Amazing Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

March 15, 2017

More than a thousand studies prove that coconut oil is among the healthiest foods in the world. Although it's not very common ingredient in western cuisine, this "superfood" has so many health advantages which go even beyond what people realize. Despite the fact that coconut oil is rich in saturated fat (90%), approximately 60% of the fat in coconut is made up of three impressively healthy medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs): Capric, Caprylic and Lauric acid. These MCFAs aren't readily stored as fat and they are easier to digest (compared to long-chain fatty acids). Earth's Wisdom would like to share these 5 amazing health benefits of coconut oil with you!

1. It is good for skin and hair. Coconut oil is impressive as a sun screen, moisturizer and a face cleanser, which is surely something most people are familiar with. Because it is rich in antioxidants, coconut oil is an ideal remedy for healing the human skin and it can also treat various skin issues. The above mentioned MCFAs can reduce inflammation externally and internally. When it comes to hair care, coconut oil can improve dry hair and/or dandruff.

2. It helps lose weight and build muscles. Coconut oil is famous for its energy creating properties, so it comes as no surprise that is can help you lose weight. It boosts fat burning process and decreases appetite. But, how can eating saturated fat result in fat loss? Even though it sounds contradictory, it is not. The reason is simple: human body is able to easily convert MCFAs into energy for it to utilize; it increases the metabolism. Additionally, coconut oil increases satiety, meaning you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Therefore, it can help you decrease daily caloric intake without feeling hungry. Furthermore, since coconut oil has "insulin-tropic" properties (which means it stimulates insulin secretion), and insulin controls the sugar levels in blood and pumps nutrients into the muscles. 

3. It supports immune system and helps fight infections. Lauric acid is the nutrient that supports immune system and coconut oil is very rich in this substance. In addition to this MCFA, coconut oil has other natural agents that have anit-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Thus, this "superfood" significantly reduces the risk of herpes, influenza and other illnesses.

4. It helps brain disorders. MCFAs are easily absorbed by the liver and quickly metabolized. For this reason, MCFAs can be easily converted to ketones , which are utilized by human brain as a crucial energy source. In addition, it's been shown that ketones have positive therapeutic effects on people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or struggling on any other memory loss issue. Furthermore, coconut contains unique hormones and phenolics which can prevent β-amyloid peptides to aggregate. Amyloidal plaques are found in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

5. It protects cardiovascular health. As you probably already know, increased levels of LDL cholesterol in blood are correlated to various cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol has been proven to have opposite effect on coronary heart disease. Recent studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between HDL cholesterol and coconut oil, whereas people who eat coconut oil have lower levels of LDL cholesterol in their liver, heart and serum. Therefore, this "superfood" can actually positively affect your cardiovascular health.

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