Virgin Coconut Oil – Like Mother’s Milk

Virgin Coconut Oil was the most popular household oil in US until the disruption of its supply during the 1930s and 1940s. The supply cutoff provided the vegetable oil industry an opportunity to form a joint front along with the Healthcare Industry, and launch a campaign to demonize the coconut oil and promote vegetable oils as substitute for it.

While the oil industry was able to take over almost the entire market share, the healthcare industry benefited with a steady stream of “customers” – unhealthy vegetable oils, especially hydrogenated oils and trans fats, contributed in increasing all types of chronic diseases along with a hefty mark up in the waistline of the population.

As the health conscious people are becoming aware of the benefit of virgin coconut oil, the healthcare industry is getting nervous – Its double-digit growth must go on unhindered. It has battalions of health professionals, authors and magicians available to attack and demonized the coconut oil. Lately, the vested interests have prompted the doctor of the “Land-of-Oz” to also join the smear campaign against the coconut oil.

Dr. OZ conveniently forgot to mention that the past researches cited were carried out on the hydrogenated coconut oil and not on virgin coconut oil – any oil that is hydrogenated is hazardous to health.

Touted Vegetable Oils – Not Healthy

The Vegetable oils like corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils – they cause havoc to human body, and become more toxic when heated. One study reported that these polyunsaturated oils turn to a varnish like substance in the intestines. A study by a plastic surgeon found that women who consumed mostly vegetable oils had far more wrinkles than those who used traditional animal fats. A 1994 study appearing in the “Lancet”  showed that almost three quarters of the fat in artery clogs is unsaturated. The “artery clogging” fats are not animal fats but vegetable oils.

Mary Enig, PhD, a nutritionist who reviews research on and writes articles about the nutritional aspects of fats sates, “Those who have most actively promoted the use of polyunsaturated vegetable oils as part of a Prudent Diet are well aware of their dangers. In 1971, William B. Kannel, former director of the Framingham study, warned against including too many polyunsaturates in the diet. A year earlier, Dr. William Connor of the American Heart Association issued a similar warning, and Frederick Stare reviewed an article which reported that the use of polyunsaturated oils caused an increase in breast tumors. And Kritchevsky, way back in 1969, discovered that the use of corn oil caused an increase in atherosclerosis.”

Coconut Oil – A Healthy Food

Coconut Oil is a superbly nutritious and safe food that not only provides energy and nutrients by itself, but also by promoting the absorption of other foods, particularly fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and minerals. While it is a food, it is also an immune booster and a tonic. It supports body’s defense mechanism and restores structural integrity of the cells. It guards the body against the attack of viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi, protozoa and worms. It is an antibody with the widest spectrum of action of all antipathogens.

It is an immunoregulator and a function regulator. It enhances body’s capacity to work better, metabolize better, defend better and heal better. It has therapeutic effect in supporting the body against the debilitating diseases like diabetes, asthma, atherosclerosis, hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s and cancer.

Coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up due to its medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) – the closest to those found in human breast milk that nature provides. Coconut oil is nature’s richest source of these healthy MCFAs – comprising more than 65% of the fat. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are more easily digested than fats found in most common vegetable or seed oils, which are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs).

These LCFAs found in common oils are difficult for the body to break down, as they must be combined with lipoproteins that require special enzymes for digestion. Naturally, these LCFAs put more strain on the pancreas, the liver and the entire digestive system.

LCFAs are predominantly stored in the body as fat and, as such, can be deposited within arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol. They nearly always go to fat storage in the body and promote fattening.

But, on the other hand, the MCFAs in coconut oil are health promoting. They do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by the body. Hence, they are easily digested thus, putting less strain on the digestive system.

MCFAs are processed directly in the liver and easily converted into energy. There is therefore less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system and, being easily digested, they also tend to improve the absorption of other nutrients.

MCFAs in coconut oil help stimulate body’s metabolism, leading to weight loss while providing more energy.
The long list of benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of Lauric Acid, which forms more than 50% of the

MCFAs, and Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic acid and Palmitic. Lauric acid is what gives the coconut oil its mother’s milk like protective qualities.

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin – the actual compound responsible for helping to strengthen the immune system. It helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and AIDS. It provides defense against harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Specific Benefits and Applications of Virgin Coconut Oil

Heart Diseases: Coconut oil is highly beneficial for the cardio vascular system. It helps in strengthening the heart’s muscular structures. MCFAs in coconut oil help in preventing various heart problems including arterial plaque and high blood pressure.

Immune System: With heavy concentration of Lauric Acid, Capric acid and Caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral properties, coconut oil strengthens the immune system. Monolaurin, converted by the human body from the lauric acid, helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing many debilitating infectious diseases.

Coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, etc. Coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of people suffering from HIV and cancer.

Enhanced Metabolism and Energy: MCFAs in Coconut oil enhances body’s metabolism and, hence, it helps in taking off excessive weight while providing more energy to body. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems and removes stress on pancreases and liver. It is a remedy for treating pancreatitis.

It also helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes. For this reason, coconut oil is preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting.

Diabetes: Coconut oil is a natural remedy in controlling blood sugar. It improves the secretion of insulin and also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Liver, Kidney and Gall Bladder Health: MCFAs in coconut oil reduce workload on the liver and support its function by preventing accumulation of fat. Coconut oil also helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It is a remedy in dissolving kidney stones.

Bone Health: Coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb the needed minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are necessary for development and maintaining the density of bones. Coconut oil is very useful in preventing osteoporosis in women in their advanced age.

Hair Health: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair, helps in healthy growth of hair and gives a shinny luster. Massage head twice a week and leave overnight to for the best befit.

Skin Care: Coconut oil is an excellent nourishing ointment for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins. It is safe and non-allergenic. It prevents skin damage and wrinkling due to age and environment. It helps in healing and repairing the scar tissues and in treating skin problems like psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.

Healing Wounds & Burns: Coconut Oil, cold pressed from Fresh Coconuts, has amazing healing properties. It promotes fast healing and recovery from cuts and burns, provides protection against fungi, bacteria and viruses, and speeds up the healing process by repairing the damaged tissues. I have recommended it to people I work with, and have personally applied it on the infectious wounds and burns which were not responding to conventional drugs and antiseptic creams – Amazing to see the fast healing and recovery. For the best result, I recommend mixing 1 tea spoon of Turmeric powder with 1 oz of coconut oil.

 

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Note: All these benefit are related to the Virgin Coconut Oil. Commercially processed or hydrogenated oil is not only deprived of any nutrition, it is hazardous for human body.

Suggestions: I recommend incorporating 2-3 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (uncooked and unheated) daily in your diet – It tastes delicious on toast, rice and lentils. It can be safely given to babies. Depending on the age of the child, add one-half to two teaspoon of virgin coconut oil a day to their food.

Proven Applications: Mix 2-teaspoon full of Turmeric Powder in half cup of coconut oil and 1-tablespoon of Virgin Olive Oil and keep refrigerated in a tight jar for application on wounds and burns (no need to apply on fresh minor cuts) to accelerate the healing and prevent infection. Coconut oil helps heal the scar tissues (i.e. no scar marks).

This mix is also fantastic for application as Suppositories (give shape when somewhat frozen and let it harden in the freezer) to heal rectal swelling, discomfort and hemorrhoids – Be aware of the turmeric color, though