Coconut oil

The coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm. The oil of the coconut is used for the production of medicine. Some coconut oil products are referred to as "virgin" coconut oil. However, unlike olive oil, there is no industry standard for the term "virgin" coconut oil. The term has become established for coconut oil that is unprocessed. Virgin coconut oil has not been bleached, deodorized or refined, for example. Some coconut oil products state that they are cold-pressed coconut oil. This generally means that a mechanical method is used to press the oil and no additional heat source is used. The high pressure required to press out the oil generates a certain amount of natural heat, but this temperature is controlled so that it does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius. Coconut oil is used for diabetes, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, thyroid disorders, as well as to increase energy and boost immune system function. Ironically, despite its high calorie content and high saturated fat content, some people use coconut oil to lose weight and lower cholesterol levels. Coconut oil is sometimes applied to the skin as a moisturizer and to treat psoriasis.

How does coconut oil work?

Coconut oil is rich in a special type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). These fats are treated differently in the body than other types of saturated fats. However, research into the effects of these types of fats is still in its infancy. When applied to the skin, coconut oil has a moisturizing effect

What are the potential health benefits of coconut oil

1. coconut oil contains fatty acids with potent medicinal properties

Coconut oil is rich in healthy saturated fats whose effects differ from those of most other fats in your diet. These fats can stimulate fat burning and provide the body and brain with quick energy. They increase the levels of good HDL cholesterol in the blood, which is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Most of the fats in our diet are so-called long-chain triglycerides, but the fatty acids contained in coconut oil are known as medium-chain triglycerides - MCTs for short. This means that the fatty acid chains of these fats are shorter than those of most other fatty acids (1). When you eat these types of fats, they go straight to the liver where they are used as a quick source of energy or converted into ketones. Ketones may have benefits for the brain and are being studied as a potential treatment for diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's and other conditions.

Summary: Coconut oil is rich in fats called MCTs, which are metabolized differently than most other fats. These special fats are responsible for a lot of the health benefits of coconut oil.

2. populations that eat a lot of coconut oil are healthy

Coconut oil is an exotic food in the Western world, consumed primarily by health-conscious people. However, in some parts of the world, coconuts (which are overloaded with healthy coconut oil) are a staple food that has been consumed for generations.

The best example of this is peoples like the Tokelauans, who live in the South Pacific. These people consume 60% of their calories in the form of coconuts. According to health studies, this people have excellent health with a very low rate of heart disease (2). Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconuts and enjoys excellent health are the Kitavans (3).

Summary: Several populations around the world that have been eating massive amounts of coconuts for generations enjoy very good health.

3. coconut oil can increase fat burning

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the world. While some people believe that obesity is only a matter of calorie intake, others believe that the sources of these calories are also very important. It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and our hormones in different ways. In this respect, one calorie is not equal to one calorie.

The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil can increase the amount of calories your body burns compared to eating the same amount of calories in the form of long-chain fatty acids (4). One study found that 15 to 30 grams of MCTs per day can increase calorie consumption by 5% over 24 hours, which adds up to 120 kcal per day (5).

Summary: The MCTs contained in coconut oil can increase calorie consumption by up to 5% over 24 hours.

4. coconut oil can kill harmful microorganisms

The fatty acid lauric acid makes up about 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil. When lauric acid is digested, a substance called monolaurin is formed. Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful germs such as bacteria, viruses and fungi (6). For example, these substances have been shown to kill the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (a very dangerous pathogen for humans) and the yeast Candida albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans (7, 8).

Summary: The fatty acids contained in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens including bacteria, viruses and fungi. This can potentially help prevent infections.

5. coconut oil can reduce hunger and help you eat less

An interesting property of the fatty acids contained in coconut oil is that they can reduce hunger. This could be related to the way these fats are metabolized, as ketones can have an appetite-reducing effect (9). In one study, 6 healthy men were given different amounts of medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids. The men who consumed the most MCTs ate an average of 256 kcal less per day (10). Another study conducted with 14 healthy men found that the men who consumed the most MCTs at breakfast ate fewer calories at lunch (11). These studies were small and were only conducted over a short period of time. If these effects were sustained over a longer period of time, it could help to reduce body weight over a period of several years.

Summary: The fatty acids contained in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite, which could lead to a reduction in body weight in the long term.

6. the fatty acids contained in coconut oil could reduce seizures

A so-called ketogenic diet, which is very low in carbohydrates and very high in fat, is currently being investigated as an adjunctive treatment method for numerous diseases. The best-known therapeutic application for this type of diet is the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in children (12). This type of diet involves the consumption of very small amounts of carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, which leads to a sharp increase in the concentrations of ketones in the blood. For some reason, this type of diet reduces the rate of seizures in epileptic children - and even in children who have been unsuccessfully treated with several different types of medication. Since the fatty acids contained in coconut oil are transported directly to the liver where they are converted into ketones, these fatty acids are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis even with a slightly higher amount of carbohydrate in the diet (13, 14).

Summary: The MCTs contained in coconut oil can increase blood levels of ketones, which may help to reduce seizures in epileptic children.

7. coconut oil can increase levels of good HDL cholesterol

Coconut oil contains natural saturated fats that can increase levels of good HDL cholesterol in the body. It can also help convert bad LDL cholesterol into a less harmful form. Many experts believe that coconut oil may be better for heart health due to this increase in HDL cholesterol levels compared to other fats. In a study of 40 women, coconut oil reduced total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels compared to soybean oil, while increasing levels of good HDL cholesterol (15). Another study conducted with 116 patients showed that a dietary program that included coconut oil increased levels of good HDL cholesterol (16).

Summary: Some studies have shown that coconut oil can increase blood levels of good HDL cholesterol, which is associated with better heart health and a lower risk of heart disease.

8. coconut oil can protect the health of skin, hair and teeth

There are many uses for coconut oil that have nothing to do with the consumption of this oil. Many people use coconut oil for cosmetic purposes and to improve the health and appearance of their skin and hair. Studies conducted on people suffering from dry skin have shown that coconut oil can increase the skin's moisture content and reduce the symptoms of eczema (17, 18). Coconut oil can also protect hair from damage and one study showed the effectiveness of coconut oil as a weak sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun's ultraviolet rays (19, 20). Another use includes using it as a mouth rinse in a process called "oil pulling", which can kill some harmful bacteria in the mouth, improve dental health and reduce bad breath (21, 22, 23).

Summary: Coconut oil can also be used topically. Studies show that it can be an effective moisturizer for the skin and protect hair from damage.

9: The fatty acids in coconut oil can improve brain function in Alzheimer's patients

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and occurs primarily in older people. Alzheimer's patients appear to have a reduced ability to use glucose in certain areas of the brain. Scientists have speculated that ketones may provide an alternative energy source for these malfunctioning brain cells and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's (24). In a 2006 study, consumption of MCTs led to an improvement in brain function in patients suffering from milder forms of Alzheimer's disease (25). However, it should be borne in mind that these studies are still at an early stage and that there is no evidence that coconut oil itself helps with Alzheimer's disease. Summary: Preliminary studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides may increase blood levels of ketones, which provide energy to the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients and may alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

10. coconut oil can help with fat loss, especially harmful belly fat

Considering that coconut oil can reduce appetite and increase fat burning, it makes sense that it can also help with weight loss. Coconut oil seems to be particularly effective when it comes to reducing belly fat, which is located in the abdomen and around the organs (4). This type of fat is the most dangerous type of body fat and it is associated with many chronic diseases of Western civilization. Waist circumference can be easily measured and is an excellent marker for the amount of fat in the abdomen. In one study of 40 women suffering from abdominal obesity, supplementation with 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of coconut oil over the course of 12 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference (15). In another study conducted with 20 obese men, a reduction in waist circumference of 2.86 centimeters was observed after 4 weeks of supplementation with 30 ml of coconut oil per day (26). Coconut oil is nevertheless high in calories, which is why you should not add huge amounts of it to your diet. However, replacing some of the fats you use for cooking with coconut oil could result in a small weight loss benefit.

How effective is coconut oil for other uses?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of coconut oil for the following applications:

Head lice: New research shows that a spray containing coconut oil, anise oil, and ylang ylang oil appears to be effective in treating head lice in children. This spray appears to work just as well as a spray containing chemical insecticides.
Psoriasis: Applying coconut oil before treating psoriasis with UV-B light or with psoralen and UV-A light does not seem to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. There is also insufficient scientific data on the effectiveness of coconut oil for diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome and thyroid disorders. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of coconut oil in all these applications.

Safety and side effects

Coconut oil is safe and harmless for most people when used in the amounts commonly found in food. It also appears to be safe and harmless when applied to the scalp in combination with other medicinal plants. As coconut oil is high in saturated fat, there are concerns that it may increase body weight or cholesterol levels when used in high amounts. However, these concerns have not yet been substantiated by scientific research. The safety of using coconut oil in medicinal quantities is not known.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Coconut oil is safe and safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women when used in normal dietary amounts. However, nothing is known about the safety of using higher medicinal amounts, so pregnant and breastfeeding women should stick to normal dietary amounts.

High cholesterol: There are concerns that coconut oil may raise "bad" LDL cholesterol. However, there is conflicting evidence showing that coconut oil may actually increase "good" cholesterol without having a significant effect on total cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of coconut oil with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of coconut oil depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to be able to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for coconut oil. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.