Benefits of Coconut Oil

I tell you, the more I read about this stuff the more I am amazed.

I am ploughing through Bruce Fife's 'Coconut Cures' on Google Books (and will probably buy it). It is fascinating.

I had already been fascinated by what I have been reading about it elsewhere, but one thing I picked up on in the book is that coconut oil can help vitamins and minerals in food become much more 'bioavailable' to the body. It's apparently like taking a multivitamin supplement without taking a multivitamin supplement! It helps the body use the nutrients much more efficiently.

It also provides an energy boost - not like the kick from caffeine, more subtle than that, but enough that taking it at night can keep you awake! It is a longer lasting boost too.

It is often added to baby formulas as the medium chain triglycerides (MCT's) or fatty acids (MCFA's) in it are very similar to those in human breast milk. It cites an experience from a woman whose 9th (!) baby was quite sickly. Her naturopath suggested she take coconut oil and within 2 months her baby had gained 3 pounds and was thriving. It can boost milk quality by up to 18% apparently. The naturopath felt that each successive pregnancy had diminished the quality of her milk and the baby just wasn't getting enough MCFA's to encourage its growth and nutrient absorption.

The benefits of it as a digestive aid are also well-documented. It is a good fat for digestive support and is beneficial particularly for those with gall-bladder and other fat digestion issues as it doesn't need very much in the way of bile for its digestion. By the time it leaves the stomach it has already changed into the lipids that the body can use for energy. Because the body needs fats in order to function properly, those on a reduced fat diet can suffer as a result of not having enough, especially with general malnutrition.

It is a great all-round healer too, both internally and externally. It has done wonders for my digestion and back in June I badly burnt my left hand. I kept it cool and moist and kept slathering it with coconut oil. Within just over a week it was healed enough for me to take the dressing off and now two months later, you wouldn't know. Everyone who saw it as it was couldn't believe how fast and well it healed. And I am Diabetic.......!

An on top of all that - it can aid weight loss for those that need it because it encourages more efficient fat-burning.

Tomorrow I am off to stock up on supplies...............

Yum Patch, I will have to try the coconut choc. I already drink cocoa with coconut milk (I don't do cow's milk) and now prefer it like that.

Now I am reading the excerpt on Google Books of Bruce Fife's 'Eat fat, look slim'.

Interesting point - apparently when people eat low fat, the body detects the lack of fat and actually ups its quota of fat-making enzymes (lipoprotein lipase). It 'thinks' that it is being starved of fats and goes into fat-producing overdrive.

Research at Harvard Medical School found that of two groups consuming the same number of calories, those consuming a medium 35% fats lost an average of 9lbs, whilst the group consuming a low 20% fat actually gained 6.5lbs!

The body will choose carbs first for energy because they are a quick source. Any fat eaten with the carbs is put into storage to be used as an energy source later. Too much carbs is also converted to fat and stored. It's a 'self-preservation' thing.

When the body has used the available carbs like between meals, or during the night, it will burn fats for energy - unless it has become so used to being fed carbs that it 'forgets' how to burn fats (it has then also developed 'Leptin' resistance). That will then precipitate 'hypo' cycles (carb-driven) until insulin-resistance finally becomes a problem.

Leptin-resistance can result in the body breaking down and using muscle mass (protein) for fuel if it doesn't get enough fats in the diet.

Eating less carbs and raising the fats in the diet seems to force the body back into burning fuel properly. It doesn't have enough carbs to keep it going so it is then encouraged to access the fat.

So even more reason for me to be having plenty of coconut oil in my diet!

That looks good Patch. I might try that one - I wonder if it would go a lot firmer in the fridge though as coconut oil is solid when cold. It would be interesting to see.

In Mary Enig and Sally Fallon's book 'Eat fat, lose fat', they use a mixed blend of equal parts of coconut oil, cold-pressed or expeller-pressed sesame oil, and EV olive oil.

They also add whey (which can be drained from plain probio yoghurt) which apparently helps the mayo keep longer.