Coconut oil is a life saver! For those of you that may not know, Coconut oil has a multitude of health benefits, which include but are not limited to skin care, hair care, improving digestion and immunity against a host of infections and diseases.
1. Skincare
Coconut oil can be used as a massage oil that acts as an effective moisturizer on all skin types. Unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any harmful side effects on the skin from the application of coconut oil. Therefore, it is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking. It also delays the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
It helps prevent premature aging due to its well-known antioxidant properties. It also helps in treating various skin problems (psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections). Coconut oil is the base ingredient of numerous body care products like soaps, lotions, and creams that are used for skin care.
2. Hair care
Coconut oil helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shine. It is also highly effective in reducing protein loss, which can lead to various unpleasant or unhealthy qualities in your hair. It is used as hair care oil and in manufacturing various conditioners and dandruff relief creams.
It can be used as a conditioner and helps the re-growth process of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing and healing damaged hair.
3. Heart Disease
Coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50 percent lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Study suggests that intake of coconut oil may help to maintain healthy lipid profiles in pre-menopausal women.
4. Weight Loss
Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. Research suggests that coconut oil helps to reduce abdominal obesity in women. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system. Further, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people lose the weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who use coconut oil every day as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
5. Immunity
It strengthens the immune system because it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which research has supported as an effective way to deal with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases like herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. Coconut oil helps in fighting harmful bacteria like listeria monocyte genes and helicobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.
6. Digestion
Internal functions of coconut oil occur primarily due to it being used as cooking oil. It helps to improve the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have antimicrobial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can cause indigestion. It also helps in the absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
7. Healing and Infections
When applied to infected areas, coconut oil forms a chemical layer that protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Coconut oil is highly effective on bruises because it speeds up the healing process of damaged tissues.
According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills the viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, and other serious health risks. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. Finally, coconut oil is also effective in the elimination of fungi and yeast that cause ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, and diaper rash.
Coconut oil is strongly recommended for a number of other benefits that are explained below:
