Top 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

The late-night tel champi malish of warm coconut oil from your grandmother or mother and listening to the stories of the long and voluminous hair was one of our favourite childhood pastimes, until too much exposure to modern-era serums, lotions, hair gels, and much more. Back then we use to rub coconut oil on the roots of the hair and massage it gently until it was absorbed. We used to become relaxed, wondering if the magic was in the fingers or the coconut oil!!

Coconut oil has been making a buzz in recent years, not only in the aesthetic industry but also in the food industry. The use of coconut oil in India is not new, especially in Southern India. Natives of southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh use coconut oil as a core edible oil from ancient times.  Even in leading countries like England and the United States, people have started using this no-cholesterol, no-fibre oil in various forms like edible oil and coconut butter. 

What is Coconut oil?

Many of us know coconut oil as a hair oil but it is more than that! Alexander P. Ashbourne invented coconut oil and received a patent on August 21, 1877. But the use of coconut oil is evident well before that also and existed before 3960 years ago. In India, Ayurveda addressed this magic oil for various purposes such as body, skin, and cooking. 

Coconut oil is extracted by pressing the fresh coconut flesh or dried coconut meat which is also referred to as ‘Copra’. There are mainly two types of coconut oil – virgin and refined and both differ in what form of coconut they use. Virgin coconut oil is made up of fresh coconut, whereas refined coconut oil uses copra or dried coconut in manufacturing. This difference boasts the taste and aroma of a virgin over refined coconut oil. 

However, apart from these two we also have organic wooden cold-pressed coconut oil available in the market. It is the purest coconut oil, naturally prepared using organic seeds and coconuts with a traditionally low-temperature process and with less or zero heat consumption. This oil doesn’t contain any harmful solvent residues and is most suitable than refined oils, as it is a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. With this unique manufacturing mechanism, cold-pressed coconut oil retains health and nutritional properties, including Vitamin E and beta carotene.

What Is the Nutrition Profile Of The Coconut Oil?

The white flesh of the coconut is composed of minerals like potassium, iron, and magnesium. The oil extracted from the flesh contains less amount of Vitamin E, K, and other minerals. Let’s learn the detailed figures that illustrate coconut nutrition:

Figures per 1 tablespoon of serving:

• Calories 104

• Fat 11.5 grams

• Protein 0 grams (g)

• Saturated fat 9.6 grams

• Carbs 0 grams

What Are The Top 10 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil?

Using coconut oil for hair is the most common, we all know! Rubbing warm coconut oil on the roots of hair may improve shine and growth as it penetrates the scalp better than other oil. The oil is considered as best for improving flexibility and reducing the breakage of hair strands when applied frequently. But this is not all, coconut oil serves different purposes and is beneficial for human body organs. Let’s start counting the top 10 coconut oil benefits that will nourish our body internally and externally too:

If you keenly look into the food industry, you observe that coconut oil is gaining the standard of superfood because it has no cholesterol and fibre content. Moreover, cooking and consuming the medium-chain fatty acids present in coconut oil can help in the burning of fats in adults. It is also observed that this acid may bring positive effects on our heart and brain health. These facts have boosted the popularity of oil.

Coconut oil’s skin benefits cover various skin-related problems like skin irritation, improving the texture of the skin, and skin inflammation. One can retain and improve the moisture content of the dry skin, preventing excessive water loss and guarding the skin against exterior factors.

One of the most important benefits of coconut oil is it helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals in the gut. It may also enhance bone volume and structure, improving the body’s capability of absorbing certain minerals like calcium and magnesium, which play an important role in bone development.

The difference between coconut oil and other oils is that other oils remain on the surface of the hair, but coconut oil penetrates deeper and makes the hair soft and smoother. Not only for the hair but the use of coconut oil for the face is also well known. The outstanding moisturizing properties can restore damaged skin and help to give a radiant glow back. Also, this oil is enriched in vitamin E, which will readily get absorbed into the skin.

Shade your extra kilos by replacing the long-chain triglycerides with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) present in the coconut oil in your diet. These MCTs increase energy expenditure by up to 5% affecting the weight scale by 100-120 calories each day. Although it may seem like small figures, but can show a significant effect over the period.

Achieve the best dental health by using coconut oil as a mouthwash. Through the process of oil pulling, one can reduce harmful bacteria with the help of the antibacterial properties of lauric acid. Also, this acid reacts with saliva and forms a soap-like substance to prevent cavities, plaque build-up, and gum inflammation.

Ketones present in coconut oil may offset the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s and energize the brain cells with additional sources. However, researchers are working on proving the potential help of the oil in this disease.

The MCTs present in coconut oil may help to boost the levels of good cholesterol or HDL. This may have a positive effect on entire cardiovascular health when consumed in the right proportion and with the advice of your health practitioner.

Enriched with antioxidant properties, organic wooden cold-pressed coconut oil can play a significant role in reducing stress levels resulting from chronic colds and exercise. It is also observed that plant-based foods provide antioxidants that may help in improving mental conditions in issues like depression and anxiety.

Coconut oil is house to several health benefits and is offered several in-built features like antiviral, antithrombotic, antibacterial, and antifungal. With this oil, one can get help in reducing blood clots, and fighting several lipid-coated viruses like influenza and Epstein-Barr.

 The use of coconut and coconut oil is not a new discovery. But it is surging in popularity as a healthy superfood after being trolled for its high saturated fat content. Spanning the diverse canvas of coconut oil uses, this oil touches several aspects like cooking, biofuel, antimicrobial agent, personal care ingredient, and others. Apart from hair care, pamper yourself with this nature’s elixir and be ready to secure complete health benefits. Get connected with us for organically harvested pure coconut oil!

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