Coconut Oil Benefits For Your Health

FOR FOOD, MEDICINE, OR SKIN CARE, COCONUT OIL IS LOADED WITH HEALTH BENEFITS!

Marquette, MI – Coconut Oil has become so popular that people that have never used it, people that are not even sure how or why to use it are stopping in to natural food stores to pick up a jar. Coconut oil has many benefits but it is loaded with saturated fat, which made it a debatable ‘health food’, until recent studies have proved that like many high fat vegetarian foods, coconut oil does not have the same harmful effects that saturated fats in animal foods like butter, cream, and red meats do.

Good saturated fats actually have a different biochemical makeup than saturated fats from animal products and therefore are not harmful to heart health and do not lead to high cholesterol. Coconut oil is in fact much more than just something to replace butter or margarine with, it is loaded with reasons to keep on hand in both your kitchen and your bathroom.

You can find jars of healthy coconut oil for sale at most grocery stores and our local Marquette food co-op offers many to choose from. (photo by Candace Prill)

Coconut oil has disease fighting phytochemicals, it is rich in lauric acid which is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-viral supplement which aids in a healthy immune system and facilitates brain function. If that isn’t reason enough, coconut oil also can be used on skin to moisturize or eliminate acne causing oils, and used on the hair to moisturize and on the scalp to promote hair growth. It can even replace toothpaste because of it is anti-bacterial, anti fungal and anti-viral properties, eliminating bacteria that causes gum disease, throat infections and ulcers, killing fungi and yeast and stopping viruses that lead to things like herpes and influenza.

Coconut Oil is being used in smoothies and baked goods and even as cream in coffee. People are cooking veggies in it and spreading it on toast like butter because it is an antioxidant and anti-carcinogen, preventing the spread of cancer cells with its antimicrobial properties. It is an anti-inflammatory, suppressing inflammation and repairing tissues and it improves nutrient absorption from food and supplements. Coconut oil boosts energy and endurance, stimulates metabolism and improves thyroid function. Reaping the benefits is as easy as adding a few teaspoons to your daily diet!

You can also apply coconut oil directly to your skin, on a regular basis, to reduce age spots, birth marks, bruises, cellulite, bug bites, burns and cradle cap. You can also relieve nausea by rubbing the oil on the inside of your wrist and forearm. Coconut oil can be used as an eye cream to reduce puffiness, wrinkles and bags. It can be mixed with sugar to make a body scrub or used as an overnight deep hair conditioner. It can be used to make a deodorant (most effective when mixed with arrowroot powder and baking soda) or toothpaste (mixed with baking soda and peppermint essential oil) or as a full body moisturizer.

Just by replacing the saturated fat in your kitchen with coconut oil will allow you to enjoy the many health benefits. Buying a jar and simultaneously using it as a food and to rub all over your body is officially addictive. Enjoy!

Larson, Ivy. “Is the Saturated Fat in Coconut Harmful?” 2012. www.cleancuisineandmore.com. 9/13.

Jennifer. “160 Uses For Coconut Oil.” 2013. http://wakeupworld.com. 9/13

by Candace Prill

Being raised in a small Michigan town has taught me many things; being one with nature, eating whole foods and living in a sustainable way are just a few. My family and I currently reside in Marquette, where we can grow a garden downtown, bike anywhere in the city and enjoy endless nature just outside of the city limits. In the past several years I have been lucky to be a part of researching, writing and teaching about whole living. You can find my monthly nutrition column “Healthier Living” in the Great Lakes Pilot that I have been writing for the past two years. You can also find my published geological research in “Agates: Inside Out” by Karen Brzys. My passion is to live and, teach to live, in a sustainable way, both nutritionally and environmentally. I look forward to sharing my articles on sustainable living here at Marquette Magazine.

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