It’s one thing to be a Superfood, a term used to describe food products known for their superior health promotingqualities, but coconut oil takes it to the next level. Coconut oil is more than just nutrition. This super product has amazing medicinal properties and comes in handy as a natural substitute for a variety of different household and chemical-ridden products. If you’re looking to be healthy on a budget, here’s why you should be running out to buy some coconut oil to stockpile at your house. Here are 7 reasons why coconut oil is Nature’s miracle.

1) Safe & Nutritious Cooking

When you choose a cooking oil, you want to choose one that won’t be damaged by the heating process due to the high heats associated with cooking, frying, and baking. Almost all polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, sunflower and canola oils are damaged by heating and have been shown to cause many of the health challenges facing so many today (1). Coconut oil is one of the few oils that is not damaged when heated to the high temperatures used during cooking. First, 92 percent of its fat is saturated, making far more saturated than most other oils and fats (2). If you know anything about chemistry and atomic bonds, this explains why coconut oil is solid at room temperature and doesn’t go rancid quickly (2). This attribute also makes coconut oil attractive to many candy makers, who use it in products that don’t melt until they hit your mouth.

Other cooking choices, like corn, soy, sunflower, canola, and safflower oils undergo detrimental changes when heated to high temperatures. According to Dr. Mary Enig, world renowned expert on fat, coconut oil has a unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. The health and nutritional benefits that can be derived from consuming coconut oil have been recognized in many parts of the world for centuries.

2) Energy Boosting Snack

Coconut oil contains a unique form of saturated fats known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Unlike other saturated fats, MCTs or fatty acids (MCFA) provide an energy source for the body, rather than being stored as fat. This is why you see an increase in tiny single-use packets of coconut oil products popping up at health food stores. According to the Coconut Research Center:

“Eating foods containing MCT is like putting high octane fuel into your car. The car runs smoother and gets better gas mileage. Likewise, with MCT your body performs better because it has more energy and greater endurance. Because MCFA are funneled directly to the liver and converted into energy, the body gets a boost of energy. And because MCFA are easily absorbed by the energy-producing organelles of the cells, metabolism increases. This burst of energy has a stimulating effect on the entire body.”

On mornings when I need a pick-me-up, I prepare a coffee recipe I stole from the folks over at Bulletproof Executive for hours of sustained energy and concentration. I add cinnamon, cocoa, and a pinch of nutmeg to satisfy my sweet tooth.

3) Sunscreen

Here’s what remains to me as one of the most puzzling of supposed ‘facts’ circulating through mainstream media. The sun, our provider of life on Earth, has decided to flip us the bird and give us cancer. Hmmm. Why does this not surprise everyone else? How come animals don’t get skin cancer? Animals frolic around naked and bask in the sunlight—except for small dogs living in the purses of Beverly Hills—while we wear masks, umbrellas, and other articles of clothing in an attempt to protect against solar tyranny. It’s ironic that those most likely to get melanoma are office workers, whose impacted areas of the body rarely come in contact with direct sun exposure (3,4).

We are animals just like rest of the kingdom of Nature enjoying fun times in the sun. Instead, we wear sunscreen that has been shown to cause cancer (5) and prevents the absorption of Vitamin D, one of the critical players in cancer prevention (6); all while studying the genes of sharks for the amazing ability to get a beautiful tan without stressing about cancer (7). Sometimes we are a silly bunch. It says right on the sunscreen label DO NOT CONSUME. So why are we rubbing it on our skin? It’s getting absorbed into the body either way. Enjoy the chemical cocktail, via skin!

Back to coconut oil as a sunscreen. Say what?!?!? Oil as sun screen? Yes. A resounding yes. According to Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Virgin Coconut Oil – Nature’s Miracle Medicine, here’s what makes coconut oil an excellent choice for sun screen:

“one of the oldest uses for coconut oil is as a sunscreen / suntan lotion. Islanders have been using coconut oil for this purpose for thousands of years. In the tropics where the climate is hot, islanders traditionally wore little clothing so that they could keep themselves cool. To protect themselves from the burning rays of the hot tropical sun they applied a thin layer of coconut oil over their entire body. This would protect them from sunburn, improve skin tone and help keep annoying insects away.

Coconut oil was applied on the skin daily. When a mother gave birth one of the first things she would do is to rub coconut oil all over her newborn. Every day coconut oil would be used on the skin. As the children got older they applied the oil themselves. They would continue this practice throughout their lifetime up until the day they died. Many islanders, even today, carry on this practice.”

The first commercial suntan and sunscreen lotions contained coconut oil as their primary ingredient. Even today many sunscreen lotions include coconut oil in their formulas. Coconut oil has an amazing ability to heal the skin and block the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun. One of the reasons why it is so effective in protecting the skin is its antioxidant properties, which helps prevent burning and oxidative damage that promotes skin cancer”

And the answer to your question is: No, I DO NOT wear sunscreen. If I do get a little burned, guess what I use as sunburn ointment? Yup, coconut oil…

4) Boosts Immune Function

Digested coconut oil can attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick (8). Try rubbing a coat of coconut oil on your teeth after you floss and brush your teeth for extra healing and protection as you sleep.

The potential for coconut oil and its properties as one of the most effective tools for individuals seeking proactive healthy lifestyle options is countless. Various doctors and specialists have touted coconut oil’s anti-microbial properties (9), but recent discussions have occurred on the potential for treating/preventing Alzheimer ’s (10) as well as heart disease and other inflammation related disease (11).

If health and longevity don’t spark your interest, then here’s something for all of you seeking 6-pack abs. Consumption of coconut oil supports weight loss and promotes the reduction of abdominal obesity (12).

5) Healthy Skin and Hair

Coconut oil turns out to be great for your skin and hair as well. It bonds with the hair follicles, making them stronger and darker. The unique fatty acids in coconut oil have a small molecular structure and pass freely into the hair’s cell membrane, allowing for the oil to penetrate the hair’s shaft, which literally brings out the deep conditioning from within compared to other conditioners that work from the outside-in (13).

Coconut oil is an excellent skin conditioner that moisturizes and acts as a protective barrier against environmental and free radical damage. Coconut oil is rich in anti-oxidants and bursting with natural microbial and antibacterial agents (13). Its ability to smooth the skin while infusing it with anti-oxidants makes it a perfect anti-aging moisturizer and perfect for wrinkles, scars, and stretch marks.

6) Bug Repellent… and pretty much everything else.

I loved living down South in Louisiana for a year. The only thing I could have surely lived without was the tennis ball-sized mosquitoes that could have been leashed and kept as pets, though I think the volume of blood required to keep a mosquito that size satiated could fill a children’s pool. Had I known that coconut oil can serve as mosquito and bug repellent I could have saved my skin from the harmful chemicals used in many commercial product14.

Already scratching away at pesky bites? Stop the itch with coconut oil. Plus, it may help the bite heal without leaving a scar since its antibacterial properties will help keep it from getting infected.

The versatility of coconut oil never seems to end. Coconut oil can effectively replace acne creams, antacids, anti-dandruff, anti-fungals, body lotions, eczema creams, hemorrhoid creams, psoriasis creams, hair conditioner, sun burn lotion, lip balm and, of course, sex lubricant (14).

7) Sex Lubricant

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for. Does nature’s super medicine have a naughty side? Yes, it sure does.  Even though coconut oil is solid at room temperature, when it is allowed to warm to room temperature it easily dissolves into the skin. If you rub a bit quickly in your hands for a few seconds you immediately have a liquid. It is harmless to the tender tissues of the sex organs and also has plenty of very helpful antiviral and antibacterial properties mentioned previously.

The only remaining question that remains in this debate is whether coconut oil should be used in conjunction with latex condoms, which upon further investigation, is a question more difficult to answer than first thought. Since oil degrades latex, questions concerning coconut oil as lubricant emerge. Some doctors prescribe coconut oil since it’s easier on your system than synthetic lubes  and there’s not much research out there on coconut oil’s particular effect on latex. So until further notice, practice safe sex and use coconut oil as a ‘natural’ lubricant. Or just use a non-latex condom.

Not all coconut oil is created equal. Remember to choose “Virgin” or “Extra Virgin” coconut oils since the oil of this variety avoid the chemical processes and refining processes that make the oil much less healthy for consumption and use (15). Either way, considering coconut oil is significantly cheaper than its commercial and chemical-ridden counterparts, this decision is a no-brainer. Enjoy your coconut oil adventures!

Resources 

1) Mark’s Daily Apple. Dear Mark: PUFAs. Jan 2012. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/polyunsaturated-fat/

2) Schardt, David. Coconut Oil. Center for Science in the Public Interest. June 2012. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/coconut-oil.html

3) Vagero, D. Melanoma and other tumors of the skin among office, other indoor and outdoor workers in Sweden. Br J Cancer. 1986 April; 53(4): 507–512. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2001433/

4) Cooke, KR. Socio-economic status, indoor and outdoor work, and malignant melanoma. International Journal of Cancer. Article first published online: 17 JUL 2006. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.2910340110/abstract

5) Missouri University of Science and Technology (2012, May 7). Sunscreen ingredient may increase skin cancer risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 27, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2012/05/120507131951.htm

6) Mercola, Joseph. Sun Can Protect you Against Skin Cancer. Jun 2011. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/16/sun-can-protect-you-against-skin-cancer.aspx

7) Viegas, Jennifer. Sharks Get Worry-Free Tans. Discovery News. Aug 15, 2012. http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks-tan-skin-cancer-120815.html

8) Nordqvist, Christian. Coconut Oil May Prevent Tooth Decay. Medical News Today. Sep 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249804.php

9) Pubmed.gov, “In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria,” by D.O. Ogbolu, et al. Journal of Medicinal Foods. 2007 Jun;10(2):384-7 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17651080

10) Dean, Dr. Carolyn. Coconut Oil for Alzheimer’s. Natural News. Jun 2011. http://www.naturalnews.com/032727_coconut_oil_Alzheimers.html

11) Turner, Rob. PUFA and Liver Toxicity; Protection by Saturated Fats. Nov 2011. http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2011/11/21/pufa-and-liver-toxicity-protection-by-saturated-fats/

12) Pubmed.gov, “Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity,” by M.L. Assuncao, et al. Lipids. 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058

13) Geib, Aurora. Coconut Oil. Heres What you Need to Know About this Amazing Rejuvenation and Healing Oil. Natural News. Jun 2012. http://www.naturalnews.com/036156_Coconut_oil_superfood_healing.html

14) Armstrong, Eric. Coconut Oil: Miracle Medicine and Diet Pill. 2005. http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/CoconutOil.html#pageToc7

15) Pravel, Donna. Why Virgin Coconut Oil is Superior to Highly Refined, Processed Coconut Oil. Jul 2012. http://www.naturalnews.com/036554_extra_virgin_coconut_oil_health.html

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