Coconut Oil

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Clean and unrefined coconut oil is a completely natural and organic product that can bring benefits to your overall health, help you beautify and turn the dishes you prepare into a wholesome and healthy food. Coconut oil, along with cocoa butter and olive oil, is considered one of the most useful fats. In our country the use of coconut oil is not widespread, but you can still find this product quite easily. However, you should not confuse coconut oil with palm oil or vegetable oil.

As you may have guessed, coconut oil is made from coconuts. The most valuable and useful is the unrefined oil, which is obtained by the method of cold pressing the already dried coconut. The structure of coconut oil is solid up to 25 degrees. At temperatures below 25 degrees, coconut oil is solid, but then begins to melt. Therefore, placed on the skin, it immediately melts and after a short time is fully absorbed.

By color coconut oil is white to pale yellow and has no peculiar or strong odor, only a light and pleasant odor. Most recently, however, coconut oil was rehabilitated by its label of unhealthy fat. Some time ago, scientists claimed that coconut oil was harmful because of the saturated fat it contained. However, experts have totally denied this fact.

The Philippines is currently the largest exporter of this useful fat worldwide. The oil is also mined off the coast of India and in Sri Lanka, Malaysia. The market for coconut oil is large because it is also used for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. In Thailand, massage therapy with coconut oil is essential in the so-called. eastern massage.

An important property of coconut oil is that it does not oxidize during baking and frying, unlike most fats, which are made up of long-chain saturated fatty acids. Coconut oil is composed mainly of medium chain fatty acids. It is known that long-chain fatty acids lead to an increase in bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, medium chain fatty acids are converted to good cholesterol (HDL).

Composition of coconut oil

Coconut oil consists of 90% crude saturated fat, which is in the form of medium chain fatty acids, as already mentioned. These fats keep the immune system strong, have a good effect on the thyroid gland, skin and provide fast energy. Coconut oil is a record holder for the content of lauric acid, which is not found in any other oil in such large quantities. It is logical that coconut oil is a powerful antioxidant that rejuvenates the body and reduces the need for vitamin E.

IN the composition of coconut oil has between 86.5 - 90% saturated fatty acids, 5-6% polyunsaturated fatty acids, 1.5-2% monounsaturated fatty acids. 45% of its composition is lauric acid, 17% - myristic acid, 8% - palmitic, 8% - caprylic, 7% - carponic and 5% - stearic acid.

In 100 g coconut oil containedStk #: 862 kcal; 100 g of fat; 0 g of carbohydrates; 0 g protein

Quality and useful coconut oil must be unrefined, cold pressed, without colorants and free of hydrogenated fats and hexane.

Types of coconut oil

There are basically 4 varieties of coconut oil:

- Natural, unrefined coconut oilwhich is extracted from fresh coconuts;

- Refined coconut oil, wherein the dill (dried coconut inside) is refined, decolorized and deodorized;

- Hydrogenated coconut oil, which due to the process has an increased melting point. However, saturated fats increase, which increases the chance of the formation of harmful trans fats;

- Coconut oil fraction, which is part of the coconut oil from which the residual long-chain fatty acids are released, which in turn makes it even healthier. This process also produces caprylic and caproic fatty acids. It is more resistant to heat treatment and can be used for frying and baking.

Selection and storage of coconut oil

As a rule, the highest quality coconut oil is considered to come from the Philippines and has a quality standard "A". Unrefined coconut oil is best for cooking or baking, while fractionated is suitable for frying. Hydrogenated coconut oils must be avoided because they are not a healthy product, like all other hydrogenated fats.

When you buy coconut oil, be sure to read on the label what exactly is the content or whether it is marked as a pure and organic product. Always choose organic and non-hydrogenated. The price of a small jar of coconut oil in our country is about BGN 10. It is best to store coconut oil in a cool place and tightly closed, and its shelf life is up to 2 years. Store the oil at a temperature of up to 25 degrees.

Photo: Christian Alexandrov

Cooking with coconut oil

Coconut oil has long been known as a culinary ingredient in the tropics. In most countries in this area it is an integral part of traditional cuisine, but much later its popularity spread to Europe. In our country only in the last 10 years it has become known that coconut oil is a unique ingredient that helps in healthy cooking.

However, it should be clear that coconut peel oil should be consumed in moderation because it is harmful in larger quantities. You can take up to 2-3 tablespoons a day. coconut oil, as an ingredient in dishes, drinks or pure. Coconut oil perfectly complements cocoa and all cocoa products and is widely used in confectionery and chocolate desserts.

Coconut oil is a healthy alternative to butter, as well as olive oil and any other type of fat used in cooking. Allows heating up to 180 degrees and hardly forms trans fats. This type of fat is also loved by the increasingly popular vegetarian cuisine, where it is part of various coconut cakes, Rafaello candies, coconut cake, chocolate truffles, coconuts and biscuits. Coconut oil is also used to make quite pleasant fruit and milk shakes. Of course, you can also prepare various savory dishes with coconut oil - with chicken, pork, duck, lamb, beef and vegetable specialties.

Benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil has the reputation of helping to preserve youth and beauty, but it also has many healing properties on human health. If you take prophylactic coconut oil, it will improve your digestion and increase metabolism, which in turn can even lead to weight loss and overall strengthening of the body.

Coconut oil helps in hypoglycemia, but also has antiviral and antifungal properties. Scientists claim that coconut oil, treated with special digestive enzymes, prevents the multiplication of carious bacteria. The oil is a killer for invisible to the human eye pests - the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, which protects teeth from decay.

Beneficial coconut oil also controls cholesterol levels in the body, increasing good and reducing bad cholesterol. This automatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease dramatically. There is evidence that some fatty acids in coconut oil kill Candida bacteria and help with candidiasis. And in addition to helping good digestion, beneficial coconut oil fats with their antibacterial properties help control parasites and fungi that cause upset stomach and digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

At the same time, these fats help us to better absorb vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Coconut oil also has a good effect on thyroid function. With all these useful properties, it is possible to melt another ring while taking coconut oil, where your muscle mass will not move. Miracle oil is ideal for massages because it has the ability to slightly cool the body, relieve joint pain, relax muscles and nerves.

You can treat abrasions and wounds with coconut oil, which will form a thin filter on them, preventing the entry of dust and various bacteria and viruses. The injured area will heal much faster if you treat it with coconut oil.

Beautify with coconut oil

Did you know that for centuries coconut oil has been used by people not only as a food product, but also to maintain their beauty and youth for a long time. This gift from nature is suitable for skin and hair care. And if you have any concerns about this, we must note that coconut oil is easily absorbed and leaves no annoying greasy traces.

At the same time, your skin remains completely hydrated because the oil retains its moisture. Applied to the hair, the oil makes it extremely soft and pleasant to the touch. That's why you can include coconut oil in the homemade hair masks you prepare. One such mask is 1 tbsp. coconut oil, 1 egg yolk and a little alcohol. The mixture is applied evenly on the hair and after staying with the mask, wash it off with a mild shampoo.

If you want to get a nice complexion, forget about expensive sunscreens and oils, which are already of dubious composition. And in this case, coconut oil can help you. To get an even and saturated complexion, apply coconut oil. This natural oil moisturizes the skin and retains moisture for a long time, but at the same time allows the sun to penetrate deeply and get a nice and even complexion for a longer time.

And as a bonus you can say goodbye to the unpleasant peeling of the skin after a burn. Coconut oil has the ability to naturally protect your epidermis from the harmful effects of strong sunlight. It is harmless to even combine it with sunscreens or even use it as a substitute for any face creams. Like summer and winter, coconut oil will help protect your skin from the weather.

Coconut oil has been proven to be a faithful helper in the fight against wrinkles. If you apply it regularly, it will help to easily restore the places where the first wrinkles have already appeared. At the same time, your skin will be hydrated, protected and will have a really healthy look. Coconut oil, along with cocoa butter and ostrich oil are probably the strongest remedies against terrible and threatening our skin stretch marks.

Applying coconut oil on clean skin in problem areas will help you permanently erase unsightly cracks in the skin. In this line of thought, coconut oil is literally a must-have product for pregnant women, reading skin undergoes changes as the belly grows or is picked up by some other ring, which is normal for any expectant mother who carries a baby in her womb.

Coconut oil can protect you from cracked hands and cracked heels. You can rub it with light massage movements all over your body - on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, love handles, ass, thighs, calves, heels and feet. You can use coconut oil as a teeth whitening and toothpaste, hair conditioner, make-up cleansing lotion, lip balm and as a massage lotion.