Coconut Oil -- Nutritional Jewel

 

Some of you may recall a blog post of mine from last May about oil pulling and its benefits. In that piece I said the my preferred oil is coconut oil, because it has anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties.  As it turns out. there are many other reasons to use coconut oil.

For many years coconut oil was considered unhealthy because of its high content of saturated fat, and along with other saturated oils was linked to heart disease and increased blood cholesterol. In recent times coconut is praised as the healthiest oil found on earth.  Let's look at some of the good news.

1.  Coconut oil has medium-chain fatty acids which heighten metabolism and energy, thus stimulating the thyroid. It targets the harmful bacteria candida and kills it.  It also actually lowers cholesterol because of its lauric acid content that safegruards the heart by increasing good cholesterol and decreasing of total cholesterol. It also encourages weight loss, because there is no circulation of the medium-chain fatty acids in the bloodstream. Rather, the coconut oil goes directly to the liver and is then turned into energy.  The coconut oil's fat is therefore not stored as fat by the body, but is used for energy.
 

2.  Virgin coconut oil helps to control diabetes, because the amount of insulin in the bloodstream does not increase.  Also, in studies in the Pacific Islands, where the entire caloric intake included 30% abd 60% of fully saturated coconut oil, demonstrated that the people were free of cardiovascular disease. 

3.  Virgin coconut oil strengthens the immune system because of its lauric acid content.  It is also good for the skin when applied directly.  It makes a shielding antibacterial layer which protects the part of the body that is infected. It can quicken the healing of bruises, as it repairs damaged tissues. It's wonderful as a massage oil, and lip moisturizer.

4.  Virgin coconut oil also nourishes the brain, enhancing cognitive function.  It also reverses or stalls neurodegenerative diseases during the early stages.  Ayurvedic healers  have used it as a medicine for 5000 years, and residents of Panama drink it to guard themselves from health problems.

 N.B.  Coconut oil is solid at room temperature but becomes clear liquid at temperatures at temperatures higher than 78 degrees Fahrenheit.To avoid harmful trans fats, use only extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil.Heating fats, including the wonderful coconut oil, produces carcinogenic free radicals and impair the blood's ability to transport oxygen by clogging capillaries with fat globules and congesting vascular walls, contributing to arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular disorders. Heated fats can cause acne, impaired liver function, and unpleasant body odor.

Caveats aside, good coconut oil is a wonderful thing to incorporate into a health-seeking,
 life-producing diet.  For maximum advantages, do your best to buy brands that are known not to have heat treated the oil in processing. Enjoy!

Reminder, you can receive this email in your email box by filling in the box in the right side-bar.  I welcome your comments and suggestions, and encourage you to make it available to friends.  For lots more information about the healthiest sort of living go to www.janesmith-healthcoaching.com.  You can sign up for my almost monthly newsletter there, which always includes articles of interest and wonderful recipes.

Thanks for being here! Live Well ~  ~  Eat Raw!!....Jane