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Seeds for Change Wellness
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Holistic Health Effects & Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil
Holistic Health Effects & Benefits Of Virgin Coconut Oil
Source January 17, 2007
Introduction:
For more than a decade, coconut oil has been used as a vital source of food for health and general
well-being. Although once blindly labeled as a “bad fat” because of its saturated contents, many recent
researches have found out that coconut oil possesses the nutrients necessary to maintain a well
balanced and nutritious diet. It first gained popularity in traditional communities, particularly those of
tropical regions where coconut palm trees thrive best. And, now with a number of benefits it can offer,
the coconut oil is now highly considered as the healthiest oil you can consume on earth.
What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
The virgin coconut oil is in the first place a truly unrefined coconut oil. The testing involved is usually
done by shredding the fresh coconut meat and then cold-pressed to make a coconut milk. The milk is
then fermented usually for 24 to 36 hours, and the virgin coconut oil is separated and filtered from the
curds. Since this coconut oil is “virgin” or “unrefined”, no chemical or whatever high-heat treatment is
used, making the virgin coconut oil free from any trans fatty acids.
What are the Health Benefits of Coconut Oil?
There is a widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for everyone because it is said to raise
blood cholesterol and trigger the onset of heart disease. The truth is, not all saturated fats are bad.
Coconut oil possesses a number of benefits that modern researches have just discovered. One of
those is the fact that coconut oil boosts its lauric acid content, a nutrient that plays a great role in
balancing the body’s immune system. It is the lauric acid which acts to destroy the lipid membrane of
the enveloped viruses, yeast, fungi, and bacteria in the body. Recent researches even found out that
lauric acid, also found in the human breast milk has the potential for treating AIDS and other
degenerative disorders.
What is the Normal Dosage of Coconut Oil?
The coconut oil, being considered as the healthiest oil, is now primarily used in cooking purposes and
is one of the main ingredients contained in some grocery items like lotions and creams. But generally,
experts suggest that for a balanced diet, adults must include coconut oil for about 3.5 tablespoons per
day in their diet.
What about Coconut Oil and Thyroid?
One of the most debated issues that surround the health industry today is the coconut oil and thyroid
relationship. According to some studies, coconut oil is very good for thyroid health. It plays a great role
in treating and preventing thyroid diseases, either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Well, as far as I
have known it, this issue first came out in 2003 when the Woman’s World, a tabloid magazine covered
the story. Certain reports, backed up by some reasonable findings, have noted that the cholesterol-
lowering ability of coconut oil helps to treat thyroid problems. However, without vivid explanation, the
issue remains as a favorite subject of debate up to these days.
What about Coconut Oil and Weight Loss?
Once blindly labeled as “bad”, the coconut oil is now considered as very potent and the safest dietary
oil for weight loss. It is even deemed as the weight loss secret of the tropics.
The idea behind the claim that coconut oil plays a large role in weight loss basically stemmed from the
fact that coconut oil is composed of healthy medium-chain fatty acids (MCT). Although a highly
saturated fat, these fatty acids of the coconut oil do not circulate in the bloodstream like what most fats
do, instead they are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into a form of
energy. So rather than being stored as body fat, the fatty acids of coconut oil is used to produce
energy.
There are numerous researches conducted to support such claim. One of those is the study conducted
in Yucatan where coconut oil is a staple. In the study, it was found out that the metabolic rates (the
major keys to healthy weight management) of people living in the Yucatan area were 25 percent higher
than in comparable test subjects living in the United States. The result then accounts for the leanness
of people living in the tropics where the oil is consumed on a daily basis.
Another study conducted on animals showed the role that the coconut oil has been playing in weight
loss. In this study, farmers who tried to dish up coconut oil to fatten their animals found out that it made
them lean and more active instead. In addition, those who consume oil consistently for several weeks
often report an increase in energy, better sleep patterns, an enhanced sense of well-being, and of
course weight loss.
What about Coconut Oil and Cooking?
Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking. Many people have claimed that coconut oil is best for
cooking as it plays a very unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. As
what numerous studies have found out, the use of coconut oil in cooking may boost metabolism and
prevent the onset of degenerative diseases that have manifested in our bodies through the highly
refined diet of the modern age.
There is one particular reason for using coconut oil in cooking, that is, the coconut oil is stable enough
to resist heat-induced damage and so healthy that it helps you to lose weight, prevent heart disease,
and lower cholesterol. And, unlike the olive oil, which has been portrayed by media as the healthiest oil,
the coconut oil has its lauric acid that can be used by the body to make the same disease-fighting fatty
acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they obtain from their mother’s milk. It
even contains no trans-fats which are highly found in vegetable oils, margarine, olive oils, shortening,
and more.
Conclusion
As far as evidences have revealed, coconut oil holds many benefits that are obtainable from no other
source. It plays a large role in weight loss, and even in thyroid health. It contributes to greater oxidation
and free radicals in the body or supports the overall immune functions, making it a very potential
warrior for fighting the symptoms of digestive and other degenerative disorders.
Having said and known all these, it is now easy for us to say that coconut oil deserves holding the title
of being the healthiest and the safest dietary oil in the world. It is now available in many stores
worldwide and it has been the favorite of most dieters, athletes, and body builders.
Source January 17, 2007
Introduction:
For more than a decade, coconut oil has been used as a vital source of food for health and general
well-being. Although once blindly labeled as a “bad fat” because of its saturated contents, many recent
researches have found out that coconut oil possesses the nutrients necessary to maintain a well
balanced and nutritious diet. It first gained popularity in traditional communities, particularly those of
tropical regions where coconut palm trees thrive best. And, now with a number of benefits it can offer,
the coconut oil is now highly considered as the healthiest oil you can consume on earth.
What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
The virgin coconut oil is in the first place a truly unrefined coconut oil. The testing involved is usually
done by shredding the fresh coconut meat and then cold-pressed to make a coconut milk. The milk is
then fermented usually for 24 to 36 hours, and the virgin coconut oil is separated and filtered from the
curds. Since this coconut oil is “virgin” or “unrefined”, no chemical or whatever high-heat treatment is
used, making the virgin coconut oil free from any trans fatty acids.
What are the Health Benefits of Coconut Oil?
There is a widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for everyone because it is said to raise
blood cholesterol and trigger the onset of heart disease. The truth is, not all saturated fats are bad.
Coconut oil possesses a number of benefits that modern researches have just discovered. One of
those is the fact that coconut oil boosts its lauric acid content, a nutrient that plays a great role in
balancing the body’s immune system. It is the lauric acid which acts to destroy the lipid membrane of
the enveloped viruses, yeast, fungi, and bacteria in the body. Recent researches even found out that
lauric acid, also found in the human breast milk has the potential for treating AIDS and other
degenerative disorders.
What is the Normal Dosage of Coconut Oil?
The coconut oil, being considered as the healthiest oil, is now primarily used in cooking purposes and
is one of the main ingredients contained in some grocery items like lotions and creams. But generally,
experts suggest that for a balanced diet, adults must include coconut oil for about 3.5 tablespoons per
day in their diet.
What about Coconut Oil and Thyroid?
One of the most debated issues that surround the health industry today is the coconut oil and thyroid
relationship. According to some studies, coconut oil is very good for thyroid health. It plays a great role
in treating and preventing thyroid diseases, either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Well, as far as I
have known it, this issue first came out in 2003 when the Woman’s World, a tabloid magazine covered
the story. Certain reports, backed up by some reasonable findings, have noted that the cholesterol-
lowering ability of coconut oil helps to treat thyroid problems. However, without vivid explanation, the
issue remains as a favorite subject of debate up to these days.
What about Coconut Oil and Weight Loss?
Once blindly labeled as “bad”, the coconut oil is now considered as very potent and the safest dietary
oil for weight loss. It is even deemed as the weight loss secret of the tropics.
The idea behind the claim that coconut oil plays a large role in weight loss basically stemmed from the
fact that coconut oil is composed of healthy medium-chain fatty acids (MCT). Although a highly
saturated fat, these fatty acids of the coconut oil do not circulate in the bloodstream like what most fats
do, instead they are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into a form of
energy. So rather than being stored as body fat, the fatty acids of coconut oil is used to produce
energy.
There are numerous researches conducted to support such claim. One of those is the study conducted
in Yucatan where coconut oil is a staple. In the study, it was found out that the metabolic rates (the
major keys to healthy weight management) of people living in the Yucatan area were 25 percent higher
than in comparable test subjects living in the United States. The result then accounts for the leanness
of people living in the tropics where the oil is consumed on a daily basis.
Another study conducted on animals showed the role that the coconut oil has been playing in weight
loss. In this study, farmers who tried to dish up coconut oil to fatten their animals found out that it made
them lean and more active instead. In addition, those who consume oil consistently for several weeks
often report an increase in energy, better sleep patterns, an enhanced sense of well-being, and of
course weight loss.
What about Coconut Oil and Cooking?
Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking. Many people have claimed that coconut oil is best for
cooking as it plays a very unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. As
what numerous studies have found out, the use of coconut oil in cooking may boost metabolism and
prevent the onset of degenerative diseases that have manifested in our bodies through the highly
refined diet of the modern age.
There is one particular reason for using coconut oil in cooking, that is, the coconut oil is stable enough
to resist heat-induced damage and so healthy that it helps you to lose weight, prevent heart disease,
and lower cholesterol. And, unlike the olive oil, which has been portrayed by media as the healthiest oil,
the coconut oil has its lauric acid that can be used by the body to make the same disease-fighting fatty
acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they obtain from their mother’s milk. It
even contains no trans-fats which are highly found in vegetable oils, margarine, olive oils, shortening,
and more.
Conclusion
As far as evidences have revealed, coconut oil holds many benefits that are obtainable from no other
source. It plays a large role in weight loss, and even in thyroid health. It contributes to greater oxidation
and free radicals in the body or supports the overall immune functions, making it a very potential
warrior for fighting the symptoms of digestive and other degenerative disorders.
Having said and known all these, it is now easy for us to say that coconut oil deserves holding the title
of being the healthiest and the safest dietary oil in the world. It is now available in many stores
worldwide and it has been the favorite of most dieters, athletes, and body builders.