If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about coconut oil and the myriad of benefits that it brings to the table. The natural substance is backed by research and used in almost everything considered healthy and nutritious. Today, you will find coconut in your skincare products, food, drinks, and hair care products.
Coconut oil is found under the guise of Virgin Coconut Oil and Refined Coconut Oil. While the former is made without heat exposure, the latter is refined by exposing its base form (copra) to heat.
While there is nothing that this ingredient cannot do, it’s essential to know precisely how coconut oil helps us. Below, we will discuss some of the benefits of coconut oil that make it a ‘lifeline of health.’
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
1. Contains Healthy Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is edible and healthy, which is why it is used in several nutritious meals. One of the components that contributes to the nutritional value is healthy fatty acids. Unlike the fat produced by other unhealthy substances, the fatty acids produced by coconut oil benefit the body by providing a boost of energy.
The HDL cholesterol encourages the breaking down of fat and is suitable for people looking to reduce weight. It also has MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which produce
Ketone that directly produces energy in the liver and is the recommended treatment for ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Epilepsy.
2. Boosts heart health
The amount of coconut you consume is often directly related to your heart health. The fatty acids and the saturated fat contribute to this benefit as they break down the same fats that could cause blockages in your heart. Having a healthy body is essential for keeping your heart active and pumping. Adding coconut to your diet can reduce the risk of heart diseases or early heart problems.
3. Encourages fat burning
If you’re looking to reduce fat or even stay in shape and avoid obesity, virgin coconut oil is your answer. When you replace oils containing LCTs (Long Chain Triglycerides) with coconut oil containing MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides), the body immediately gains more energy in the same amount of food. Simultaneously, the visceral fat is broken down easily since coconut oil has around 14% MCTs.
This replacement is an easy fix but keep in mind that coconut itself contains a high amount of calories, so it should be only consumed in moderation.
4. Antimicrobial Effects
Coconut Oil benefits the body by eliminating the risk of infections. The primary activator for this benefit is Lauric Acid, which makes up 50% of coconut oil. When consumed, the Lauric Acid in coconut reacts with the enzymes in your body to produce Monolaurin. This monoglyceride wreaks havoc on any and all harmful bacteria or germs that are lurking in your system and eliminates the risk of yeast or staph infection.
If you’re consuming coconut oil mainly to obtain this benefit, using virgin oil rather than the refined one should obtain the best results.
5. Curbs Appetite
The MCTs present in coconut oil are not only responsible for breaking down fat fast but also help in curbing your hunger. When you add coconut to your food or even your morning coffee, it can help in boosting your energy levels and reducing your appetite. Since you’re bound to feel less hungry, your calorie intake also decreases. This leads to weight loss, another benefit of coconut oil.
6. May Reduce Seizures
Research shows that having a low carb and high-fat diet is really helpful to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy. We see a steep decrease in seizures, especially in children, when using this diet. Since the ketones produced in the liver after coconut consumption are the main component in this diet, it is directly related to reducing seizures.
7. Raises HDL (Good) Cholesterol
As we already know, coconut oil increases HDL cholesterol, which is considered to be the good kind of cholesterol. As with the MCTs replacing the LCTs, the HDL (high-density lipoprotein) also replaces the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is the wrong kind of cholesterol. This means that having an increase in HDL due to coconut consumption not only improves your health but also prevents any diseases that the already existing cholesterol may manifest.
8. Moisturises Your Skin
Many people benefit from not eating but applying coconut oil to their bodies. If you have dry skin or are in the midst of winter, use this oil to reduce the flakiness. You can safely use coconut oil anywhere on your skin, but keep in mind that since it is oil-based, using it on an oily face does more harm than good.
9. Boosts Brain Function in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease causes slow forgetfulness and is a form of dementia often found in older people. Alzheimer’s generally occurs when the brain is incapable of breaking down the glucose in your body. This means that your brain does not receive the energy it needs for smooth functioning, causing gaps in your memory. Since ketones, which are sourced from coconut oil, are broken down in your liver directly, they can provide an alternative source of energy it needs to function and reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s in a few cases.
10. Reduces Harmful Abdominal Fat
Due to the high amounts of fatty acids and their benefits with fat burning, it’s no shocker that coconut oil helps in reducing abdominal fat. This kind of fat is also known as visceral fat and is the culprit behind fat blockages and weight gain. In the long run, abdominal fat can cause a lot of health problems and using coconut can help you deal with this at an earlier stage and efficiently.
Like we’ve mentioned before, coconut oil is also packed with calories. So, for any loss of the harmful abdominal fat, you need to only replace other fatty oils with coconut oil but you must still use it only in moderation.
11. Remove Eye Makeup
Coconut oil is a cleansing agent and is thus a perfect eye makeup remover for when your lashes are caked with the newest shades of eye shadow. Using coconut oil instead of chemical makeup remover allows you to make the switch to a more natural ingredient that is compatible with your skin and does no harm. Since eyes are a very delicate part, this is a key point to consider.
12. Relieve Symptoms of Arthritis
Arthritis is a disease that causes chronic pain in your joints because of inflammation and can also lead to immobility. Just like oiling a machine, you can use coconut oil to oil your joints and encourage your muscles to reduce their flare-up. Coconut oil contains polyphenols, which help in reducing this inflammation and circulates the heat in your joints. It allows for some cooling down or relaxing of the inflamed joints and relieves you of the symptoms of arthritis (though it may be temporary).
13. Natural Deodorant
Stepping out in the sun or doing strenuous activities can cause the body to sweat, and with sweat comes the odour that everyone abhors. Coconut oil is an ingredient that is used in many perfumes as it has antibacterial properties that help in eradicating the bacterias that produce the odour. This allows you to hop between work instead of taking several showers throughout the day. Coconut oil also has a sweet smell and is mixed with other ingredients to customise, allowing it to mask a foul-smelling substance.
14. Make a Non-toxic Insect Repellent
Whether you’re looking to switch to organic or are tired of the insects buzzing around, coconut benefits us all. The oil mixed with other essential oils like tea tree or lavender can form a completely natural, non-toxic insect repellent. The compounds in coconut and not the oil itself are the reason behind these coconut oil’s uses.
15. Boost Bone Health
This one falls in the list of virgin coconut oil benefits. Much like its help with arthritis, coconut oil can also boost bone health and salvage bones from going brittle with old age. This is mainly possible because of the antioxidants that virgin coconut oil releases when used in either food or applied directly.
16. Improve Wound Healing
Coconut oil banishes any kind of inflammation, and this is not limited to just the joints. If you find yourself scraped up after a bad fall, you can make a quick fix at home by using coconut oil and applying it to the wounded area. This will reduce the swelling, while the very components that reduce inflammation will also promote the making of collagen, which is responsible for stopping blood loss and heal the skin.
17. May Help Fight Infections
This benefit of coconut oil is closely related to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The same reason why you’d apply coconut oil to a wound is why it may also help stave off infections. The lauric acid in coconut especially helps in fighting yeast infections and other bacteria-related infections on the skin and body.
18. Protect Your Hair From Damage
Perhaps one of the primary uses and benefits of coconut oil is its effect on your hair. Coconut oil is famous for improving hair health and boosting growth. The properties of coconut oil help to treat dry or damaged hair and make it shiny, soft and long. Just use the oil before you shampoo or as a serum after hair wash, and you will notice the difference as your hair follicles start strengthening.
19. Improve Brain Function
If you’ve heard of almonds helping with memory, you now need to know about coconut boosting brain function. The same ingredients that help give an alternative source of energy to the brain and reduce the symptoms. It also helps in improving brain function and boosting your attentiveness.
20. Relieve Skin Irritation and Eczema
Due to its use as a cleanser and moisturiser, we know that coconut oil benefits the skin and is a boom in the beauty industry. As it helps with dry skin, it also eases the symptoms of eczema and helps relieve skin irritation and redness. In these cases, it acts as a soothing agent and helps smoothen your skin, making it an important part of your skincare regimen.
21. Improve Your Dental Health
Coconut oil can be a great dental cleanser. Swishing coconut oil in your mouth can allow it to perform what is called oil pulling. This means that the oil that you use will suck out all the septic bacteria that cause plaque, decay and cavities and improve overall dental hygiene.
22. Increase Your Metabolism
Since coconut oil contains MCTs, which bypass the lymphatic system and convert calories to energy rapidly, the oil plays a major part in your metabolism. Due to the rapid conversion of calories to energy and the boost in your system, your metabolic rate is affected, making it work faster. This makes your body adjust to the rate and increase your metabolism in the long run.
23. Protect Your Skin From UV Rays
While coconut oil may not provide the same protection from sun rays as sunscreen with high SPF does, it is a natural alternative and much better than using neither the sunscreen or the oil to protect you. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer,, as well as skin darkening and wrinkles. To protect yourself from these adverse effects, you can make use of coconut oil by applying it to your skin before stepping out. The layer of oil keeps you at least 20% covered from the harmful rays and does the job well.
Why Use Parachute Advansed Products?
Now that you know all the benefits that using coconut oil can provide, it’s time to select the right oil for you. We recommend trying the range of Parachute Advansed products. The entire product range is famous for using coconut as the base ingredient and, therefore, imparting all the benefits that come with it. It provides Vitamin E and nutrients to successfully nourish your hair and skin. The products also come in a vast range with separate products for hair care, skincare, and baby care and can even be adjusted to your requirements in all these areas.
With Parachute Advansed products, you don’t have to worry about the ramifications of chemical products and use a 100% natural product that suits all skin and hair types. The baby care products are suitable for children and provide an easy solution to cuts, scrapes and obtains smoothness. You never have to worry about being caught unprepared if you have a bottle of this oil stored in a cool, dark place in your home.
Frequently Added Questions
Is coconut oil healthier than olive oil?
When it comes to coconut oil and olive oil, both products have very different profiles and uses, so the answer may differ depending on the use of the oil. When cooking, it is better to use olive oil for daily use since it contains less saturated fat and is light. However, you can use coconut oil moderately and on special occasions to add flavour to your cooking. Extra virgin coconut oil and olive oil are your best bet.
When using oil for skincare or hair care, coconut oil is the obvious choice. The moisturising and nourishing properties of coconut, along with the health benefits such as the reduction of inflammation or encouraging blood flow, making it an essential natural treatment. These benefits are few, if present at all, in olive oil.
What's better, coconut oil or butter?
Both coconut oil and butter are high in saturated fats and can cause weight gain if used very often. However, butter does not provide the same benefits that coconut oil does. For cooking, while both provide distinct tastes, coconut oil has the good kind of cholesterol, which encourages the breakdown of fat. It can also directly get converted to energy, which assists in benefits such as improving brain function and helping with an increase in your metabolism. Butter does not provide any such benefits and is also not helpful when used for skincare or your hair.
You can also look into coconut butter, which contains all the essential coconut oil uses while also being rich in dietary fibre. The saturated fats in coconut butter are also lesser than coconut oil, making it a better contender for cooking.
Is coconut butter healthier than coconut oil?
Coconut butter is made by pureeing coconut meat and cold-pressed coconut oil. It retains the flavour and smell of coconut, just like the oil and contains similar benefits as well. Coconut oil is better when used for skincare and hair care products, but coconut butter can provide health benefits when used in cooking.
While both the products contain saturated fats, coconut butter has a lesser amount of it, so you will be consuming lesser amounts of calories when using the butter. It also contains dietary fibre, something which coconut oil does not have, and can be very beneficial for your digestive system and health. In the end, both ingredients are good in moderation and can substitute your regular oil or butter.
Conclusion
To wrap up, switching to coconut oil for any of the reasons mentioned above can be the best thing you can do. Use it for moisturising, applying to scrapes and burns and as a skincare product or as a nutritional supplement to your dry and frizzy hair. You can also simply use it as a substitute for your normal cooking oil to add to the taste and increase energy and health benefits in your diet.
It’s important to know all the coconut oil uses, so you can choose how you want to use coconut oil as a product so that you can maximise its effectiveness. If you can’t find the right product for you, just turn to the Parachute Advansed range since each of the ingredients uses coconut and can provide all the benefits of the oil. Keep your home stocked with coconut oil, and you can live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Explore our blog section to read more about topics such as the Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair, how it helps to get rid of different hair problems like dandruff, Hair breakage, etc. & makes your hair thicker & stronger