Some food items are termed as superfoods, as they can be used in multiple ways to enhance the overall well-being including health, beauty, and hair. The coconut is one such food item and the benefits of organic coconut oil will completely stun you.
If you are wondering that how to use coconut oil, then it’s quite easy. Organic and virgin coconut oil can be consumed orally, and can also be applied topically for beauty and hair benefits. Also, it can be added to the teas, cooked food, and smoothies for gaining its benefits.
Organic coconut oil is exquisitely beneficial for skin and hair, and when you apply coconut oil on the face before bed regularly, you can notice a significant difference in your skin. It will become radiant, blemish free, and healthy.
What Makes Organic Coconut Oil Tremendously Healthy?
Although, organic coconut oil is comprised of 90% saturated fat, because of which it was demonized in the past. In fact, coconut oil is the richest natural sources of saturated fats.
But, the saturated fats in the coconut oil are completely harmless for our body, and on the flip side, offer astounding benefits for health, skin, and hair.
The saturated fats found in the coconut oil aren’t like the ones which are found in steak or cheese, which are not good for health.
Coconut oil contains the MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides), that are the fatty acids of the medium length, and being the fatty acids with medium length, they are metabolized differently.
From the digestive tract, the MCTs straightway to the liver, where they are used as a quick source of energy instead of being stored as fats in the body. The coconut oil’s fatty acid are also converted into ketones, which have highly therapeutic effects on the brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Epilepsy.
The virgin Coconut oil is one of the best oils to cook food because it can withstand very high temperatures without any damage. So, when you switch your regular cooking oil with organic coconut oil, it starts improving your health.
The edible organic coconut oil is very nutritious and possesses “lauric acid”, a superior disease-fighting component. Coconut oil is also rich in minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
The best coconut oil is to use is organic, unprocessed extra virgin coconut oil, as it assures that the oil is unrefined, contains no genetically modified additives and no added chemicals.
What Makes Organic Coconut Oil Different From Other Saturated Fats?
Unlike the LCFAs (Long Chain Fatty Acids) which are found in abundance in the plant-based oils, the coconut oils’ MCFAs (Medium Chain Fatty Acids) are:
- Not readily stored as fat by the body
- Easier to digest
- Being smaller in size, allow easier cell permeability and thus, provides instant energy
- Processes anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties
- Processed by liver for direct conversion into energy
Health Benefits of Organic Coconut Oil
Organic coconut oil offers immense health benefits and regular consumption of this amazing oil can help you maintain good overall well-being.
Here are the top 12 ways in which organic coconut oil enhances our health.
1. Kills The Harmful Microorganisms
The organic coconut oil possesses a high amount of 12-carbon lauric Acid, which upon digestion forms monolaurin.
Monolaurin along with lauric acid kills the harmful pathogens such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria in our body to keep us safe from the different ailments.
Organic coconut oil is known to kill Staphylococcus Aureus, a highly dangerous pathogen and the Candida Albicans yeast, which is amongst the common sources of the yeast infections in the humans.
2. Boosts the Immune System
As the organic coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, it efficaciously fights various types of bacteria, virus and fungi infections.
By checking the overgrowth of the harmful pathogens in the body, it boosts the immune system.
3. Prevents High Blood Pressure and Heart Diseases
As the organic coconut oil is rich in the natural saturated fats, it increases the HDL, the healthy cholesterol in the body and lowers down the accumulation of the bad cholesterol, that is LDL, by converting it into good cholesterol.
As it increases the HDL, the blood pressure gets regulated and the risk of the heart ailments becomes lower.
4. Improves Brain Function and Memory
As per a study published in the “Journal of Neurobiology of Aging,” in 2004, it has been concluded that the MCFAs contained in the organic coconut oil can improve the memory problems and the recall ability.
Also, the MCFAs are absorbed very easily by the body. They can be accessed in the brain without requiring the insulin, and thus, they fuel the brain cells efficiently while curing the damaged cells. That’s why organic coconut oil is effective in preventing and treating brain ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease.
5. Protects the Liver and Prevents Kidney Infections
The organic coconut oil is known to heal the UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) and other kidney infections. Coconut water is also very effective against the kidney infections and the kidney stones.
Th MCFAs present in the coconut oil act as the natural antibiotics, and thus, disrupt the lipid coatings on the bacteria which makes it easier to kill them.
Also, various studies show that the coconut oil protects the liver directly from the damage.
6. Treatment of Epilepsy and Seizures
The fatty acids in the organic coconut oil get transformed into ketones after digestion and these ketones help in treating an array of disorders including epilepsy.
One of the best known therapeutic applications of organic coconut oil is the reduction in the occurrence of seizures and treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy.
The MCTs in the organic coconut oil enhance the blood concentration of the ketones, resulting in a reduction in the occurrence of seizures in the epileptic children.
7. Suppresses Hunger and Helps in Controlling the Calorie Intake
One of the significant health benefits of the coconut oil is that it helps in suppressing the hunger.
As the MCFAs in the organic coconut oil are metabolized differently, it showcases an appetite reducing the effect. So, when you consume the coconut oil, it helps you eat fewer calories.
Over the long term, it exhibits the dramatic influence on the body weight and helps you reduce it.
8. Burns the harmful Abdominal Fat
The organic coconut oil is very effective in reducing the belly fat, which lodges around the organs and the abdominal cavity.
Being associated with several diseases, the abdominal fat is considered as the most dangerous of all fats accumulated in the different parts of the body.
Coconut oil contains the caprylic acid and is rich in MCFAs, which speed up the fat breakdown in the body. Right after the consumption, the coconut oil is transformed into energy and it boosts the metabolism considerably resulting in faster weight loss.
9. Improves Type II Diabetes
When our body cells stop responding to insulin and the glucose in the blood doesn’t get transformed into energy, the cells are considered as insulin resistant.
As a result, our pancreas starts pumping out more insulin in order to compensate, but as the cells have become insulin resistant, it cannot be used by the body. Consequently, the amount of sugar in the blood keeps on increasing.
The MCFAs in the coconut oil help in balancing the insulin reactions in the cells and enhance a healthy digestive process. The coconut oil helps in taking off the strain from the pancreas and provides the body a constant source of energy which doesn’t depend on glucose. This way, coconut oil helps in improving and regulating the Type II diabetes.
10. Prevents Osteoporosis
The free radicals and the oxidative stress are the two major culprits behind the osteoporosis. As coconut oil is rich in antioxidants, it helps in fighting the free radicals in the body and naturally helps in preventing osteoporosis.
Coconut oil also increases the absorption of calcium in the gut, increases the bone volume and strengthens bone structure while decreasing the bone loss due to osteoporosis.
11. Prevents Dandruff and Dry Hair
The organic coconut oil is rich in the right fatty acids which not only help in preventing the dry hair but also cure dandruff.
Simply apply the coconut oil on your scalp about two – three hours before shampoo to get rid of all these hair problems. You can also keep the oil on your scalp overnight to condition your hair naturally.
12. Prevents Aging
With its antioxidant richness, the coconut oil slows down the aging and the appearance of fine lines.
It reduces the stress on the liver, and owing to the lowering of the oxidative stress, the process of aging slows down.
Apart from the aforementioned benefits, there are many other useful ways in which organic coconut oil can be used. You can utilize the goodness of the organic coconut oil for losing weight as well.
By replacing your regular oil with the virgin coconut oil for cooking, you can easily enhance the coconut oil weight loss by boosting your metabolism.
Moreover, if you are struggling with rough, lifeless and thin tresses, you can get benefits of coconut oil on hair by applying it regularly to the roots.
While using the coconut oil for its benefits, ensure that you are using the organic one, so that, its oral consumption does not harm your body. Also, check if the coconut oil is safe for oral consumption, as only the extra virgin and virgin are edible.
