(originally written by Chantelle Zakariasen)
1. Coconut Oil for Cooking
Coconut oil is a great fat to cook with because it’s structure remains intact when heated. It doesn’t produce harmful by-products like most common cooking oils. (1)
2. Coconut Oil as a Substitute for Butter
Use coconut oil to replace butter in recipes, you can make anything from pie crust to brownies, rich sauces and curries. The flavor isn’t overbearing but you may get a faint tropical taste, most recipes that use any spices will cover up the taste of the coconut oil.
3. Great for Vegan and Paleo
Coconut oil is a key ingredient in most vegan raw pies and paleo treats, because it solidifies at room temperature (77f) it keeps treats firmly intact, giving them a great texture and taste (2).
4. Nutritional Food Booster
Add coconut oil to smoothies to make the nutrients in your fruits and vegetables more absorbable and also aid in balancing blood sugar. If you’re eating steamed veggies, be sure to generously coat them in coconut oil and good sea salt as the fat soluble vitamins will absorb far more efficiently (3).
5. Make Decadent Chocolate Treats
Mix with equal parts cacao powder and honey for a natural chocolate sauce, or allow it to set in the fridge in molds for healthy homemade chocolate treats (4).
6. Stimulant Free Appetite Suppressant
Take a tsp. of coconut oil before meals to feel more satiated. This may be because of the way fats are metabolized in the body. Science has revealed that ketones (that are produced when you consume coconut oil) can lead to increased appetite reducing effects. (5, 6, 7)
7. Helps to Balance Hormones
Coconut oil is a healthy nourishing fat for providing your adrenals and thyroid with real nourishment for more balanced hormone levels (8, 9).
8. More Energy and Boosts Metabolism
The MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) in coconut oil create a sustained energy release for long term energy and also help boost metabolism and speed fat loss (10). Medium chain fatty acids aren’t stored as fat in the body, they are utilized immediately by the liver as a source of energy (11).
9. Balances blood sugar
Coconut oil releases over the course of many hours in the body, providing a solid energy source to help sustain blood sugar levels. A 2010 issue of the “Indian Journal of Pharmacology” published an animal study which discovered a diet supplemented with coconut oil led to improved glucose tolerance levels, as well as decreasing total cholesterol levels. Researchers said attributed effect to the presence of lauric acid, an MCT, in coconut oil (12). No more roller coaster ride once you’ve incorporated this healing fat in your day to day life.
10.Boosts brain function
Studies show the powerful effects coconut oil has on brain health (13). We can see it is incredibly useful in treating and preventing Alzheimer’s as well as just helping the average person to feel sharper and more alert.
11. Treating Cold Sores
The anti viral compounds in coconut oil help to heal cold sores faster and also provide pain relief (14).
12. Soothes Sore Throat
Melt a tsp. of coconut oil in hot lemon water to soothe an itchy irritated throat. This will differ from person to person and most evidence was anecdotal.
13. Treament for Ear Aches and Infection
Simmer a bit of coconut oil with a garlic clove and use this anti bacterial (15) oil in the ear.
14. Treatment for Candida Overgrowth
Candida Albicans is a yeast and a parasite which steals vital energy from the body. The lauric acid in coconut oil helps kill off candida. (16)
15. Increase Immune Health
Roughly half the fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, a substance that converts into monolaurin, a monoglyceride which can annihilate lipid coated viruses (17), gram-negative bacteria and protozoa. Making it an effective treatment for ailments such as herpes virus, giardia lamblia, HIV and measles just to name a few.
16. Coconut Oil for Better Digestion
Taking coconut oil with a meal can help digestion as it lubricates the digestive tract allowing digested food to pass through much easier.
17. Fights parasites
Lauric acid in coconut oil is anti parasitic, anti fungal, anti viral and anti bacterial, it helps create an inhospitable environment for those nasty parasites (18).
18. Effectively heals burns
You can use coconut oil to heal burns faster and provide instant soothing relief (19).
19. Treating ulcers
Coconut oil helps to rebuild the gut walls and provides a mucilaginous effect to aid in easily digesting and passing food (20).
20. Getting rid of lice when combine with anise seed extract
One study showed that combined these are more effecting than the common lice treatment permethrin (21).
21. Anti-inflammatory
Coconut oil has been shown to reduce inflammation in animal testing (22). Researchers also found that coconut oil has moderate analgesic activity and can help reduce swelling and relieve pain.
22. Reduces fever
The same study as mentioned above also showed coconut oil to be effective in reducing fever. Ayurveda also deemed coconut oil to be a cooling oil long before modern medicine entered the scene.
23. Boosts testosterone and reduces swollen prostate in animal studies
One of the best foods for healthy hormones, not only is coconut oil useful in regulating the thyroid and adrenal glands but it’s also been found to lessen the incidence of prostate cancer (23).
24. Furniture polish
Yes y0u can actually use coconut oil to shine your wood furniture, it’s likely less expensive and far less toxic than the commercial wood polish.
25. Leather polish
Shine you shoes with a dollop of coconut oil on a dry rag for an all natural, petroleum alternative.
26. Use on your pets to keep fleas away
Just as coconut works for humans to kill lice, it also works on animals to get rid of pesky critters.
27. Make Your Own Baby Wipes
Either use a half of a paper towel roll or reusable fabric and soak them in a mixture of 1 C hot water, 1 TBS coconut oil and 1 TBS Castile soap. This is a great baby wipe solution that it both a disinfectant and has a soothing, moisturizing effect.
28. Natural Diaper Rash Treatment
Even if you’re using amazing homemade baby wipes, the little ones can still get diaper rash, coconut oil is soothing and effective at relieving discomfort for your little one.
29. Massage oil
Try warming the coconut oil in a double boiler with your favorite essential oils, this makes for a luscious spa like massage experience.
30. Warts
Apply coconut oil to warts daily and cover with a band aid. As mentioned above, the coconut oil is exceptional at infiltrating fungal infections and over the course of a month the warts should disappear.
31. Body scrub
Combine equal parts sugar and coconut oil, you can add your favorite essential oils and use this as a body scrub while in the shower.
32. Moisturizer
You can use coconut oil on your entire body as a moisturizer, it’s great for nourishing the skin and preventing acne. Many people use it to prevent wrinkles as a facial moisturizer.
33. SPF Coconut oil blocks UV rays by 30%
So lather up before heading to the beach, you’ll still be able to absorb beneficial vitamin D from the sun, which isn’t the case with regular sunblock (24).
34. Lubricant
Coconut oil is a wonderful alternative to petroleum based lubes. Though it should be noted that if you’re using latex condoms coconut oil has the potential to weaken the latex, so instead opt for polyurethane.
35. Athletes foot
Apply coconut oil to feet daily after a shower, for an extra anti-fungal effect mix in a few drops of tea tree essential oils (25).