Coconut oil is truly a superfood. It stands out from all other oils due to its extremely high nutritional content.

If you’re already consuming coconut oil regularly, that’s great! We will provide you with information on how it benefits your body. If you don’t regularly consume coconut oil, you might want to try incorporating it into your diet by the end of this. Let’s get started!

Coconut Oil is Anti-Microbial

Coconut oil has been known to kill harmful microorganisms in your body. It contains helpful fatty acids that do this, specifically Lauric acid. Lauric acid accounts for around 50% of all the fatty acids found in coconut oil.

Once you digest the coconut oil, the Lauric acid creates a different substance in your body called monolaurin. Together, these two things have been scientifically proven to kill any harmful pathogens in your body. Whether it’s bacteria, fungi, or even a virus, coconut oil has the power to kill them.

If you struggle with yeast infections, coconut oil might be the answer to get rid of this issue for once and for all. Lauric acid has also been proven to kill Staphylococcus aureus, which can be a very harmful pathogen if left in the body.

Not only does coconut oil kill these harmful pathogens, it also helps to prevent any bacteria from entering your immune system in general.

Coconut Oil Can Increase Good Cholesterol Levels (HDL)

We can have both good and bad cholesterol in our bodies. The good cholesterol is called HDL, which is found in the blood. Coconut oil has been proven to increase this. This happens from the natural saturated fats contained in this oil.

In addition to increasing your good cholesterol levels, coconut oil can even decrease the bad LDL cholesterol found in your body. Good levels of healthy cholesterol contribute to overall metabolic health along with a lessened risk of getting heart disease.

Coconut Oil as a Weight Loss Food

Coconut oil contains something called MCTs. This stands for medium chain triglycerides. Many other oils such as canola or soybean oil contain LCTs (long chain triglycerides) which aren’t as effective as fighting weight gain.

MCTs are beneficial for those who want to lose weight because they boost your metabolism and increase your energy expenditure. Consuming around 1 tablespoon or more of coconut oil a day can help you burn an extra 100-120 calories daily, depending on your starting weight.

You might not think that 100 calories are day is enough to make a difference in your weight loss, but it truly is. Over the course of a year, this equates to an average of 36,000 calories burned. That’s at least 10 pounds of fat!

Coconut Oil Helps Regulate Hormones

If you’ve ever struggled with hormone imbalances, you know just how much of a toll it can take on your body. Whether you are dealing with too much or too little hormones, estrogen or testosterone, coconut oil can help regulate both.

Lauric acid is the key to this. This fatty acid works to keep your hormones in check, especially during menopause. For those women who struggle with low estrogen levels, studies have proven that it can increase these levels in your body.

Coconut Oil Boosts Brain Function

Whether you are studying for exams or just trying to do the best you can at your job, coconut oil can help boost your brain function for both these tasks. That makes it especially beneficial for those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or any form of dementia.

Those who commonly struggle with memory loss might not be getting enough glucose in certain parts of the brain. Ketones, which are found in coconut oil, can work as an alternate energy source instead of glucose.

Whether you are looking to reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s or simply prevent it, the MCTs in this oil are especially beneficial for improving overall brain function.

Coconut Oil for Oral Health

You might not think that oils would have anything to do with oral health, and usually they don’t. However, with coconut oil that all changes. Coconut oil has been proven to strengthen your teeth. Some even make homemade toothpaste out of it.

The most effective way coconut oil improves your oral health is through oil pulling. This is a process where you take around a teaspoon of oil and swish it in your mouth for around 15-20 minutes. It’s recommended to do this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Be careful not to swallow any of the oil, and spit it out when you’re done.

After this, brush your teeth as normal. The point of oil pulling is to remove and extract bacteria from all over your mouth. It not only extracts this bacteria, oil pulling kills the bacteria as well. During the process, it also strengthens your teeth and gums and can fight against bad breath.

Coconut Oil Helps With Mineral Absorption

Mineral absorption is especially important for our bones. If we aren’t absorbing the minerals that we need properly, our bones won’t be as strong. Coconut oil helps to improve your body’s ability in absorbing certain minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

This makes coconut oil especially beneficial for the older generations as well as anyone who either has osteoporosis or is prone to getting it.

Coconut Oil as an Energy Source

If you’re looking for increased energy throughout the day, coconut oil can help with this. It’s often used by athletes and bodybuilders to give them more energy in their workout. It can also enhance their endurance and overall performance.

Coconut oil is also great for providing energy to those who are dieting. Eating fewer calories than you normally would can make your body feel weak and de-energized. However, adding coconut oil to this can help you feel better.

Conclusion

We hope that you’re now more aware of the countless health and nutritional benefits you can receive from this magical oil. No matter what reason you are choosing to consume it for, you’re likely to receive more benefits than you expected!

By Alice Webster

Alice is the founder of www.alices.kitchen. Alice loves to cook and spends much of her days in the kitchen experimenting with creating healthy nutritious food. For more reasons to love coconut oil, check out this blog form our friends at Alice’s Kitchen.

Ready to feel healthy? Enjoy more healthy recipes, on YogaDownload's blog here, or practice the Yoga for Detox, Cleansing, & Vitality program!