Coconut Oil

If there was an oil you could use for your daily cooking needs that helped protect you from heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative conditions, improved your digestion, strengthened your immune system, and helped you lose excess weight, would you be interested? This is what coconut oil can do for you.

Many of you have probably heard that coconut oil is good for you. I have actually never used it but just the other day my girlfriend was telling me that she uses it in her hair and moisturizes with it after her shower and I must say her skin was very soft! My brother in law is also a big fan and buys it regularly from the health food store. I thought I would do a little research on this great smelling natural product and test it out for myself, I mean who doesn't want to be healthy and have baby soft skin! Coconut Oil does it all.

What Coconut Oil DOES NOT Do: Does not increase blood cholesterol level. Does not promote platelet stickiness or blood clot formation. Does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease. Does not contribute to weight problems. What Coconut Oil DOES Do: Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses. Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions. Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections. Supports immune system function. Helps control diabetes. Provides an immediate source of energy. Supports healthy metabolic function. Improves digestion and nutrient absorption. Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health. Supplies fewer calories than other fats. Promotes weight loss. Helps prevent osteoporosis. Has a mild delicate flavor. Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life). Is heat resistant (the healthiest for cooking). Helps keep skin soft and smooth. Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin. Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes. Functions as a protective antioxidant."

Hair Care:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. I tend to get really try scalp during the winter, regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also helps get rid of head lice. It provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Apply it to dry hair when you are hanging around the house, leave it in for as long as you can, wash it normally and you can apply conditioner after if you find your hair tangles easily. It can also be left in overnight for a deep conditioning.

Skin Care:

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care.

Weight Loss:

I had no idea that coconut oil could help with weight loss! It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

Next time you are at the market, pick up some coconut oil and give it a try!