Here is How Virgin Coconut Oil Can Improve Your Health and Help You Lose Weight

Here is How Virgin Coconut Oil Can Improve Your Health and Help You Lose Weight

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of the coconut from the coconut tree which is native to tropical parts of the world like East Africa, SE Asia and the Asian subcontinent.

coconut plant

The Coconut Tree

Coconut oil has been used for cooking for centuries in Asia, but in the Western world, its health benefits have only been recognized in the past few decades. Coconuts are often considered to be a “Super” foods due to their diverse uses. In the early 1970s, it was observed that the health of many people who regularly consumed coconuts was markedly better than those who did not consume coconuts. This observation led to more detailed research into the benefits of coconuts. Today,  there is overwhelming evidence that when taken in moderation, coconut oil has many health benefits.

What are the health benefits of coconut oil?

The coconut oil has been used as a flavoring agent in cooking for centuries. But now we know that  coconut oil can also be used to treat certain health conditions and improve health overall.

Research shows that coconut oil:

  • Enhances brain function, improves cognition, concentration and memory
  • Delays the progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
  • Decreases blood cholesterol
  • Lowers blood sugar levels
  • Decreases body weight and helps burn fat
  • Builds immunity and prevents viral and bacterial infections

Coconut oil and weight loss

There is also ample evidence today showing that coconut oil can help with weight loss. [1][2][3][4] Coconut oil:

  • Suppresses fat accumulation by down-regulating fat tissue forming genes
  • Increases loss of subcutaneous fat by affecting lipoprotein secretion and reducing the triglyceride response after a meal
  • Helps to prevent obesity by enhancing insulin sensitivity
  • Reduces intestinal injury and protects from liver toxicity

Coconut oil also improves skin health

Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer which is easily absorbed also through the skin. The oil can help soothe itching sensations of many skin conditions and while it reduces dry skin. Coconut oil has been shown to reduce the effects of:

  • Dermatitis – the easily absorbed oil acts as a moisturizer
  • Eczema –  the oil stops the itching and skin dryness
  • and Helps heal open wounds and reduces acne

Mode of action – How does coconut oil provide all of these benefits to our health?

It all has to do with its structure.

14% of Coconut oil is made of medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which, due to their size, passively cross from the digestive tract directly into the blood stream without needing energy for their absorption, without needing bile salts for their digestion and without needing modifications as long-chain fatty acids do for their use. MCT’s are also stored less efficiently than other fats.

All of these factors make coconut oil truly an amazing food for weight loss and improving overall health status.

Although coconut oil is rich in saturated fats, making this healthy food controversial, the saturated fat content actually allows it to oxidize much more slowly than other fats making it more resistant to rancidification. Also, virgin coconut oil has a very high smoke point (the temperature at which an oil starts smoking and starts releasing free radicals and a substance called acrolein, the chemical that gives burnt foods their burnt aroma). Therefore, coconut oil is less likely to be heated past its smoke point making it less likely to be come a harmful food as in the case of other healthy fats.

The disadvantages of overuse of coconut oil:

I recommend consuming coconut oil in moderation due to the fact that throughout human evolution, the human body has never been subjected to such high levels of fat as it is today. Our bodies cannot cope with large amounts of fats (although a little fat is necessary for our health).
Consumption of fats from whole-foods such as nuts (including whole coconut), avocado, natural seeds, and leafy green vegetables are the best way to satisfy all our fatty acid needs.

Use of coconut oil in cooking
However, due to the unique properties of coconut oil that I mentioned earlier, I choose to use a teaspoon to a tablespoon of coconut oil for all the dishes I prepare.

I also personally spread coconut oil on my facial skin daily as a moisturiser, and do not use any other commercial skin care products.

Coconut oil can also protect hair against damage therefore I also use it as a hair mask since it has been shown to reduce protein loss in hair [5]

And when I really need to replenish liquids, there is nothing better than the water straight from the coconut.

Coconut oil.

Liquid from coconut

I love this natural and very versatile food. It’s so amazing how much greatness can be in one plant.

Although rich in calories and saturated fat, I do recommend replacing other cooking oils with coconut oil due to its unique beneficial properties that can help with weight loss and the improvement of health.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you are serious about improving your health no matter what your age or circumstance are, and are ready to achieve better results with your weight loss attempts, guaranteed, then join my mailing list where you will receive my weekly newsletter with groundbreaking health, motivational content, recipes, supplement recommendations, easy workouts, as well as many FREE bonuses and special offers. Click HERE to subscribe. Or visit the Guerrilla Diet Website for my health advice, offers, programs and free information HERE.

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