Coconut oil is not only an ingredient but is also a superfood now. So lets start to know top 10 evidence-based health benefits of coconut oil.
Are you concerned about boosting fat loss, brain function or, heart health? Then, you can try coconut oil. Coconut oil has a distinctive combination of fatty acids. These acids may cause positive effects on your health.
Let’s Find Out 10 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
1. Healthy Fatty Acids.
Coconut is high in saturated fats. When compared to most of the other dietary fats, these acids have a variety of hygienic effects on your body.
The fatty acids can give you quick energy to your body and brain. Also, these acids will enhance your body to burn fat fast. The most important benefit is that you’ll get good cholesterol (HDL) in your blood. So, your risk of getting a heart attack is low.
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil are shorter fatty acid chains. Your liver would quickly turn these MCTs into ketones.
Ketones are very beneficial for your brain. And there maybe a future treatment effect for patients suffering from epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Coconut Oil for Healthy Heart.
Except in the Western world, coconut has been used as a dietary staple in some parts of the world.
For example, research was done in 1981 involving the population of Tokelau, an island in the South Pacific. The study showed that over 60% of their calory intake was from coconuts. The researchers found Tokelau population had better health and lower rates of heart disease.
Even the Kitavan people in Papua New Guinea eat a lot of coconut in addition to fruits, fish, and vegetables. They too have a very lower risk of stroke and heart disease.
3. Coconut Oil Benefits for Skin & Hair.
Coconut oil is a type of cooking oil. Alright! But is also a beauty product. People use it as an in-shower mast to boost moisture on hair. They also use it to give a lush look on dry hair.
The unique fatty acids in coconut oil freely pass into the hair’s cell membrane and penetrate into the hair’s shaft.
The medium-chain triglyceride will give you protection against environmental and free radical damage to your skin. It will also screen you from about 20% of ultraviolet sun exposure. Also, coconut oil is full of antioxidants. So, you can use it as an anti-aging moisturizer.
4. May Help You Burn Fat.
One of the annoying health conditions in developed countries is obesity.
People think obesity is caused by the number of calories they eat. But they don’t think of the source of those calories. Remember, different foods may affect your body and hormones differently.
The MCTs in coconut oil will make your body burn more calories than the longer-chain fatty acids. But don’t forget that coconut oil is very high in calories. If taken in excessive amounts, it might lead to weight gain.
5. Antimicrobial Effect.
Fatty acids in coconut oil contain about 50% of lauric acids.
Your body digests lauric acid and forms a substance called monolaurin. Lauric acid and monolaurin combined together can kill harmful pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Some use coconut oil as a mouth wash. But it is not yet proved to improve oral hygiene.
6. Makes You Less Hungry.
Another interesting benefit of MCTs that it reduces hunger.
Ketones induced by MCTs in your liver can diminish your appetite. This will give you many benefits. Long term use, may make you less prone to diabetes and obesity.
Coconut oil may give you feelings of fullness. And so, enhance appetite regulation. Research has indicated fat-rich-foods like coconut oil in your meals may increase stomach volume. So, better than low fat meals, coconut oil will induce greater sensation of fullness.
And you will feel less hungry.
7. Helps You Reduce Seizures.
Researchers have been studying the ketogenic diet. This diet is very low in carbs but high in fats.
Treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children is the most known therapeutic use of this diet. This diet can reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children. But researchers aren’t yet sure why.
Lower carb intake and fat increase lead to increased concentrations of ketones in the blood.
8. May Lead to Increased HDL (good) Cholesterol Levels.
Natural saturated fats in coconut oil can increase the good cholesterol (HDL) levels in your body. It may also help turn LDL (bad cholesterol) into a less harmful form.
Many nutritionists think the increased HDL may boost heart hygiene compared with many other fats.
A study conducted using 116 adults revealed that following a diet program inclusive of coconut oil increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels in patients with coronary artery disease.
9. May Boost Brain Function in Alzheimer Patients.
Alzheimer’s usually affects older people. This is the most common cause of dementia.
This disease diminishes your brain’s ability to use glucose for energy.
But researchers believe that ketones can be an alternative energy source for malfunctioning brain cells. And this will reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Research is still ongoing. And it is still not fully established that coconut oil itself fights this illness.
10. Helps Reduce Harmful Fat in the Abdomen.
As you know already, fatty acids in coconut oil can reduce your appetite. What this means is an increase of fat burning. In the end, it will help you lose weight.
Abdominal fat (also called visceral fat) sticks in the abdominal cavity and around other organs. Experts believe MCTs are more effective at reducing belly fat
Abdominal fat is the most harmful type which may lead to many chronic diseases.
You can simply measure the amount of fat in your abdomen by measuring the waist circumference. Also, your height should match your body weight according to the body mass index.
Coconut oil contains high calories. So, you should use it in fair and recommended quantity. Replacing other cooking fats with coconut oil may give you a small weight loss. But, this fact is still being researched scientifically.
Conclusion:
Coconut oil will have a vast number of benefits for your health. But to get the most of it, you should select the organic, virgin coconut oil. Try to avoid refined versions as much as you can.
Our forefathers have seen and felt the coconut oil benefits for sound health. That’s why even today some actresses drink coconut oil to keep them beautiful and attractive.