Coconut and coconut-based products are gaining popularity over the past few years, and when you consider the many benefits to beauty and health, it’s obvious the reason.
You’re probably familiar with the products like coconut oil and coconut water, which seem to have taken over the market, and are recommended by a variety of fitness and nutrition experts on a daily basis. However, there are some coconut products that have slipped under the radar even though they are as equally beneficial to health and are as versatile and tasty as the more popular and well-known products, and we’re keen to let you know more about them.
Before we go into the names of these products we’ll first take a examine why coconut oil is so healthy for us.
Coconut offers the top Ten Top Benefits
Energy Booster
Coconut oil is a high level of medium chained fats (MCFAs) which is good! Because MCFAs can be easily absorbable by the body it makes the process of food-to-energy much more efficient.
Visualize, if you want the process of coconut oil from mouth to the liver:
- Consumption of coconut oil whether for salad dressings or as a cooking aid, or as an ingredient.
- The coconut oil moves from the stomach into the intestinal tract.
- The components of coconut oil are separated here. Certain components are mixed into the bloodstream while others are taken up by the liver.
- The liver converts the MCFAs into energy once they reach it.
- Boom! Boom!
So, although coconut oil is a form of fat, it is considered to be a healthy fat one that can be used as an energy supplier instead of storing it as body fat. This is that many athletes, especially endurance athletes, use coconut oil to fuel their bodies to boost their performance or to help restore energy after an intense training session.
Amino Acids
The amino acids can be considered as the primary building blocks of our bodies. Consider them as Lego pieces with the ability to create superpowers. They fit together, providing the essential components needed to build up the framework of our body, however each one has a unique ability to help our bodies become the best they can.
For example, amino acids help:
- Make sure you have enough nutrients on hand
- Transport nutrients
- Heal wounds
- Repair tissue
- Aid in metabolism
- Help with the removal of waste
- Structure cells
- Transmit brain messages
They’re Marvel superheroes that are designed for the human body. You are sure to find that the coconut is full of them!
High In Fibre
Try to consume at least 18g of fiber a day. Although it may not sound like a lot, many people don’t get enough fibre and suffer constipation, pain, or even cancer of the bowel. Coconut provides 61% of fiber. Even better, it’s insoluble fibre which means that your body isn’t able to absorb it. You may think”huh, this doesn’t sound appealing however, in reality, it means zero calories, zero effect on blood sugar and, well (apologies in the event that you’re eating) it can help you get rid of your poo! There are so many different ways to incorporate coconut into your everyday diet to boost your fibre consumption. For example you could try adding some toasted flakes coconut to your cereal in the morning or perhaps some nutritious coconut bar like these ones from Cocofina ( read our review of Cocofina here). Cocofina snack bars here).
Improves Digestion
As we’ve seen it is easy to be absorbed by the body. This helps provide key nutrients in an effective and straightforward manner. But, coconut oil can also be utilized to improve the health of your gut by eliminating bad bacteria and candida that can cause an inflammation and poor digestion. In addition to being a food high in fibre and having the highest levels of MCFAs coconut is also a major contributor to helping the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, calcium, and magnesium. Even better, if coconut is consumed concurrently as food containing omega-3 fats, it could double the effectiveness of this absorption. It’s amazing! Make a delicious marinade from Coconut Vinegar, Coconut Oil ginger, chilli and garlic, along with a splash of Coconut Amino. Let the marinade sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to soak up the flavor. Pan fry the salmon that has been marinated and use the marinade left over to make a delicious sauce for some stir fried vegetables to serve as an accompaniment to the salmon. It’s a delicious and healthy meal that your body will be grateful for!
Boosts Your Immune System
Coconut oil is widely known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is widely used as a natural remedy against yeast conditions, skin problems and dry skin. Coconut oil consists of over 40% lauric acid which is in fact the most abundant source of natural lauric acid, and it is the lauric acid found in coconut oil which fights off bacteria and helps create an unfriendly environment for lurking virus.
Protects against Gum Disease and Tooth Decay
Are you familiar with the term oil pulling? It’s not a technique for painting, and it’s not the name of an event in an event like a strength-of-man competition or even a hair style that is new for adding gloss and shine to your locks (although coconut oil is fantastic for that too!). It’s actually a well-known mouth cleaning method which has been practiced for centuries to help destroy bacteria as well as lower the chance of developing periodontal disease. Coconut oil is among the most efficient oils for oil pulling due to its high concentration of antibacterial MCFAs. You need to oil pull by swishing a little bit of oil in the mouth. The Cocofina 10ml Coconut Oil Sachets are an excellent choice. They are easy to use and can be squeezed into the mouth with no mess. Three times a week for 20 minutes per day should be enough for you to notice an improvement in your gum health.
Good for Weight loss
While we’re not suggesting you cover your meals in huge quantities of oil, there’s proof that including coconut oil as a part of an wholesome diet, as well as making sensible changes, can help you burn fat, curb appetite, and, in turn, aid in weight loss. We’ve mentioned before that coconut oil is high in MCFAs. Because they are quickly metabolized by the liver, they produce more energy levels. One of the benefits of foods that contain MFCAs is their higher rate of satisfaction. This means you are more satisfied and lasts longer. The Obesity Research Journal published a study by scientists from Boston University Medical School that found that MFCAs undergo rapid metabolization in the body, tricking the body into thinking that it’s in a state of fasting. The body is able to use its stored fat to make energy, and then it’s goodbye fat and hello weight loss.
Balance Hormones
Research has proven that the saturated fats found in coconut oil, particularly lauric acid, may help balance hormones. This makes coconut oil a good choice for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.
Low GI
It’s the MCFAs! These super-fatty acids are at it again, as they help balance insulin levels by giving the body a good alternative energy source that could have come from glucose. If your body isn’t producing enough insulin, it allows more glucose to enter the bloodstream, which can lead to a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. The foods with low GI levels help maintain blood sugar levels at a low level This is the reason the reason why coconut vinegar (a GI of 35) is a fantastic item to include into your daily routine. Find more details about the best ways to utilize coconut vinegar on our blog article “What to do with Coconut Vinegar!”.
Anti-Aging
Let’s move on to the last benefits of coconut. (Of course, there are many other benefits that coconut can provide that we cannot cover in this article!) It’s an amazing one. The antioxidants found in coconut can be extremely effective in slowing down the process of ageing. Whether you eat it or drink it, or apply it to your skin, coconut is able to make you feel and look amazing. So, when your friends are out filling up by Botox or other treatments, you can keep using the coconut products that are cheaper natural, safe, and painless and delicious.