The Many Uses Of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a wide array of health benefits between health and skin and uses for your home. I have been using coconut oil for years and the benefits it has provided me through the years inspired me to write this article. This tropical oil is a superfood with a powerhouse of uses in cooking, beauty recipes, natural remedies and around the home. Here are some of my personal favorite uses!

• Use coconut oil to moisturize and nourish skin– Many people like to use coconut oil as a natural moisturizer. Its natural antioxidant properties make it great for stopping wrinkles and skin irritation. Coconut oil makes an excellent eye-make up remover. It is naturally a low SPF sunscreen when used topically. You can mix coconut oil with essential oils to use as massage oil. It also acts as a lubricant that won’t disturb vaginal flora. As for dry skin you can mix coconut oil with salt and create a scrub to remove dry skin on the body
• Coconut oil for hair– This nourishing oil has been used for centuries in hair and its unique fat composition makes it especially beneficial for certain hair types. Use as a hair mask, hot oil treatment, or in homemade hair products. You can rub it into your scalp daily to stimulate hair growth. This also makes as a great anti frizz treatment. You can also rub on your nail cuticles to help your nails grow too!
• A natural bug repellant– Mix with catnip, rosemary, or mint essential oils to use as a natural bug repellant.
• Mental Boost- Studies show MCT’s (Medium Chain Triglycerides, also called MCFAs) which affect the body differently than short and long chain fats, may contribute to focus and mental performance.
• Digestive Help- Coconut oils concentration of beneficial fats in coconut oil makes it helpful for digestion. Its antimicrobial properties can help fight irritation and infection in the gut from Candida.
• Hormone Support- Getting the wrong kinds of fats can create havoc on hormones. Coconut oil contains specific fats that support the body’s natural hormone production.
• Immune Support- The MCT’s (including lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid) have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that make it beneficial for immune support.
• Great Source of Healthy Fats- Over 50% of the fat in coconut oil is lauric acid. In fact, coconut oil is the richest source of lauric acid after breast milk.
• Great Fat for Cooking- Coconut oil is stable oil that doesn’t break down easily at high temperatures like other oils do. It doesn’t go rancid easily and has amazing nutritional properties. It is great for cooking eggs, stir fries, grain free baked goods, and practically any other cooking use!

Coconut oil is used for many natural remedies. Some of the favorite natural remedies include:

• If rubbed on the inside of your nose it may help alleviate allergy symptoms
• The antibacterial properties make it helpful topically to kill yeast infections
• Coconut oil can help psoriasis or eczema
• Helps reduce the appearance of varicose veins when used topically
• Has antimicrobial properties and beneficial fats that make it a powerhouse in the oral area
• A tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
• Can help resolve acne when used regularly
• Can reduce the itch in mosquito bites
• It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis
• Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from the cold or the flu
• Can make a homemade vapor rub
• Can be used internally and externally to speed recovery from UTIs
• Naturally clears up sores
• Can be used as a diaper cream
• Can speed up ear infection healing
• Soothes chicken pox or poison ivy
• Can be used on skin to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy
• With apple cider vinegar as a natural treatment for lice that actually works

Nutritional Profile of Coconut Oil

Part of the reason coconut oil is such a powerhouse superfood is its unique nutritional profile. It was avoided and shunned for years because of its 92% saturated fat content but recent research is showing this stigma was unwarranted.

Here’s why:

Most of the fats in coconut oil are saturated but they are in the form of MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides, also called MCFAs) which affect the body differently than short and long chain fats. The MCTs are composed of:

• Lauric Acid- This beneficial fat makes up 40% of the total fat composition, making it one of nature’s highest mineral sources. The body converts lauric acid to monolaurin, which is beneficial for immune function.
• Caprylic Acid- Another healthy fat with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
• Capric Acid- This converts to monocaprin in the body and has immune boosting and antimicrobial properties.

Types of Coconut Oil

There are several choices when it comes to using this healthful fat.

You’ll find:

Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil

Considered the gold standard. This type of oil offers to most of the benefits listed above. It is extracted from the fresh coconut using a wet-milled fermentation process that protects the beneficial properties of the coconut. This type of coconut oil has been found to have to highest antioxidant levels. This process does use heat but studies show that it doesn’t harm the oil or reduce nutrient levels. In fact, the heat may be beneficial to create higher quality oil.

“Extra Virgin” Oil

The gold standard for olive oil but not coconut oil. This is produced by cold-pressing the oil and does not preserve the antioxidants well.

Refined Coconut Oils

Refined coconut oil is often tasteless and has no coconut smell. It is usually heated, bleached, and deodorized. Healthy options are available but many refined coconut oils do not have the benefits of unrefined.

Fractioned Oil or MCT oil

Fractioned oil or MCT oil is a liquid oil that does not get solid below 76 degrees like unrefined oil does. It doesn’t contain all of the beneficial properties of unrefined coconut oil but is higher in brain boosting fats.

So What Type of Coconut Oil Should You Use?

For external uses, expeller pressed, fractionated or other types of refined oil will work, but for internal use, an unrefined organic oil is best.

Allergic To Coconut?

So coconut oil is amazing, but a lot of people are allergic or intolerant to it. I’m often asked what alternatives there are to coconut products for those who are allergic. Those who can’t tolerate coconut may find these alternatives helpful:

• Oils: Instead of coconut, try using palm oil or animal based fats like lard butter or tallow. These fats are solid at room temperature like coconut oil and substitute well in recipes. In recipes calling for a liquid oil, avocado oil and sesame oil substitute well.
• Flour: Coconut flour is a great grain-free high-fiber flour, but those who can’t tolerate it can experiment with almond flour.
• Milk- Coconut milk is a common alternative for those who can’t tolerate dairy products but pecan milk, cashew milk, and almond milk are good alternatives. Rice milk is also an option for those with nut allergies.

With so many amazing uses for coconut oil you can see why it is a no brainer to make this a staple in your household!

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