Coconut oil benefits are numerous and the uses are many, learn here all of this plus how cold pressed coconut oil is made.
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Coconut oil is made from aged coconuts that come from the coconut
palm tree. These trees grow in the tropics where coconut oil has long
been used for health and wellbeing.
Coconut oil is a clear liquid that will solidify into a white creamy texture at temperatures below about 25C (77F).
Is Coconut Oil Healthy?
YES! Cold pressed coconut oil is extremely beneficial to health.
Coconut oil benefits us in just so many ways and has been used for ages.
I
always like to look back in time to see what our elders and ancestors
turned to for health. Coconut oil has been used for generations in the
tropics both topically and internally.
Fads come and go, as do
trends, marketing campaigns and corporate propaganda. Even 'science'
will 'prove' something to be bad for humans only to have another test
show the exact opposite.
Coconut oil has been through the ringer of all of this. Honestly, I have never paid much attention to any of that.
I
have always known and felt coconut oil benefits to be many and that it
is a beautiful addition to health and wellbeing (as is every single part
of the coconut and it's tree). Long lived, very healthy and connected
cultures have been successfully using coconut oil in their daily lives
for ages - that is proof enough for me!
Coconut Oil Benefits
Coconut oil benefits our bodies in so many ways. Below is a list of several of the benefits of this amazing food.
- Antimicrobial
- Antibacterial
- Anti-fungal
- Antiviral
- Anti-parasitic
- Very soothing to the entire GI tract - very easy to digest and does not upset healthy gut flora
- Does not elevate cholesterol, can lower it
- Stimulates thyroid function
- Normalizes blood sugar levels
- Great moisturizer inside and out, nourishes and rejuvenates skin - prevents liver spots
- Heals and prevents scarring
- Soothing to sunburns and/or dry itchy skin and skin conditions such as psoriasis
- Very helpful for regulating weight
- Boosts energy - helps against chronic fatigue
- Protecting and nourishing when out in the sun
Medium
chain fatty acids are part of the wonderful makeup of coconut oil that
is effective in assisting with challenges such as;
- Flu
- Measles
- Sinusitis
- Food Poisoning
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Cavities
- Gonorrhea
- Fungal Infections
- Hepatitis C
- Candida
- Herpes and Epstein Barr
Uses for Coconut Oil
The way coconut oil benefits us extends into the many ways it can be used, such as;
- Moisturizer
- Oil pulling
- Homemade toothpaste
- Use to massage gums
- Homemade mosquito repellent
- Homemade lip balm
- Homemade lotions, skin moisturizer
- Sunscreen
- Massage oil
- Hair detangler / Hair serum / Hair treatment
- Beautiful on baby's skin and hair
- Ingredient in smoothies
- Taken by the spoonful
- Used
for light cooking (I don't generally like to cook with oils but if I am
going to, coconut oil is the best choice since it is more heat stable
than other oils)
- Ingredient in salad dressings
- Ingredient in many raw food recipes
How Cold Pressed Coconut Oil is Made
Part of learning about how coconut oil benefits our health
is learning about the process of how cold pressed coconut oil is made.
I
visited a man in Thailand that has been making coconut oil using the
cold pressed method for more than 14 years. He uses local coconuts
right from the area where he lives. All local, completely fresh, made
with love and care … when coconut oil is made like this, the taste and
feel of it is exceptional.
During my visit, the entire process was
graciously explained to me. Below is a video and a write up explaining
what I learned about how to make cold pressed coconut oil.
If the video below does not play,
click here to see it.
Once coconuts become mature (like in the
picture below) the meat inside becomes hard and thick. The fibrous
outer husk is removed as well as the hard shell to reveal the hard thick
white coconut meat inside.
Mature coconuts (vs young coconuts)
are used because, as the coconut matures, the oil content in the meat
increases and it is this oil content that creates a beautiful coconut
oil.
Pictured above you can see that a machine is used to help
to remove the very hard shell of the nut. At home, you can wrap the nut
in a towel and then gently crack open with a hammer.
If you
want to use the water (there will usually be a varying amount of coconut
water inside the hard nut) you will need to pierce 2 of the 3 the eyes
of the nut and pour the water out first. This coconut water can be
drunk as is, used in smoothies, used to make coconut kefir or used in
other recipes but it is not used in the process of making coconut oil.
The next step in making the oil is to grate the thick coconut meat into fine shreds.
Above you can see a big machine that easily grates the
coconut meat into shreds. There are many different types of manual
tools that I have come across in my travels that do this same job;
Next a small amount of good quality water is mixed in with
the finely grated coconut shreds. This water allows for more of the
oils to be extracted from the grated coconut when it is pressed.
The coconut shreds are now put into a mesh bag and that
bag is put into the pressing machine. The bag is pressed more than once
to extract as much of the coconut milk (which contains the oil
component within it) as possible.
What is left over after pressing is just the fiber of the
coconut. This can be dried and ground down into coconut flour which is
wonderful to use in food recipes. In Thailand, this is also used as
feed for animals.
What comes from pressing the coconut shreds
is a gorgeous white coconut milk (if not making coconut oil, this milk
is wonderful to drink like this or to use in smoothies or other
recipes).
This coconut milk is put into a glass container and left
to sit out overnight to separate. The cream rises to the top, the oil
in the middle and the water at the bottom.
The cream at the top can be skimmed off and used in
recipes or to make coconut cheese. The water at the bottom is
discarded. It is the layer in the middle that is the oil we are looking
for. This oil layer is now filtered and sat to achieve a greater
clarity and purity.
Once going through the filtration machine
you can see that the oil has a slight cloudy look to it. This oil is
then covered (with a slight opening) and left to sit for about 3 days.
During this time any water within will evaporate leaving the beautiful
clear oil. This is the pure, highly nutritious finished product -
COLD PRESSED COCONUT OIL.
Are you going to be in Thailand? On the island of Koh Samui stop by and visit Khun Pongthip and the beautiful folks at
www.samuirenong.com
Why Cold Pressed?
When fats (oils) are heated, their molecular structure is
compromised, creating carcinogenic free radicals. Coconut oil is more
stable to heat than other plant oils but it is still best when produced
without heat.
Oils that are heated, when ingested, can contribute
to cardiovascular disease and difficulty of the blood to efficiently
transport oxygen due to arteriosclerosis.
Ingestion of heated oils can also contribute to acne and foul body odour.
Truly
cold pressed oils will maintain their nutrient profile, their fats will
remain uncorrupted, they taste amazing and they last long, as the oils
have not been heated so are less likely to go rancid quickly.
Where can I get Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil benefits our health and wellbeing in so many ways.
Obtain raw organic cold pressed coconut oil from great quality sources and enjoy using it in your life.
If you would like to purchase coconut oil direct from the farm in Thailand, you can contact them
here.
Another great online source for coconut oil is here.
Credit : https://www.making-healthy-choices.com/coconut-oil-benefits.html
