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The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Underneath
its hard surface, the oil of the coconut is swimming with vitamins,
minerals, fat, and antioxidants that promote and protect our health.
The oil of the coconut has been feeding and healing people for several
thousand years and this tradition continues today.
Like the
natural fats found in breast milk that strengthen the immune systems in
breastfed babies, nature has given the oil of the coconut a special
saturated fat that strengthens the immune system and protects the body
from the harmful affects of infectious bacteria. The fat in coconut oil
is different than the saturated fat from animal and vegetable sources.
It was once thought that all types of saturated fats were bad for you
and caused deadly heart disease, among others.
Today
science has shown that there are health benefits in certain fats such as
that found in coconut oil. Science has also shown that heart disease and
other serious illnesses develop as a result of a number of different
factors including a hereditary predisposition for disease and a
combination of poor lifestyle choices such as a diet of processed foods
high in nitrates and other harmful additives, inactivity, smoking, and
alcohol/drug consumption.
Coconut oil
can offer protection that can prevent the development of heart disease,
stroke, arteriosclerosis, cancer, digestive disorders, immune system
weakening, osteoporosis, and other illnesses and disease. Coconut oil
can also help diabetics to control their insulin levels leading to
better control of the disease and its affects on the body. It promotes
the proper functioning of the metabolism, which utilizes needed fat for
energy and eliminates unnecessary fat from the body. Because of the
health benefits and protections offered by coconut oil you will find
that it is used in commercial baby formulas, energy drinks, and even in
the intravenous fluids given to patients in hospitals.
Coconut oil
enables the body to better absorb the nutrients from other foods for
higher nutritional levels in the body and better health. Coconut oil
hydrates the body for supple, healthy skin and helps prevent skin damage
from excessive sun exposure such as age spots, wrinkles, and even skin
cancers. Coconut oil promotes proper digestion so that needed nutrients
can be harvested from foods eaten, and waste can be eliminated quickly
from the body as a preventive against colon and other digestive cancers
and diseases.
Coconut oil
is also resistant to break down when exposed to high temperatures. This
prevents the nutritional and health protections from being lost by
cooking foods in high heat. This makes coconut oil a superior cooking
oil to prepare your foods with and it can be stored in the pantry longer
than most other types of oils which makes it a most cost effective
purchase.
You can
help your dog or cat improve their health as well with coconut oil. A
tablespoon of coconut oil mixed with your pets regular food one or more
times a week, will aid them in absorbing the nutrients contained in
their food and with digestion and elimination, for a healthier and
happier pet.
Cook your
foods with coconut oil for healthier meals. From the pantry or stovetop,
coconut oil can be used in other ways. A fourth of a cup of coconut oil
added to the tub as it fills with warm water creates a pampering soak
for your skin and rejuvenation for your senses. Coconut oil can be
applied directly to the elbows, knees, and other dry skin patches to
hydrate and heal dry skin.
Some people
are afraid that switching to using coconut oil will drastically change
the tastes of the foods they cook. Coconut oil does not have an
overwhelming flavor that will overtake the natural flavors of foods. The
hydrogenated oils most of us have been cooking with are in fact guilty
of this. You will find that coconut oil brings out the full flavor in
the foods you cook and you may discover for the first time how wonderful
the natural flavors of these foods taste. Use coconut for all its many
benefits for better health.
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