Epilepsy Talk

The miracle of the coconut | October 10, 2022

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.”

And there are plenty of reasons to love it: Health, healing, immunity. Liver, kidney and bone health. Energy, weight loss, hair, skin care…and that’s just scratching the surface.

Let’s start with your health:

Heart Health

There is a misconception spread among many people who coconut oil is not good for your heart. That’s because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats.

In reality, coconut oil is beneficial for your heart.

It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as you commonly find in vegetable oils.

Coconut oil does not lead to increase in LDL levels, and it reduces the incidence of injury and damage to arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Immunity

Coconut oil is also good for your immune system. It strengthens the immune system because it contains antimicrobial lipids, which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

It also helps in fighting harmful bacteria and helps deal with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases like herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV.

Healthy cooking

There’s only one oil that is stable enough to withstand the heat of cooking, and that’s coconut oil.

You can actually use less coconut oil than the amount of fat suggested in recipes. This is equally true when using coconut oil for baking, frying or even roasting with coconut oil. Less is definitely more.

So, do yourself a favor. Ditch all those “healthy oil wannabes.” and replace them with a large jar of fresh, organic, heart-supporting, delicious coconut oil. It’s a win-win.

Diabetes

Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also promotes the effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Weight loss

How can you argue with a healthy way to lose weight? That’s because coconut oil contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help you take off excessive weight.

It’s also easy to digest and helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system.

Coconut oil increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people lose the weight.

Healing and infections

Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.

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.

Externally, 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.

And it’s also effective on bruises, because it speeds up the healing process of damaged tissues.

Liver

The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases, because those substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, reducing the work load of the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidneys

Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps to dissolve kidney stones.

Bones

The ability of our body to absorb important minerals is improved.

These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for the development of bones.

So, coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental Care

Calcium is an important component of our teeth.

Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in developing strong teeth. It also helps stops tooth decay.

Skin Care

Coconut oil acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skin, including dry skin. It’s a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin.

It also delays the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of skin which normally accompany aging. (Why didn’t I know sooner?)

Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.

For that exact reason, coconut oil forms the base ingredient of various body care products like soaps, lotions, and creams that are used for skin care.

Hair Care

Coconut oil helps in healthy hair growth and gives your hair a shiny quality.

It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing and healing damaged hair.

By regularly massaging your head with coconut oil, you can ensure that your scalp is free of dandruff, even if your scalp is chronically dry.

Because of this, coconut oil is used as a hair care oil and in manufacturing various conditioners and dandruff relief creams.

Finally, coconut oil is often used by athletes, body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this is that coconut oil contains fewer calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy, and it doesn’t lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries.

And coconut oil helps boost energy and endurance, generally enhancing the performance of athletes.

What’s not to love about something that benefits hair care, skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism?

Plus relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength!

What makes coconut oil such a good guy?

The benefits of coconut oil, can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and their respective properties, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, antibacterial and soothing qualities.

Try these everyday uses for coconut oil:

As a cooking replacement for butter (and other oils) and for homemade recipes.
On your skin as a basic lotion (or coconut oil lotion bar)
As an eye-makeup remover
To lighten age spots when rubbed directly on the skin
Prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
As a natural SPF 4 sunscreen
A wonderful feeling and smelling massage oil
Use as a gel to help get rid of frizzy hair
Mixed with equal parts sugar for a smoothing shower scrub and defoliant
In a filling and energy boosting smoothie.
Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from cold or flu
To help reduce the appearance of varicose veins
When used consistently on skin, it can help get rid of cellulite
To season cast iron skillets
Reduce the itch of mosquito bites
By itself as a great tanning oil
Mixed with salt to remove dry skin on feet
For pets struggling with skin issues when used externally
As a completely natural baby lotion
On hands after doing dishes to avoid dry skin
As an anti-aging facial moisturizer
Try it on cuticles to help nails grow
Rub into elbows daily to help alleviate dry, flaky elbows
Use with other oils as part of an oil cleansing regimen for beautiful skin
Naturally clears up cold sores

NOTE: Before you buy coconut oil, you should keep in mind that for edible and therapeutic uses, refined coconut oil is the best because it’s hygienic and clean. Unrefined coconut oil is good for external applications like hair care and skin care.

For some natural coconut oil recipes click on: http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2013/04/eat-more-coconut-oil115-delicious-real-food-coconut-oil-recipes/

https://homemadeforelle.com/52-recipes-using-coconut-oil/

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Resources:
http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/oils/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282857.php

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