Whenever we hear about oil, a bad feeling comes across our mind- oh, a thing we should avoid in a healthy life, but in the case of coconut oil, the case inverts as the benefits of coconut oil outweigh the risks.
Coconut oil- is the most precious and famous oil in the world. For good health, weight loss, prevention, or treatment of heart and kidney disease, coconut oil has unlimited benefits, mainly due to its antioxidant properties.
Not only coconut oil but the whole coconut is also a blessing for humanity. Its flesh, oil, milk, and water each component has its importance. Thus most people address its tree as the tree of life (Cocos nucifera), which has been proven true by 1500 research that imparts the benefits of coconut oil.
Characteristics Of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is prepared by pressing the white flesh of either fresh or dry coconut. Whether you go for wet or dry methods, it’s all your choice, but remember that the method leads to less than 10-15% yields because of spoilage and pests in wet conditions.
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and liquefies as the temperature increases to around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Its taste, odor, and texture make it fit for various food products, perfect for those on a vegetarian diet or allergic to lactose in dairy products. Its use does not confine there, from food to skin and hair care products to treating illness; its role is unformidable in every field.
With a careful structure of ideas, you are set to gain the required advantage from coconut oil.
Moreover, two types of coconut oil are mainly used, the one is virgin oil and the other is copra oil. For food, we prefer virgin coconut oil, which is rich in nutrients like vitamin E and antioxidants and is safer to consume. For external use, we go for copra oil.
USES OF COCONUT OIL: IS IT GOOD OR NOTÂ
Now let’s discuss the potential benefits of coconut oil on our health, skin, hair, and daily life.
- Effect On WeightÂ
If you are looking for significant weight loss ideas, coconut oil is the best; it has a Slow but continuous effect on your weight. You can easily corporate this oil into your diet plan or use it as maintenance therapy to maintain your reduced weight
Now the question arises how does it do so?
Coconut oil influences our weight in the following aspects:
- Fat BurningÂ
Do you know the most famous sentence about weight gain in medical terms?
Obesity is the mother of all diseases. Visceral fat in obese people makes them prone to life-threatening diseases like heart problems, diabetes, etc. It means you are affecting the quality and quantity of your life.
Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglyceride and constitutes 65% of its fat content. You know middle chain triglyceride can cause the burning of calories by temporarily boosting your metabolic rate. Studies show that 15-30 gm consumption of middle-chain triglyceride can burn 120 calories (about 10 minutes of running) in 24 hours.
The researchers have a conflict of opinion. They think that the weight loss role is associated with pure middle triglyceride, but further studies are required to prove whether triglycerides in coconut have a similar role.
Some research has shown that men and women consuming 2 tbsp ( 30 ml) of virgin coconut oil lose weight, while those on soybean tend to increase in weight.
- Reduce Appetite
It could be better to have reduced hunger, but it is reasonable during the diet. Coconut oil triglycerides, when broken down in the liver, are converted into ketones. Ketones serve as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates. A significant technique used in the ketogenic diet in which fat instead of carbs fulfil our body’s energy requirement
These ketones create a feeling of fullness and reduce hunger. Alon with that, triglycerides upset hunger-inducing hormone levels in the brain.
If you are looking for more information about the advantages of the ketogenic diet, read the below article:
Benefits Of Ketogenic Diet: Why Is It Good For You?
- Quick Source Of EnergyÂ
Sports nutrition is another name used for coconut oil. Many athletes consume it before their training as a quick source of energy.
Why?
Coconut oil immediately breaks down in the liver and provides an immediate energy source for the body, similar to the glucose of carbohydrates. It’s all due to medium chain triglyceride in coconut oil. As with other triglycerides like lower chin fats, they first transfer to respective tissues like muscles, which serve as a source of energy.
- Temperature Friendly OilÂ
Many oils in our diet are destroyed at high temperatures. Not only that, but their unsaturated content may also convert into toxic products. But the coconut oil case is inverted; the higher saturated fat content ( 87%) helps it to retain structure even at high temperatures.
Thus you can have all the benefits of coconut oil without any worry about depleting nutrients due to oil.
- Antimicrobial EffectÂ
The effect of middle-chain triglycerides in coconut oil does not only limits weight and hunger in the body. Well, it also has antimicrobial and antifungal effects. It is primarily due to lauric acid ( triglyceride ) in coconut oil. Let’s look at how this antimicrobial activity of coconut oil benefits us.
Lauric acid’s bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects help us to treat specific problems:
- Intestinal DiseaseÂ
It can kill Clostridium difficile responsible for diarrhoea, thus eliminating the risk of the most common intestinal infection present in most sugary food content.
- Liver DiseaseÂ
It triggers liver enzymes and improves their functioning by enhancing protection against alcohol and toxin.
- Urinary Tract InfectionÂ
The most common yeast, Candida albicans, lives in moist areas of our body, such as the mouth and vagina, causing infections there. Coconut oil can kill it and work better than fluconazole ( antifungal).
- Kidney Disease
Coconut oil can even treat kidney stones and affects various kidney problems.
- Oral HygieneÂ
The antimicrobial effect of lauric acid protects our teeth from decay, inflammation, and plaque. It inhibits its leading cause, which is Streptococcus mutans. Coconut oil can remove the biofilm of S.mutans on teeth and even treat gingivitis( gum inflammation).
An oil-pulling technique is common in which 10 minutes of gargling from coconut oil is as effective as an antiseptic—simply a cost-effective mouthwash.
- Role In Skin HealthÂ
Coconut oil works like a miracle on dry-skin people, and oily-skin people may use it in winter but try to avoid it in summer. it act out as a barrier to our skin and protects it from dust, allergen, atmospheric chemicals, and irritants.
- As A SunblockÂ
Coconut oil can be a mild sunblock, blocking around 20% of ultraviolet radiation. But in extreme summer, where temperature rises to 40-50c, medicated sunblock is necessary.
- As A Moisturizer
Coconut oil is the best moisturizer, as it can heal cracks on the foot and chapped lips and avoid wrinkles on the face.
- Treat Atopic DermatitisÂ
It can also treat mild to moderate symptoms of atopic dermatitis. It works as a barrier and reduces inflammation in the skin. Its wound-healing capability is also commendable. It forms a layer on the wound and tends to increase collagen production.
- Treat Sanitizers Induce Dryness.
During the corona pandemic, sanitizer use has become frequent, as it is the demand of time. Along with protection, a side effect of sanitizer on hand is extreme dryness.
You can treat it by overnight application of coconut oil on the skin.
- Protect Skin During A Warm ShowerÂ
Make it a habit to rub coconut oil all over the skin before showering in warm water, especially in winter. It protects the skin from excessive damage from warm water.
- Hair ProtectionÂ
Lauric acid in coconut oil can penetrate deep into our skin and play a role in shinier, stronger hair. Hence if you are aiming for strong hairs, make it a habit to apply warm coconut oil ( as it can penetrate more deeply into the scalp) on your hair before every wash.
- Source Of Antioxidants
Coconut oil is a rich source of antioxidants for our bodies. Antioxidants fight against free radicals in our bodies and maintain our health system—the anti-inflammatory property of coconut oil helps boost bone health and enhance brain protection against degenerative disease.
It leads to the treatment of diseases like:
- Arthritis
- osteoporosis
- Improve Brain Functioning
We already discussed that coconut oil has triglycerides that resolve in ketone bodies in the liver. Now, what role do these ketone bodies play in brain functioning enhancement?
In the case of most degenerative diseases, our brain fails to produce insulin to use glucose as a source of energy, which worsens the disease. This coconut oil ketone bodies work as a source of energy for the brain rather than glucose and help to treat various mild to moderate symptoms of brain diseases like:
- Alzheimer disease
- Epilepsy ( drug resistant)
- Seizures
- Daily UseÂ
Let’s discuss the use of coconut oil in our daily life.
- Remove StainsÂ
It helps to remove various stains from clothes. Mix one part of coconut oil and baking soda and see the magic.
- Shiner For Wood FurnitureÂ
It acts as a dust repellant and a shiner for furniture, leaving a delicate aroma on your furniture.
- Makeup RemovalÂ
Coconut oil acts as a makeup remover in daily life. People often use it for the double cleansing method (a significant step in the Korean skincare routine).
ConclusionÂ
I can convince you that coconut oil affects your mind and body. Make it a part of your daily life and get endless benefits from the oil.
One thing is that the overconsumption of everything is harmful; thus, if you aim to consume excess coconut oil to acquire benefits, then quit this plan.
Especially if you are suffering from some disease, consult your doctor before taking any amount of coconut oil. As its higher amount can increase cholesterol levels, so be careful.
