HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL
1)
Coconut oil is different from any other oil used in America.
All common American oils are made from seeds like soybeans, canola (rapeseeds), almonds, sesame seeds, safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
These seed oils are predominately made of triglycerides containing long chain
fatty acids. Once eaten, these long chain fatty acids need to be emulsified by
bile salts. (Bile salts are produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder and
dumped into the small intestine as needed for digestion. They are the emulsifying agents that draw the fats into the agueous food solutions of the intestinal tract where lipase, a digestive enzyme can work on them. The long
chain fatty acids are now broken down into triglycerides made of 14 carbon
atoms. This is the standard “energy storage unit” for the body. We call it body
fat. All carbohydrates eaten in excess of energy requirements are also converted into these 14 carbon chain triglycerides. They are bound to HDL and
LDL in the bloodstream and then transported into storage.
Since coconut oil contains mostly 8 to 10 and 12 carbon chain triglycerides
(medium chain triglycerides), instead of being digested and traveling in the blood
stream it is directly absorbed into the portal vein and goes into the liver without
requiring lipase or bile salts for digestion. In the liver theses medium chain
triglycerides (MCTs) support the immune system and help to cleanse the body of. pathogens, toxins, etc. These supportive actions continue on as the MCI’s travel through the lymphatic system to the cells of the body.
Since the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil do not travel in the blood
stream they have never been shown to contribute to heart disease, provided the
oil has not been hydrogenated. People without gall bladders or who cannot
digest food well, especially people who cannot digest fats (such as people with
cystic fibrosis) can and will thrive on coconut oil. Doctors doing research have
known for a long time that the elderly, the invalids, and the very young thrive
on formulas given them that contain coconut oil. Products like baby formula and
Ensure used to be made with coconut oil. Sadly, even these items have fallen
victim to the propaganda we have received over the last 50 years.
2)
As the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil travel throughout the body they
are anti-microbial compounds. For example, Lauric acid, which makes
up about 50% of the coconut oil becomes 2 mono-lauren, 2-mono-lauren
dissolves the lipid envelope that protects most pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
It also attacks pathogenic yeast and parasites. Lauric acid contained in a human mother’s breast milk is the major reason nursing infants have a high resistance to getting sick. Lauric acid in the diet will have the same effect, regardless of age. Its anti-microbial properties have been helping people for
thousand of years.
3) Coconut oil, because it is smaller than the standard storage unit is burned for
energy rather than stored. This tends to increase the bodies metabolism.
People with under-active thyroid glands often discover their basal temperature
becomes normal from coconut oil use. Elderly Americans and many others
with low energy notice they have energy again and a sense of well being they
did not realize they had lost. Unlike other energy the cell receives, the medium
chain fatty acids do not require insulin. Most people in the US have some
degree of insulin resistance. Most people as they age, even though they are
eating, do not feel they are getting energy from their food. The reason
for many people is insulin resistance. The good news is that if a person has
coconut oil or coconut products in their diet, the fats will be used as energy and
that energy is not dependent on the insulin system working. Therefore, diabetics
can get good energy into their cells without insulin and people who take naps,
or think they need naps in the middle of the afternoon, have energy again. Low
carb dieters, as well, can eat their low carbohydrate meals but have the energy
they would otherwise have received from carbohydrates.
4) Lastly, on the skin the medium chain fatty acids in the coconut oil are identical
to the medium chain fatty acids found in sebum. Normal flora that lives on our
skin and keeps it healthy will actually live on the glycerol unit of the
triglycerides, creating free fatty acids identical to those found in sebum. This
allows the skin to have a slightly acidic ph ideal for keeping pathogens away
and keeping the skin healthy. For people with dandruff or red spot on their
scalp you just douse the scalp with coconut oil and leave it for about 20 minutes.
Then shampoo at least twice. This works better than tea tree oil shampoo from
the health food store or anything else you have probably tried. If you have red
spots on your skin, try it there as well. If you need a little more oomph, add a
drop or two of lemon or lavender essential oil to the coconut oil. Many people
get out of the shower and reach for their little pot of coconut oil. They just dab
on and spread it all over, very lightly. A number of customers have discovered
that if they do this they eventually do not have to use deodorant.
For Your Information……
Excerpt from “The Maker’s Diet”
By Jordan S. Rubin
The olive branch has symbolized peace throughout history, and olives and olive
oil have been used as powerful remedies for a wide variety of ills. Olive oil is
one of the most digestible of all fats. A diet rich in olive oil contributes to
longevity and reduces the wear and tear of aging on the body tissues, organs,
and the brain. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, and it can protect
against stomach ulcers.
I believe high-quality extra virgin olive oil should not be used in cooking as
Some of the nutrients in olive oil become less effective when heated. I
recommend that it be mixed into food once it has cooked.