The Magic Of Coconut Oil

If you know me, you know I love Omega 3 fats (fish oil, krill oil, flax seeds).

I recommend my patients add them to their diet.  I personally supplement my diet with fish oil, and I give away samples when I teach corporate wellness workshops.  Omega 3 fats are nutritional gold.  If you want to read more about my thoughts on these glorious fats go here and here.

Since I have an obsessive penchant interest in healthy fats it should be no surprise that I’ve recently fallen in love with another fat, and like anyone who has recently found new love, I want to tell you all about it, a.k.a. my latest Healthy Discovery!

1.  Coconut Oil Has Powerful Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, Antiviral Properties –

Coconut oil is a saturated fat with high levels of lauric acid which is a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT).  MCT’s are healthy fatty acids that naturally kill the following bacteria.

• Steptococcus- (throat infections, pneumonia, sinusitis)
• Staphyloccus- (food poisoning, urinary tract infections)
• Neisseria- (meningitis, gonorrhea, pelvic inflammatory disease)
• Chlamydia- (genital infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, periodontitis)
• Helicobacter Pylori – (stomach ulcers)

At least a dozen other pathogenic viruses have been reported to be inactivated by the MCT in coconut oil.  MCT’s also kill candida and other fungi in the intestinal tract but they do not kill the good intestinal flora.

2.  Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Weight Or Maintain Ideal Body Weight–

• The MCT’s in coconut oil are easier to digest that other fats.
• The body uses MCT’s for energy and does not store them as fat.
• Some people swear by adding up to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to their diet each day for weight loss and increased thyroid/metabolic  function.

3. But Isn’t The Saturated Fat In Coconut Oil Bad?

Nope!  Tranfats are the “bad fats.”  Watch one of my favorite medical doctors, Michael Eades M.D. explain the saturated fat myth in Big Fat Lies.  For more of Dr. Eades well researched critiques on nutritional science visit his blog.

4.  How Do You Cook With Coconut Oil?

Use coconut oil instead of other oils in your daily cooking. A “better than butter” replacement on bread (it makes fantastic cinnamon toast) and steamed veggies, or a tasty and nutritious substitute for shortening in baking. You can blend coconut oil in smoothies (that’s what I do!), or  use it as a topping on popcorn.

Coconut oil requires no refrigeration and can be stored like olive oil. It is solid at room temperature and melts at 76 degrees, whereby it becomes a liquid.  Note:  when you buy coconut oil, buy high quality Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, don’t buy virgin coconut oil or straight coconut oil! My favorite brand is Nutiva.

5. Rejuvenate Your Skin And Prevent Wrinkles With Coconut Oil-

It helps protect your skin from free radicals and it improves the skin’s appearance with its anti-aging properties. I may or may not slather coconut oil all over my face at night before bed.  It’s an incredible moisturizer in my dry Colorado climate!

Additional Resources:

Dr Mercola speaking about Coconut Oil

The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)

Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why – “Coconut and its oil is one of the most healthy, amazing things you can ingest.  It deserves a place in the honor roll of healthy foods” – Jonny Bowden Ph.D., C.N.S.