Coconut oil: its benefits beyond fashion

He coconut oilIt is used as a regular food in countries like thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. It also has a traditional therapeutic use. In the Fiji islands, for example, it is used to prevent hair loss, and in Haiti and Indonesia to treat burns and wounds.

How is it produced? Formerly it was obtained by fermentation of fresh coconut milkbut this method, apparently impractical, is no longer used and most of the oil is obtained today from the copra (the dried meat of the coconut) through a refining, deodorizing and bleaching process that results in high levels of free fatty acids and partial hydrogenation.

The above method is therefore not healthy. But there is another who is and who gets virgin coconut oilwhich is nothing more than the oil obtained from the fresh and ripe coconut meat by mechanical or natural means, with or without the use of heat and without chemical refining processes.

In this way, an unaltered oil is obtained that preserves its nutritional value (vitamins and minerals) and its content of beneficial biologically active substances.

1. What kind of fat is coconut oil?

Coconut oil has gone from being next to the harmful fats (because it increased the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its high saturated fat content), to succeed as healthy fat.

There is increasing scientific evidence that the fats found in virgin coconut oil play an important role in health, since can improve cholesterol levels and are recommended for cardiovascular health and overall.

Saturated fat has been linked to increased cholesterol, but recent studies indicate that the medium-chain saturated fatty acids in virgin coconut lower total cholesterolincrease the good (HDL) and prevent the LDL turns into a harmful form.

2. What types of coconut oil are there and which are best?

Virgin coconut oil has 99.9% fatty acids, of which 91.9% are saturated. The rest are distributed in 6.4% monounsaturated fatty acids and 1.5% polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Virgin coconut oil, being of vegetable origin, does not contain cholesterol.

It is important to read the label: it has to say that it is virgin coconut oil. This will already be telling us that it is an oil that has not been refined or bleached and that it retains its nutrients and bioactive components.

And if it’s organic, even better.

3. Coconut oil: what benefits does it have for your health?

Thanks to its content in lauric, capric, caprylic acids and polyphenols, has antiviral and antimicrobial properties.

Helps fight bacteria Helicobacter pylori –related to the gastritisthe ulcers and the stomach cancer– and it is active against candida species, so it is interesting against fungal infections.

4. Can it be used to fry?

The melting point of coconut oil is 182 ̊C, so can be used perfectly. Being a saturated fat, it is more stable than some unsaturated vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil.

5. Why is it recommended to lose weight?

It is included in diets for its amount of medium chain fats that stimulate energy metabolism and exert a “thermogenic” effect (help burn fat).

It has also been seen to be a satiating fat and that it can be of help in the belly fat reduction.

6. Does it fight Alzheimer’s and other diseases?

Coconut oil attenuates, in studies in vitrothe effects of a beta-amyloid peptide related to cognitive damage associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Its medium-chain fats appear to compensate for mitochondrial dysfunction by being metabolized.

7. Can be used for both hair and skin

Applied to the hair (let it act for a few minutes while you massage it), helps healthy hair growth since it shines As a massage oil, it has many properties for the skin. Is moisturizing and softeningand helps in case of dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema.

It also slows down the appearance of wrinkles and sagging.

8. What relationship does it have with inflammation?

A 2016 study found that the supplementationwith 2 g of virgin coconut oil daily reduces markers of acute inflammationthe initial process of the body to protect itself against an imbalance or pathogens and that involves symptoms such as fever, pain or rash, among others.

9. How much coconut oil can we consume?

The amount depends on each person and the objective, but on average, 30-40 ml a day.

10. How is it used in the kitchen?

With it we can cook all kinds of vegetables. Or we can add it (one or two teaspoons) to morning coffee or tea. And it’s also great for make healthy desserts.