Coconut Oil: A Guide

Coconut oil is considered a superfood and its popularity has grown in recent years. Rich in fatty acids, coconut oil has a variety of potential health and beauty benefits.

This impressively versatile ingredient can be used in many ways. You can add it to your food, spritz it on your hair, massage it into your skin, and much more.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll talk about the potential benefits of coconut oil and various ways to use it. Remember, contact your healthcare professional before using any nutrition or dietary supplements.

What Can Coconut Oil Be Used For? 

Coconut oil can be used in a variety of ways like in the kitchen as cooking oil, in your skin, or hair care regime. Learn about the many applications of coconut oil below.

Coconut Oil for Skincare

Coconut oil is a common ingredient in skincare products. Studies show that it can moisturize your skin and may even help to reduce symptoms of various skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and eczema.

You don't need to buy skincare products that contain coconut oil to enjoy its effect. You can use natural coconut oil to:

• Cleanse your skin: Rub the oil over your face and hands, and then rinse.
• Create a DIY facemask: Mix turmeric, lemon juice, and coconut oil.
• Remove makeup: A couple of drops on a cotton pad can do the trick.
• Hydrate your hands: Massage a few drops of oil into your hands
• Soothe your skin after getting a sunburn: Rub a few drops into the affected area.

Remember, check with a healthcare professional before adding coconut oil to your skincare routine.

How Can You Use Coconut Oil on Your Hair?

Coconut oil can help moisturize your hair. According to studies, it can also help to prevent hair damage. To treat your tresses, you can use coconut oil in many ways:

• Hair conditioning: Add several drops to your hair, comb it in, and leave it under a cap overnight.
• Hair mask: Mix three tablespoons of coconut oil and 15 drops of rosemary oil. Rub the mask into your hair and leave it for an hour before rinsing.
• Help to Control your frizz: Put a few drops on your fingertips and rub them into your frizzy hair.
• Protect your locks while swimming: Rub some coconut oil into your hair to protect it from chlorine and other elements in the pool.

Coconut oil is also a natural sunscreen. While it doesn't block all UV rays, it can help prevent severe sun damage.

Why Should You Add Coconut Oil to Your Diet?

Adding coconut oil to your diet can have many potential benefits, including:

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Provide antimicrobial effects
• Reduce the number and severity of seizures
• Raise good cholesterol levels
• Improve brain function for people with Alzheimer's disease
• Blood sugar control
• Reduce stress
• Prevent liver disease

Remember to always check with your doctor before using coconut oil or any other foods for medical purposes and to talk to your healthcare provider about the amount of coconut oil that’s safe to consume based on your health.

How to Eat Coconut Oil

So now that you know how beneficial coconut oil can be for your health, how can you eat it? Here are a few simple ways you can add more coconut oil to your diet.

1. Use Coconut Oil for Cooking and Baking

Whatever oil you use for cooking, you can replace it with coconut oil. While it's solid at room temperature, coconut oil melts at high temperatures.

Try using coconut oil to:

• Sauté meat, fish, and veggies
• Make salad dressing
• Add to fish and meat marinades
• Add to pastries before baking (replace the oil you usually use with coconut oil)

Important: Avoid using coconut oil for deep-frying since it can potentially produce carcinogens at continuously high temperatures. 

2. Add Coconut Oil to Your Drinks

You can take full advantage of all coconut oil benefits simply by adding a few drops of it to your drinks, including coffee, smoothies, tea, and juice. Our favorite recipe is a strawberry-kiwi-coconut smoothie.

You'll need:

• 4 kiwis (peeled)
• 1/2 cup of strawberries
• 1 teaspoon of unrefined coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of ice
• 2 cups of water

Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend for about one minute. Enjoy while it's fresh!

3. Simply Add it Into Your Food

Coconut oil is great with many foods. For example, you can add a few drops to:

• Your morning oatmeal
• Your favorite yogurt
• Your peanut butter and jelly sandwich

If you don't like the taste of coconut oil or don't want to bother with adding it to your food, you can research coconut oil supplements. Make sure to speak to your doctor before taking any supplements to discuss dosage, contraindications, and side effects.

How Coconut Oil May Help With Weight Loss

Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides that can reduce feelings of hunger. They can also increase the number of calories your body burns. One study found that eating only about 60 grams of medium-chain triglycerides a day could increase calorie burn by 5%.

While more studies need to be done to prove the fat-burning properties of coconut oil, some people are already using it to lose weight.

If you plan to use coconut oil for weight loss, please contact your doctor first to discuss dosage and possible side effects. Adding coconut oil to your diet may help you burn more calories, however, to achieve the desired results, you may still need to change your eating and exercising habits.

Shop Coconut Oil at Co-op Market

If you want to take full advantage of the amazing coconut oil benefits for your health, mind, and body, Co-op Market offers a variety of products including:

• Nutiva Organic Buttery Refined Coconut Oil
• Wildly Organic Centrifuged Coconut Oil
• Bronner's Whole Kernel Coconut Oil

Check out our selection of coconut oil to find your favorite or contact us for more information.