Coconut oil properties, benefits and uses

Coconut oil is a versatile product. In fact, it has a very wide range of uses. Furthermore, we must not forget its multiple beneficial properties.

Let's find out in detail what makes this oil special.

The chemistry of fats

Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fats, almost 90% of fatty acids are saturated, but their chemical composition is very different from the saturated fats contained in meat and dairy products.

In fact, coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) contrary to the majority of animal and vegetable fats which are long chain fatty acids, and are metabolised differently.

Fat is our main source of energy, but medium-chain fatty acids are digested differently than other fats.

Instead of being stored as stocks, the liver converts them directly into ketone bodies, available as energy for cells because when glucose in the body runs out, cells can use ketone bodies as survival fuel.

Ketone bodies are believed to be important in the treatment of some brain disorders.

Coconut Oil and Health

It is no coincidence that populations living in regions where coconut oil is the fundamental ingredient of the diet are healthier both inside and out.

One ​​of the countries with the largest production of coconut oil is Sri Lanka.

its climate is perfect for the growth of numerous plantations, palm trees grow by the sea and give it a higher quality.

Numerous studies have been conducted in Southeast Asia, on the relationship between coconut oil consumption and health.

Many studies have been conducted by the agronomist P.K. Thampan in countries where coconut oil consumption is very high. Here it appears that populations have a cholesterol level maintained within the normal range. A level of HDL or good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) than that of LDL or bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein).

Another study on this topic was written by Ian Prior in the Polynesian atolls of Pukapuka and Tokelau, where coconut oil is the most important source of fat in the local diet and yet the incidence of cardiovascular disease is very low and cholesterol levels are in the norm.

Weight loss

Clinical studies have shown that consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) leads to greater energy expenditure than consumption of long-chain triglycerides.

Tali studies suggest that consuming MCTs found in coconut oil may be beneficial for weight management.

Antimicrobial properties

Coconut oil could help us prevent diseases, or contain their negative effects.

Most of the medium chain fatty acids have antimicrobial properties. Of all, lauric acid has proven to be very effective and is also the one most contained in coconut oil. coconut.

When we eat any fat, its triglycerides are broken down. Sometimes they form a monoglyceride.

The monoglyceride which is formed from the medium chain fats of coconut oil, is the monolaurin.

Moreover, thehe antimicrobial properties of coconut oil also extend to the skin. It can be used, for example, to fight acne, but also in the treatment of wounds to promote healing processes.

Coconut oil and yeast infections

Coconut oil would be able to defend the intestinal flora. In fact, there are “friendly” bacteria in the body that are necessary for health.

These bacteria intervene in the digestive process and produce a substance capable of reducing the level of yeast in the body.

Coconut oil, with its fats, would help protect us from Candida Albicans.

A type of yeast that can live in small colonies around the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and female genital tract.

Coconut oil has healing properties on peptic ulcers

In the past it was thought that the main cause of ulcers was stress.

Although stress can be an important cofactor, it has been shown that Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of chronic gastritis and 90% of cases of ulcers peptic.

Coconut oil has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. For this reason it would be effective in case of chronic gastritis and in the presence of ulcers peptic.

Coconut oil and free radicals

Coconut oil would be able to protect us from the damage caused by radicals free, and therefore to prevent the signs of aging.

Free radicals are unstable molecules, capable of unwanted chemical reactions in our body.

Coconut oil, on the contrary, being a stable fat, is not damaged by free radicals.

Taking coconut oil could contain the damage caused by unstable molecules and unleash its full anti-aging potential.

In oral hygiene

Another important and healthy function of coconut oil is Oil Pulling, i.e. a technique Ayurvedic for the hygiene of our mouth.

Using coconut oil as a mouthwash for about 20 minutes every day defeats harmful bacteria, improves the health of the oral cavity, and prevents bad breath.

Coconut oil reduces appetite

Coconut oil could help us eat less.

The reduction in appetite would be related to the way in which the fatty acids present in coconut oil are metabolised.

In fact, ketone bodies have the effect of reducing appetite.

Coconut oil has beneficial properties on cholesterol

The ccholesterol and the fat are very distinct things, but which are often mistakenly are used as synonyms.

Cholesterol is considered something negative, the result of its increasingly frequent association with diseases cardiac.

But a healthy individual is able to produce a quantity of cholesterol necessary for good bodily functioning, as it is essential for the structure of cell membranes.

Coconut oil could affect positively important risk factors, including cholesterol.

Coconut oil has beneficial properties on hair, skin and oral hygiene

The beneficial properties of coconut oil not only act inside the body, but also outside, improving the appearance of the skin and hair.

To enhance the hair beauty and health, it can be used as a compress by applying it directly to damp hair before washing for 30-60 minutes.

Additionally, coconut oil is a fantastic natural alternative to expensive and ineffective moisturizers and lotions that often contain chemicals.

Coconut oil is a powerful moisturizer for skin and hair care.

Loss of harmful fat

There is a possibility that coconut oil is able to contribute to the decrease in deposits of white adipose tissue, i.e. subcutaneous fat that accumulates in the abdominal area.

In fact, it was conducted a study in Spain in 1998: by enriching the diet of a sample of laboratory mice with coconut oil, this stimulated a cellular component called UCP1 (uncoupling protein), capable of transforming food into energy.

Therefore, coconut oil served to reduce adipose deposits in these small mammals.