8 Amazing Facts About Coconut Oil
When it comes to skincare, haircare or health, virgin coconut oil supersedes all other oils and has a long and highly respected reputation in many cultures in the world.
Known for its unique medium-chain fatty acids which have positive benefits on overall health.
Here are 8 Amazing Facts About Coconut Oil.
1. An active ingredient in baby formula.
Virgin Coconut oil provides many valuable health benefits and is one of the good fats. It is a cardinal component of baby formula because it has as many nutrients as human breast milk.
The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to make disease-fighting fatty acid derivative mono-laurin that babies make from the lauric acid they get from their mothers’ milk. The monoglyceride monolaurin is the substance that keeps infants away from getting viral or bacterial or protozoal infections.
Virgin coconut oil is safe; natural food acclaimed by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is on FDA’s exclusive GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) list.[?]
2. The Infamous oil war
In 1986, American Soybean Association oriented a campaign named “FAT FIGHTER KIT” to promote vegetable oil by defaming coconut oil. The food companies joined in the hope to profit from this campaign.[?]
Leading Brands like McDonald’s and Burger King announced that they had replaced coconut oil with more “healthful” vegetable oil.
3. The Secret weapon of pacific islanders
People who inhabit the islands of the south pacific are free from the crippling effects of degenerative diseases due to food eaten throughout the area is coconut oil-based.
Ian Prior, M.D Cardiologist and Director of the epidemiology unit at the Wellington Hospital in New- Zealand says that the more these islanders move away from their ancestral diet, the more frequently they experience degenerative diseases such as gout, diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity, and hypertension.
4. Used as traditional remedy
In the Central American country of Panama, people drink coconut oil by the cup to help themselves overcome sickness, over the generations; they have learned that consuming coconut oil speeds recovery from illness.
In Jamaica, coconut is considered a healthy tonic that is good for the heart. It has been used there with success for so long that it is the most commonly administered traditional remedy.
5. Reverence in ancient Chinese texts
In China, ancient medical textbooks over 2000 years old include the uses of coconut for the treatment and cure of at least 69 diseases. Among many cultures, the coconut palm is considered superior to all other plants for its nutritional and health-giving properties.
The healing miracles of the coconut have long been known in those cultures where it is grown. Only lately, these benefits are known to the rest of the world.
6. Used for treatment of patient in hospitals
Coconut oil is used in hospitals to feed patients who have digestive or mal-absorption problems.
Due to the high content of Lauric acid researchers in the Philippines are considering coconut oil to treat COVID-19 Patients.[?]
7. Have medium chain triglycerides
Coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat but the fat that is found in coconut oil is of plant source unlike that is found in animal products. The coconut oil fat affects the body differently, which is dramatic and documented by years of scientific research.
However, when it comes to coconut oil, one of the healthiest dietary changes you can make is to substitute your regular vegetable oil for coconut oil in cooking which is healthy and help prevent diseases.
8. Sri Lanka’s heart health tonic
Most of the vegetable oils used in cooking and food preparation are composed entirely of long-chain triglycerides. These include corn, sunflower, soybean, canola and other typical cooking and salad oils. The only significant natural source of medium-chain triglycerides is coconut and palm kernel oils.
Sri Lankan people consume lots of coconut oil and have the lowest heart disease in the world. Epidemiological studies show that people who consume coconut oil experience almost no heart disease.[?]
The bottom line
Virgin Coconut Oil has many therapeutic benefits. The coconut palm is also called the “Tree of Life” by many Asian and Polynesian people.
Unlike other fats, virgin coconut oil protects against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a host of other degenerative illnesses.
