Coconut oil is a colorless and tasteless liquid derived from the flesh of coconut kernels. Currently, there are more than 1000 studies that proved that coconut oil is one of the healthiest foods in the world. Due to the numerous health benefits coconuts provide, many people in the tropical regions refer to the coconut tree as the ‘tree of life.’
However, some people are still caught between confusion and skepticism about the health benefits of coconut oil, especially with the recent spread of negative info about the oil—how it is no different from butter and beef fat for instance because it contains saturated fats. While that is true, the same American Heart Association that advised you to cut down on saturated fats also recommends that you take between 20-30 saturated fats daily. Saturated fats work to protect your liver from toxins and enhance your immune function, so it shouldn’t be completely avoided.
Perhaps the following health and nutritional benefits of coconut oil will do a better job of convincing you not to completely eradicate it from your diet:
Aids In Weight Loss
You might be wondering how the food that contains fat, saturated one for that matter, can help you burn fat. Well, that’s because there are different kinds of calories and coconut oil is a good source of calorie. Why? It digests easily and converts to energy faster than long-chain fatty acids that remain in your body as fat for a long time.
Coconut oil also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) that increases fat burning. That’s not all, the fatty acids in coconut oil makes you feel less hungry and less food means less body fat.
Increases The Level Of Good HDL Cholesterol
It is the natural saturated fats in coconut oil that makes this possible. Coconut oil help convert the bad LDL cholesterol in your body into good cholesterols, thus lowering your risks of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Protects Your Hair, Skin And Dental Health
The benefit of coconut oil is not limited to only your internal system. Various people all over the world are already reaping the cosmetic rewards of coconut oil. When coconut oil is applied on the skin, it reduces skin dryness, the effects of sun’s UV rays by 20% and the symptoms of eczema.
You can also use the oil as a hair conditioner as it is rich in nutrients that can heal damaged scalp, aid the healthy growth of your hair, soften dry scalp, kill dandruff, and make your hair look shiny.
Another way to use coconut oil is to wash your mouth with it as the oil destroys harmful bacteria, reduces bad breath and improves your dental health as a whole.
Boosts Brain Function
Study shows that consuming medium chain triglycerides improved the brain function of Alzheimer patients. Patients with Alzheimer begin to experience memory loss because the brain is not getting enough energy required to function. The ketones in coconut oil can be a good source of alternative energy for these brain cells that’s unable to function well.
Treats Yeast Infection
According to the study published in a journal titled Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, coconut oil is a great natural treatment for yeast infection and candida albicans because it contains lauric acid and capric acid. If you have yeast and candida infection, replace refined grains and processed sugar with healthy fats in your diet and in no time you will notice a positive outcome.
