5 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil (No#3 Will Surprise You!)

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Coconut Oil is one of the few foods that may be a genuine “Superfood”.

Coconut Oil’s combination of healthy fatty acids may have positive effects on health, fat loss, brain function, skin, hair and even dental health. (1),(2),(3),(6),(18).

Here are 5 Top Health Benefits of Coconut Oil:

1. Coconut Oil Can Increase Fat Burning

The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase the number of calories burned compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats (1).

A study found that 15-30 grams of MCT’s per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totalling about 120 calories per day (2).

Bottomline: The healthy fats in coconut oil have been shown to increase calories burned over 24 hours by as much as 5%. (2).

2. Coconut Oil Can Protect Skin, Teeth and Hair.

Coconut Oil also has also been shown to improve the appearance of healthy skin, teeth and hair. (3),(4),(6),(7),(8),(9).

Coconut oil can be applied topically, with studies showing it can be effective as a skin moisturizer. (3)

Studies on people with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture content of the skin. It may also reduce symptoms of eczema (3),(4).

Coconut oil can also be protective against hair damage and one study shows it may also be a weak sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (5, 6).

Another application for Coconut Oil is using it as a mouthwash in a process called oil pulling, which can clear some of the harmful bacteria in the mouth, improve dental health and reduce bad breath (7, 8, 9).

Bottomline: Coconut Oil can be effective as a skin moisturiser, hair conditioner and teeth cleaner. (3),(5),(6),(7)

3. Coconut Oil Is One Of The Few Healthy Cooking Oils And Is Not Cancer-Forming.

If you are going to heat, cook or fry your food, Coconut Oil is the cooking oil to consider.

Coconut oil has a unique high content of lauric acid, which makes up around 40% of its total fat content (10).

This makes coconut oil highly resistant to oxidation at high heat. For this reason, it is very suitable for high-heat cooking methods like frying (11).

When other cooking oils and fats are exposed to high heat, they can become damaged. This is particularly true of oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats, including most vegetable oils like soybean and canola.

When heated, they can form various harmful compounds, including lipid peroxides and aldehydes, which may contribute to cancer (12)(13).

When cooked, these oils can release some carcinogenic compounds that may contribute to lung cancer when inhaled. Simply standing in a kitchen as these oils are used can cause harm (14, 15).

If you want to minimize your exposure to potentially harmful and carcinogenic compounds, consider only cooking with fats and cooking oils that are stable at high heat. Coconut Oil can remain stable at high heat temperatures.

Bottomline: It is important to choose a cooking oil that is stable at high heat, as some oils can produce carcinogenic cancer-forming compounds during cooking. (12), (13),(14),(15).

4. Coconut Oil Can Raise the Healthy HDL Cholesterol

Coconut oil contains natural saturated fats that increase the good HDL cholesterol in your body. They may also help turn the bad LDL cholesterol into a less harmful form.

By increasing HDL, many experts believe that coconut oil could be good for heart health compared to many other fats.

In one study of 40 women, coconut oil reduced total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil (16).

Another study in 116 patients showed that a dietary program that included coconut oil raised levels of the good HDL cholesterol (17).

Bottomline: Studies have shown that coconut oil can raise blood levels of HDL cholesterol, which is linked to improved metabolic health and a lower risk of heart disease (16),(17),(19).

5. Coconut Oil Can Improve Brain Function

A 2006 Study, found the fatty acids in Coconut Oil may improve brain function in Alzheimer’s Patients (18).

Researchers have speculated that ketones can provide an alternative energy source for these malfunctioning brain cells and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s (19).

However, it is important to keep in mind more research still needs to be done and there is no evidence to suggest that coconut oil itself helps with Alzheimer’s disease.

Bottomline: Preliminary studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase blood levels of ketones, which may supply energy to brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients, relieving symptoms. More research is required. (18),(20).

Don’t Panic, Go Organic.

If you’d like the best health benefits from Coconut Oil, then make sure to choose organic, virgin coconut oil, not the refined stuff. You can get Coconut Oil from most good supermarkets and health food stores.

Bonus Tip: Replace unhealthy margarine spreads with Coconut Oil, they are about the same price, but only Coconut Oil provides the vital health benefits.

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Article Sources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25636220

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8654328

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15724344

(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24320105

(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22279374

(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094

(7) http://www.jisppd.com/article.asp?issn=0970-4388;year=2008;volume=26;issue=1;spage=12;epage=17;aulast=Asokan

(8) http://www.ijdr.in/article.asp?issn=0970-9290;year=2009;volume=20;issue=1;spage=47;epage=51;aulast=Asokan

(9) http://www.jisppd.com/article.asp?issn=0970-4388;year=2011;volume=29;issue=2;spage=90;epage=94;aulast=Asokan

(10) https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/