5 Remarkable Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

1. Coconut oil helps with weight loss.

While it may seem counterintuitive, coconut oil is actually a "weight-loss-friendly" fat because it contains fatty acids that have strong effects on your metabolism. It helps you burn more calories, reduce your appetite, and reduce BMI and waist fat.

Coconut oil is different from other fats that you may eat. While most foods contain long-chain fatty acids, coconut oil has mostly medium-chain fatty acids, which are metabolized differently than the longer ones. Medium-chain fatty acids go directly to the liver after being digested, where they can be immediately used for energy or transformed into ketone bodies. Additionally, studies have shown that medium-chain fats are not stored as efficiently as other fats.

2. Coconut oil helps improve heart health.

Coconut oil has been shown to increase levels of good HDL cholesterol and decrease levels of bad LDL cholesterol. This means it will lower your risk of developing heart disease and high blood pressure. This is also due to the medium-chain triglycerides that are in this oil. These unique saturated fats help with two of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease: obesity and arteriosclerosis.

3. Coconut oil helps relieve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Coconut oil contains fatty acids that help improve the brain function of Alzheimer’s patients. This effect has to do with ketones, which are what your body produces when you convert fat into energy. Your brain uses glucose as a primary source of energy, and in Alzheimer’s disease it has been shown that brain cells have a hard time metabolizing glucose.

However, the ketones that are produced in your body when you digest coconut oil can give you an alternative source of fuel to maintain the nourishment of your brain.

Research is continuing on the benefits of coconut oil for people who are experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. While some of these studies are still in their early phases, many people have provided anecdotal evidence to back up the claims that coconut oil can vastly improve the brain function of those suffering from Alzheimer's.

4. Coconut oil helps maintain healthy skin and hair.

Applied topically, coconut oil helps moisturize the skin, reduce eczema symptoms, and prevent hair damage. Coconut oil is full of lauric acid, which is a fatty acid that is well-known for its antimicrobial, moisturizing, and hormone-regulating properties. It also has anti-aging and skin-regenerating abilities, and can stimulate the production of collagen in your skin and keep you looking young well into your later years. Further, the vitamin E found in coconut oil protects your skin from sun damage.

When it comes to your hair, coconut oil helps keep it moisturized and prevents it from losing protein when it is damaged through combing. In fact, women living in tropical coastal regions use coconut oil for their hair almost every day. This oil helps your hair grow in a healthy way and gives a shine to your strands. Due to its low molecular weight, coconut oil is able to penetrate your hair shaft and prevent your hair from becoming damaged.

5. Coconut oil helps maintain dental health.

The lauric acid in coconut oil helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease by attacking the harmful bacteria that leads to these dental issues. Also, oil pulling using coconut oil can help get rid of bad bacteria in your mouth and reduce your risk of periodontal disease, which involves inflammation of the gums.

The main cause of periodontal disease is a build up of plaque and harmful bacteria in your mouth. Research shows that using coconut oil can decrease the build up of plaque on your teeth and help reduce your chances of developing gum disease. One study showed that using coconut oil for oil pulling significantly reduced the amount of plaque buildup and signs of gingivitis in participants who already suffered from plaque-induced gum disease.

Finally, coconut oil kills Streptococcus and Lactobacillus, which are two types of bacteria that are primarily responsible for tooth decay. Coconut oil can fight these bacteria as effectively as chlorhexidine, the active ingredient found in mouthwash. Because of this, coconut oil can help in the prevention of tooth decay and tooth loss.