut oil has been proven to restrain oxidative stress due to oil’s ability to modify the antioxidant defense system.

This oil eliminates free radicals that cause oxidative stress in the body which leads to muscle fatigue and other diseases that hinders a person’s ability to exercise and stay agile.

 

12. For Proper Thyroid Function

The thyroid gland plays a major role in the body which includes breathing, heart rate, above all the production of various hormones in the body.

A study shows that the basic component of coconut oil, most especially capric acid, greatly improve thyroid functioning. This, in turn, gives the body the chance of regulating thyroid cell metabolism and maintaining a low resting heart rate.

 

13. Heal Cold Sore

Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus, which is a type of lipid-coated virus.

Coconut oil contains lauric acid which will help kill the virus and it is advised to use virgin coconut oil as it is more effective.

 

14. Improves Bowel Movement

The presence of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil supplies energy to the intestinal cells that boost one's metabolism, thus fighting against constipation and improving the bowel movements.

Medium-chain fatty acid in coconut oil helps to kill bacteria and viruses that cause the system break down. It enhances the immune system because it contains antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

 

15. Prevents Tooth Decay

Coconut oil is rich in calcium which is a major component of the teeth.

It helps in making the teeth strong and prevents tooth decay. Adequate consumption of this oil will also help in the prevention of other tooth problems.

 

16. Dissolve Kidney Stones

Coconut oil prevents kidney and gallbladder diseases and helps to dissolve kidney stones.

It helps to the treatment of pancreatitis thereby keeping the pancreas healthy.

 

17. Eliminates Mental Fatigue

Studies indicate that virgin coconut oil contains antioxidant properties that relieve stress.

Pure coconut oil for aromatherapy is very soothing and helps to eliminate property in the body that leads to stress which, in turn, affects the mental health.

 

18. Increases HDL Cholesterol Level

Coconut oil contains natural saturated oil which helps to increase good HDL cholesterol levels, and as well as lowers bad cholesterol, thus improving overall cardiovascular health.

 

19. Keeps the Bone Healthy

Coconut oil helps the body to absorb nutrients such as magnesium and calcium which is vital for the development of healthy bones.

Thus, it is very important for middle-aged women who are predisposed to osteoporosis.

 

Nutritional Values of Coconut Oil

This table below shows the nutritional value of coconut oil (Per 100g)

 

Nutrient	Value
Water [g]	0.03%
Energy [kcal]	892%
Protein [g]	0%
Total lipid (fat)	99.06%
Carbohydrate, by difference [g]	0%
Fiber, total dietary [g]	0%
Sugars, total [g]	0%
Calcium, Ca [mg]	1%
Iron, Fe [mg]	0.05%
Magnesium, Mg [mg]	0%
Phosphorus, P [mg]	0%
Potassium, K [mg]	0%
Sodium, Na [mg]	0%
Zinc, Zn [mg]	0.02%
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg]	0%
Thiamin [mg]	0%
Riboflavin [mg]	0%
Niacin [mg]	0%
Vitamin B-6 [mg]	0%
Folate, DFE [µg]	0%
Vitamin B-12 [µg]	0%
Vitamin A, RAE [µg]	0%
Vitamin A, IU [IU]	0%

 

Coconut oil contains so much nutrient and mineral content that benefits the health and it includes, water, energy, protein, total lipid, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium,  sodium, vitamin, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fat.

 

Coconut oil Extraction

Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts gotten from the coconut palm and has so many nutrients which have a lot of benefit to the health. It is used in cooking, beauty recipes, natural remedies and more.

Virgin coconut oil which is extracted from the fruit of fresh and matured coconut without adding any chemical to it provides so many health benefits as it is considered unrefined or unadulterated.

 

Downsides of Coconut Oil

It has been proven that coconut, when consumed in high amounts, is likely to cause diarrhea-like symptoms and acne breakout.

Coconut oil is very effective in eliminating candidiasis but when the candidiasis bugs die, they begin to discharge as about 80 different toxins which get absorbed into the system and causes all kinds of symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, swollen glands, stomach upset and other skin deforms.

So if you experience some reactions or allergy after consuming coconut oil or applying it to your skin, then you should avoid it or minimized its use.

 

Conclusion

Coconut oil has a lot of interesting health benefits such as burning fat quickly, promotes hair growth and treatment, helps to regain memory loss, strengthens muscle, skin moisturizer, boost sex life, protects the kidney and liver, prevents cancer, high level of energy.

It also helps prevent type 1 diabetes, reduce oxidative stress, helps the thyroid to function properly, helps to heal cold sore, improves bowel movement, enhances the immune system, prevents tooth decay, dissolves kidney stone, eliminates mental fatigue, increases your HDL cholesterol level and keeps the bone healthy.