Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Coconut Oil….what is this stuff??

A health secret of the tropics!!

Many people say “No” to coconut oil because of it’s high content of saturated fat. Yes saturated fats from meat products are bad for you, but think about this is a plant source. Fats from plant sources are much easier for the body to digest. Check out this site for more information about the US campaign for unsaturated fats (look at what crops the US produces and why it makes sense for it to push for unsaturated fats). Check out this site for some detailed research: http://www.coconutoil.com/litalee.htm

Health benefits of coconut oil:
  • Hair care
  • Skin care
  • Increased immunity
  • Proper digestion
  • Proper metabolism
  • Bone strength
Why I decided to go with coconut oil: besides it’s amazing nutty taste, is it’s high content of lauric acid. The only other resource for this much lauric acid is human breast milk! When lauric acid is ingested the body converts it to monolaurin which actually breaks down the bi-lipid layers of bacteria and viruses in the body.

What’s in this stuff?

  • Saturated fatty acids: most are medium chain triglycerides, which assimilate well in the body (lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic)
  • Polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid)
  • Monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid)
  • Poly-phenols: responsible for the fragrance and taste
  • Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and minerals

Uses:

  • Hair care: excellent conditioner for damaged hair and helps rid the hair of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs
  • Skin care: moisturizes dry skin; treats psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections
  • Digestion: the microbial properties help in dealing with bacteria, fungi, and parasites
  • Immunity: the lauric, capric, and caprylic acid have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties
  • Healing: helps repair damaged tissues, such a bruise. Treats such viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, and SARS. Also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. As well as fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, and diaper rash.
  • Bones &Teeth : coconut oil helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium.

Coconut oil can be used in all types of food from ice cream to smoothies to bread or just as a butter replacement. Check out these recipes:

No comments:

Post a Comment