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What Are the Benefits of Coconut Oil for Nutrition?

What Are the Benefits of Coconut Oil for Nutrition?

Is it a fruit? Is it a nut? What about a seed? One thing’s for sure, coconut oil is highly nutritious.

Botanically speaking, a coconut is a “dry drupe”, but it’s the oil of the coconut that’s seen a dramatic increase in popularity over the past decade. While coconut might not be the flavour of choice for some people, coconut oil has many health-boosting benefits and is great for aiding weight loss, boosting your immune system and improving your hair and skin.

So what can coconut oil do for you? Whether you’re planning a new diet or looking for a more natural way to give your health a boost, coconut oil supplements are the perfect choice for anyone looking for a simple way to achieve better health. 

Why Is Coconut Oil Good for Nutrition?

At room temperature, coconut oil is a solid because of its high-fat content. That might start ringing a few alarm bells, but its high concentration of lauric acid — a medium-chain fatty acid — makes it a super-effective superfood. This type of fatty acid is absorbed by the body in a different way to long-chain fatty acids, resulting in many positive effects. 

Coconut oil also contains caprylic acid, which has potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as traces of vitamins and minerals, not to mention its low levels of cholesterol.

What Are the Benefits of Coconut Oil

So how can all of these properties benefit your health? Coconut oil can: 

Help You Lose Weight: The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil help your body to burn more calories when compared to longer-chain fatty acids, helping you to shed fat and accelerate weight loss. But, you should still be mindful of consuming too much coconut oil as it’s still high in saturated fat, so too much might have adverse effects on your weight. 

A popular way of managing your coconut oil intake is to use it when cooking. One to two teaspoons of Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil when frying is enough to reap the oil’s many benefits, making it easy to use and cost-effective.

Boost Your Immune System: When lauric acid is digested, it creates monolaurin, a substance that has powerful pathogen-killing properties. This potent substance can take out harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi within the body, supporting your immune system and reducing the likelihood that you’ll get ill. 

Coconut oil contains a high percentage of lauric acid, so just one Prairie Naturals Coconut Softgel a day can keep your immune system in the best condition possible.

Reduce Food Cravings: Giving in to your food cravings can spoil your diet regimen and lead to an upset stomach. As annoying and persistent as food cravings may be, there are ways to quell your cravings naturally, helping you to stay on the path to better health without the hassle or frustration. 

Coconut oil is effective at reducing sugar cravings, as it works by providing you with instant energy. The medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil are sent straight to the liver and are broken down rapidly, providing you with an instant boost of energy that significantly reduces your innate cravings for foods high in sugar.

Give You Healthy, Shiny Hair: You can take advantage of the benefits of coconut oil without eating it too. It can be applied to your hair and scalp before shampooing to protect your hair from damage, giving your hair added softness and a lustrous shine. Coconut oil can also promote hair growth as it contains vitamins and essential fatty acids that nourish the scalp and remove blockages from hair follicles. 

When used alongside the best vitamins for hair growth, from vitamin A through to E, Alaffia Coconut Chamomile Shampoo is ideal for anyone of any age looking to retain a full head of healthy hair.

Moisturize Your Skin: Coconut oil makes a highly effective moisturizer, but you should be careful how you use it. You shouldn’t slather it on your face to treat acne, as it has a waxy quality that can trap dirt in your pores, meaning you might end up with more spots. However, it’s been proven to effectively reduce symptoms of eczema when used topically by boosting the moisture retention of the skin.

The Best Coconut Oil for Nutrition

If you’re looking for the best coconut oil at the most affordable prices, you can find great deals on the most reputable brands at Vitamart.ca. Our coconut oil supplements — like Prairie Naturals Coconut Softgels — make looking after your health a breeze, while our range of organic coconut oils from brands such as Garden of Life, Nutiva and Organika make the perfect healthy addition to your kitchen.

With fast and free shipping on all orders over $59, better health has never been more simple or affordable. Check out our range of coconut oil and get an amazing deal today.