Photo: Shutterstock.
It’s no secret that the health food world is experiencing a coconut craze. People are chugging coconut water while they condition their hair with coconut oil and bake cookies with coconut flour. It seems like coconuts have made their way into every aspect of daily life, and at times, it can be a little overwhelming. I’ve often wondered how much of the coconut hoopla is real? What are the actual benefits of this stuff? Well, simply put, coconut lives up to the hype. Here are 7 ways that coconut can heal and help your body.
Repair and Moisturize Skin
Coconut oil is great for any type of skin, and if you use it, you’re sure to see results. In fact, a new study has shown that it can even help repair skin suffering from xerosis, a common skin condition which is “characterized by dry, rough, scaly, and itchy skin” that is caused by a defective skin barrier. The study found that coconut oil worked “comparably” to mineral oil in the treatment of this condition.
Maintain Oral Health
Coconuts have certain antimicrobial properties that have long been documented by the people of rural Southern India. In this region, people have been known to brush their teeth with coconut husk. To test these properties, a recent study found that alcoholic extract from the coconut husk actually did inhibit the growth of common oral pathogens. This test both confirmed the existence of powerful antimicrobial compounds in coconuts and demonstrated their strength in supporting oral health.
Keep Bones Strong
Another study has shown that young coconut juice has a “positive effect on bone metabolism,” and hence can be used to prevent bone loss, especially in post-menopausal women. Women have been using young coconut juice in Souteast Asia for a long time to reduce the effects of menopause, and so this study simply confirms what many already know to be true.
Fight Off Candida
One thing is for sure: you don’t want Candida. Although it is the most common human fungal pathogen, it can cause infections that have a mortality rate as high as 40%. Known as Candida albicans, the pathogen is found normally in the gut, but when a person is immuno-compromised, the pathogen can leave the intestines and cause infections elsewhere. While drugs are used to treat these infections, researchers have found that a diet rich in coconut oil can reduce the amount of C. albicans in the digestive tract in the first place. This can reduce the likelihood of infection in the first place and reduce the total number of mortalities associated with Candida.
Lose Weight
Coconut can be helpful in suppressing hunger and speeding up the body’s metabolism. One study found that eating medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s) found in coconut can increase your metabolism by 5%, which translates into burning an additional 120 calories per day (on average). Furthermore, the fatty acids found in coconut can help you stay full and eat less. Another study found that men who ate MCT’s for breakfast consumed less at lunch than those who did not.
Block UV’s
Yep, you can use coconut oil as sunscreen. Many natural oils have UV blocking properties, and coconut oil is no different. One study concluded that coconut oil blocked as much as 20% of the sun’s UV radiation.
Improve Memory and Brain Function
Alzheimer’s patients typically experience a common problem: certain parts of the brain are unable to use glucose for energy. However, consuming coconut oil that contains ketone bodies can help alleviate this issue. Ketone bodies can serve as an alternative source of energy for these parts of the brain, and thus, reduce the symptoms of Alzheimers.
