4 ways scientists have proven coconut oil is good for you.
Did you know that lauric acid, which is a major component in coconut oil, is also a major fat found in breast milk? Or that lauric acid derived from coconut oil is used to supplement baby food?
Coconut oil is an all-natural healthy fat with a unique composition that has distinctive effects in the human body. It is also perfect for all your cooking needs, from frying to baking.
Coconut oil is produced from the meat of the coconut. Regular coconut oil is extracted from the meat which has been dried using heat and after refining, bleached and deodorised. WICHY Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Extra Raw Virgin Coconut Oil however is extracted from the coconut milk in a mechanical process without the use of heat or chemicals. Thus they contain a higher proportion of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, vitamin E, antioxidant enzymes, sterols, etc.
Coconut oil aids weight loss
The majority of fats found in coconut oil are medium chain triglycerides which due to their smaller molecular weight are hydrolysed faster than long chain triglycerides and transported directly to the liver instead of being deposited as fat. This also makes them readily available as an energy source to the body making coconut oil a fantastic source of energy.
Studies of men and women have shown that a daily dose of 30ml of coconut oil helped reduce waist circumference with men experiencing an average reduction of 2.86cm in waist circumference in just four weeks.
Consuming coconut oil also induces satiety – the feeling of fullness – and thus prevents overeating.
Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory effects
The anti-inflammatory effects of coconut oil is primarily due to its bioactive compounds.
The polyphenols found in coconut oil have been found to inhibit chronic inflammation while its antioxidant enzymes have been found to help ease arthritis. Coconut oil has also been shown to inhibit acute inflammation. Other studies have revealed that coconut oil helps combat inflammation in the intestinal tract and is particularly helpful for those suffering from digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Coconut oil helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Because the medium chain triglycerides found in coconut oil is easily absorbed and metabolised by the liver and then converted to ketone bodies which act as an alternative source of energy to the brain, it helps improve cognitive function and in turn helps keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay.
Coconut oil has also been found to help combat symptoms of neurodegeneration with its polyphenol content promoting neuron health. Other studies have found patients with Alzheimer’s disease showed improvement in their cognitive scores – as measured by the MEC-WOLF method – when given a daily dose of 40ml of extra virgin coconut oil, particularly with severe patients.
Coconut oil has anti-microbial effects
Coconut oil contains high levels of lauric acid which is converted to monolaurin in the body upon digestion. Monolaurin has a variety of anti-microbial effects, against bacteria, yeast, fungi and enveloped viruses.
For example, monolaurin has been shown to have an inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause skin infections, bloodstream infections (bacteremia), bone infections (osteomyelitis), lung infections (pneumonia) and infection of the heart valves (endocarditis). It can also produce toxins that lead to staphylococcal food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome and scalded skin syndrome. More recently, monolaurin was found to inhibit Heliobacter pylori (which can attack the stomach causing a variety of unpleasant and painful symptoms as well as ulcers), when added in a mouthwash solution.
