You must have heard of this before – Coconut Oil is bad for your health! Coconut oil clogs your arteries and is instrumental to generating heart disease. Coconut oil is too fatty that it’s like immersing yourself in a vat full of oil.
Nothing can be farther from the truth. Before World War II, Coconut oil was the “miracle oil” that our grandfathers used to use in almost every aspect of life. They used it to treat constipation, skin infections, coughs, earaches, toothaches, dry skin, flu, etc.
In our little town, my grandmother used to go to the market every other morning to buy fresh coconut milk called “gata” in the Philippines, to cook with. She also used unrefined coconut oil called “lana” to apply to her long black hair as a hair moisturizer.
After World War II ended and everything normalized, the United States through the FDA in the sixties, declared hydrogenated oils or “refined vegetable oils” to be much “healthier oils” and thumbed down saturated fatty oils like those in eggs, milk, butter and “coconuts”! The health scare worked because people had associated coconut oil with “Bad LDL cholesterol”. People became more obsessed with eating hydrogenated oils thereafter and the rate of cancer-related and chronic diseases went up.
Until later when study after study came out, praising the remarkable health benefits of unrefined or “raw” coconut oil! Now, healthcare experts are encouraging people to use it in their everyday lives.
What are the health benefits of Coconut Oil?
Coconut Oil has fatty acids that are good for you.
Ninety percent of the fat content in it is saturated fat. Years ago, saturated fat was considered the “bad guy” in the health world, wherein various doctors and nutritionists have been brainwashed to thinking saturated coconut oil is “bad” for their health. Likewise, up to now, no substantive evidence can be put against saturated fat that proves it induces heart disease.
The reality is saturated fat or coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are a protection against stroke, epilepsy, certain brain disorders, and even stop the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Coconut Oil maintains a healthy thyroid.
Millions of Americans suffer from low thyroid function with very little comprehension of the cause of the disease. It is not surprising that this has happened. Because, today’s processed foods contain a lot of iodine blockers which impair the healthy functions of our thyroid gland.
Fortunately, unlike soy and other vegetable oils, it does not hamper our thyroid functions. It even provides anti-inflammatory attributes that reduce inflammation of the thyroid that may bring about hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
Coconut Oil helps in weight maintenance and reduction.
With a healthy thyroid gland, it can help in weight reduction by stimulating your metabolism for better burning up of the body’s energy.
Coconut Oil enhances our immune system.
Coconut oil has lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid and antimicrobial lipids which provide antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial functions. Constant consumption of it can help in preventing colds and coughs. Also lessens the chances of contracting certain illnesses like hepatitis C, herpes and other debilitating diseases.
Coconut oil is the perfect moisturizer for developing smooth, wrinkle-free skin.
Not only does Coconut oil act as a natural moisturizing cleanser and killer of skin bacteria but it also is an effective sunscreen, blocking 20% of harmful sun rays because of the medium-chain fatty acids it contains. It can also be used against acne and also for alleviating baby’s diaper rash.
And in the tropics, coconut oil is applied on the hair to make it sleek, strong, supple and fragrant.
How about you – do you have any special tips for the inclusion of coconut oil in your diet and daily beauty regimen? Share your tips in the comments below
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