Healthy Hint — Curative Coconut Oil
You may have already heard that coconut oil is a healthier option for cooking or that coconut oil is excellent for the skin. However, the more I read about coconut oil (and the more I try applications of coconut oil in my own home) the more impressed I become at the use of coconut oil as a health remedy in many areas.
First, let me qualify what I mean when I use the words ‘coconut oil’. For the purpose of this Healthy Hint, I am only talking about unprocessed coconut oil in an unrefined state that has been cold-pressed from its source. Because it is unrefined, it retains a hint of a coconut smell and a bit of a nutty flavor as well. As soon as coconut oil begins to be processed, it looses many of its healthiest properties. Read the label and look for both of these words: unrefined, cold-pressed. Pure coconut butter is possibly even healthier than the pure oil because of the added fiber; however, healthy coconut butter is usually only sold in the baking section of a whole foods store (it has to be stirred like natural peanut butter) while healthy coconut oil can often be found at even Walmart.
Why is coconut oil so awesome? Isn’t oil just a fat?
To start with, coconut oil IS a saturated fat. BUT, saturated fats are not the evil we once believed AND all saturated fats are NOT the same. Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) instead of long chain fatty acids. These medium chains are quickly absorbed into the body, almost immediately, which frees up several organs of your body, especially your digestive system, from the hard work of slowly breaking down what you put into it. Because of this, coconut oil boosts energy and helps in the effective absorption of nutrients. Coconut oil has lauric acid too and that makes it a healthier choice than just about any other oil and its medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) help it do amazing things.
Coconut oil is an anti-viral. It has both anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. It can boost immunity like a natural antibiotic and it is also an anti-inflammatory product. This means there is a long list of aches, pains and ills that can be helped by or possibly even cured by the regular use of small amounts of coconut oil. For example: people who want an alternative to the toxins in toothpaste actually brush their teeth with it. It hardens enamel while the antibacterial nature of coconut oil soothes sores and attacks infections in the mouth. (I have tried it for an oral issue before and felt relief in seconds.) As a digestive aid, coconut oil relieves constipation and can stop acid indigestion and acid reflux, among other things. It can bring relief for allergies like those who suffer from hay fever. However, it can also counter food allergy issues: soy, wheat, gluten, peanut, dairy and other common sensitivities. There are doctors (and patients) who swear by a dose or so a day, swallowed by the teaspoonful. Coconut oil helps all of the above, while being a wonderful topical agent ON the skin too. Use it as a moisturizer, deodorant, make-up remover, age spot remover or a massage oil.
I’m not saying to start drinking half a cup a day, as extremes are almost always unhealthy in every area of life; but, I suggest trying it as a replacement for your current use of butter and cooking oils most of the time. Of course, I understand if you prefer your KerryGold pure Irish butter and I admit, I like the flavor of healthy unrefined extra virgin olive oil on salad or baked on veggies. However, there is a lot to be said for the healing power of coconut oil and I love it for almost all of its delicious kitchen uses. I cook my morning scrambled eggs in it and they are complimented nicely by the slightly nutty flavor and I enjoy the faint coconut scent in the morning too.