10 Reasons You Should Be Using Coconut Oil Everyday

If you do nothing else for your health, if you make no other changes to your diet and nutrition, then make this one addition. Adding even just 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to your diet everyday has been shown to provide most of the amazing benefits for which coconut oil has become famous. It truly is an amazing food!

Coconut Oil and Hippocrates

While coconut oil is a fat, It is not a typical oil that most people think of like vegetable oil or canola oil. Many people are confused about why a fat is recommended for balancing metabolism and losing weight. Many people assume, based on incorrect information, that saturated fats are bad for your health, however, it is not saturated fat but trans fats that have negative health consequences. Additionally, many people have asked for more information about why coconut oil is included in the Wellness Achiever Metabolism Boosting Food Guide as a natural, healthy, metabolism boosting, anti-inflammatory food. Let’s first consider the problem with traditional cooking oils.

 Dangers of Traditional Cooking Oils

Traditional cooking oils such as canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil are ridiculously damaging to your health and highly unnatural. Have you ever seen a soybean? How do you think they get oil out a soybean? It takes a lot of soybeans and a lot of machinery to squeeze oil out of that little bean. Not to mention that the two of the most widely used oils in this unhealthy list – canola and soybean – are produced from 100% genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMO ‘foods’ are not actually foods but toxic substances. They have been genetically engineered for mass production and to resist toxic pesticides. If toxic chemicals will not kill your food, then it definitely shouldn’t go into your body.

If that weren’t problem enough, consider these facts about these health-destroying oils. They contain long chain triglycerides (LCTs) which are difficult for you body to break down and therefore, they are typically stored as fat, forcing your body to rely of sugar as fuel. They are composed mostly of omega-6 and little to no healthy omega-3 fats. Your body requires both omega-6 and omega-3 oils; however, when they are out of balance, as in these oils, they are highly inflammatory. Further, they have also been shown to inhibit thyroid function, thus slowing metabolic rate and increasing weight gain. These oils serve no purpose in your body other than making you fat and toxic. If you have any of these in your pantry now, throw them away!

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

1. Supplies Natural Energy and Endurance
Unlike the traditional oils mentioned above, coconut contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are easily broken down by your body. MCTs are your body’s preferred source of fuel. They are burned for energy and not stored as fat. Your body obtains more than twice as much energy from metabolizing a gram of this fat versus a gram of carbohydrate or sugar. Coconut oil boosts your energy, optimizes performance and relieves chronic fatigue.
2. Slims Your Belly and Balances Metabolism

Coconut oil supports healthy thyroid function, optimizing metabolic rate and control weight. Several studies have demonstrated coconut oil’s fat burning effect in your body. One study showed that 2 tablespoons of coconut oil per day for 2 to 3 months resulted in significant reductions in belly fat, resulting in not only weight loss but also loss of inches around the belly.
3. Natural Remedy for Diabetes

Coconut oil increases your body’s metabolism by as much as 30% while decreasing insulin resistance. This improves blood sugar utilization in your body which helps diabetics naturally balance blood sugar and helps healthy individuals prevent diabetes. It also reduces stress on the pancreas (the gland that produces insulin) and alleviates the symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
4. Makes You Smarter and Prevents Brain Decay
Coconut oil has been shown to boost your brain power, making you smarter and improving your memory. Alzheimer’s disease has been described as diabetes of the brain. We know that sugars, as well as, toxins and heavy metals stored in fats are big contributors to this brain deteriorating disease. A 2006 study in Alzheimer’s patients showed that consuming 2 tablespoons of coconut oil resulted in significant improvements in cognitive functions and memory within just 90 minutes! Imagine the effects when coconut oil is used daily for months and years!
5. Protects Your Heart

Traditional cooking oils damage your arteries and cause inflammation. This leads to reduction of HDL cholesterol and elevated total cholesterol. The increased inflammation is the root cause of heart disease and heart attacks. However, coconut oil increases heart healthy HDL levels, improving your cholesterol ratio. It is anti-inflammatory, providing protection for your arteries and preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease.
6. Natural Antibiotic

Coconut oil has strong, natural antibacterial properties. It contains lauric acid which your body converts to a substance called monolaurin which is highly anti-bacterial, as well as, antiviral and antifungal. It kills bacteria that cause infections such as UTIs, ulcers, gum disease, cavities, and pneumonia. Not only does it work to kill bacterial infections inside the body but on the surface of the skin as well. There is no need for drug-filled, side-effect-causing antibiotic creams when you have coconut oil. You can apply some of this amazing oil to a paper cut or a scraped knee to prevent them from becoming infected and to speed the natural healing process.
7. Natural Flu Defense

This same effect of monolaurin kills the influenza virus as well. There is no need for dangerous vaccines and antiviral drugs. Including coconut oil as part of your healthy, wellness lifestyle prevents infections from developing. From the common cold to the flu, coconut oil can be used to prevent and fight these infections when they do occur. Other viruses found to be killed by monolaurin include herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS and others.
8. Kills Yeast Infections

Yeast is a fungus and, as you may have guessed, monolaurin from coconut oil is anti-fungal as well. Candidiasis is a systemic yeast infection that causes many painful symptoms from severe abdominal pain to cracked, bleeding skin. However, thanks to monolaurin, coconut oil brings healing and relief. These anti-fungal properties are also useful against ringworm, athlete’s foot, diaper rash, tapeworm, and other parasites, as well.
9. Healthy Bones, Shiny Teeth and Fewer Cavities
Coconut oil facilitates the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), as well as, the mineral calcium. Whereas, osteoporosis drugs produce thicker, more brittle bones, coconut oil helps your body produce stronger, healthier bones and teeth. Additionally, the antibacterial properties kill bacteria that lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay. So, consuming coconut oil daily produces stronger, healthier teeth and fewer cavities.
10. Provides Cancer Protection
Coconut oil is highly anti-inflammatory, helping your body balance inflammation. It also has antioxidant capabilities that helps protect your body against free radicals. Not only does this have a youth enhancing effect for your skin, hair and nails but it yields an anti-cancer effect as well. Including coconut oil as part of your daily nutrition is an important part of your anti-cancer, wellness lifestyle.
11. Better Digestion

This is a bonus – number eleven! Coconut oil improves digestion, increasing absorption of fat soluble vitamins. It also improves the horribly painful symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

How To Use Coconut Oil

It is very important to buy the right kind of coconut oil. There are many cheap versions available that are manufactured using temperatures that are so high that they destroy most of the nutrients that give coconut oil its great, healthy effects. Make sure you purchase organic, virgin, cold pressed coconut oil. You will  several healthy, yet economical choices in the Wellness Achiever Store under the “Coconut Oil” category.

Coconut oil can be used for any cooking scenarios. In fact, it is the most versatile cooking oil because it has such a high melting point and it will not oxidize at high temperatures used for cooking. Other oils, including olive oil (another very healthy oil for raw uses like salads) oxidize and become rancid at the high temperatures of cooking. Coconut is the favored oil for cooking.

Coconut oil is delicious and can be eaten raw right out of the jar. For quick, sustained energy, just spoon out one tablespoon. Of course, it can also very easily be added to smoothies, protein shakes and juices. I regularly use all of these methods to enjoy coconut oil.

Additionally, coconut oil can be applied directly to the skin and hair as well. Not only can it be used to treat infections and skin problems as noted above, but it can be used as a healthy, non-toxic alternative to commercial skin lotions and hair treatment products. It naturally softens and moisturizes the skin to prevent wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. It also smoothes and moisturizes the hair, adds shine, repairs split ends and prevents dandruff.

Coconut oil truly is amazing. It is extremely versatile and it is power packed with health promoting, disease fighting properties. It can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Pick some up today and begin experiencing these amazing results.


Sources for this story include:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/content/13-evidence-based-medicinal-properties-coconut-oil

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/mct-fats-found-coconut-oil-boost-brain-function-only-one-dose

http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/