Going nuts for coconuts
Recently, the world has gone a little bit nuts for coconuts, and we can't blame them. It's become something of a hype product; a miracle oil, if you will. Whether it's rehydrating dry skin, conditioning lifeless hair or aiding digestive problems, this tropical restorative wonder-product gives results. How does it work, you ask? Well, you'll be pleased to know that there's no dark sorcery afoot. The fat in coconut oil, lauric acid, is a fatty acid that contains vitamins E and K, and iron, and has both antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
You can eat it, cook with it, apply it topically or even put it in your hair. We explore the many different ways that coconut oil can help you in some way, shape or form:
Digestion & Weight Loss
Despite being high in saturated fat, coconut oil is great for weight loss. It contains fatty acids that help burn excess weight. It's also easy to digest and can promote a healthily functioning thyroid and pancreas, which in turn burns energy and helps with the weight loss process.
There are many ways you can incorporate coconut oil into your diet. It can be used as a replacement to cooking oil, salad dressing and even in smoothies.
Immunity
Eating coconut oil can help to boost your immune system as it improves your white blood cell count. White blood cells fight any bacteria and viruses in your bloodstream. So, the higher your white blood cell count is, the more cells you have to fight off any potential viruses.
Skin care
Coconut oil is great for all types of skin, but it's particularly beneficial for dry skin. It's comparable to mineral oil but is far less likely to have an adverse affect on the skin. Due to its natural healing and anti-inflammatory properties, coconut oil can help treat minor skin problems such as dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. It can also help with aging skin and can delay the appearance of wrinkles and sagging.
Beauty
(Courtesy of mindbodygreen.com)
Aside from giving your complexion a boost, coconut oil offers other ways to beautify yourself. It can be applied to your hair as an intensive mask treatment, or even as a serum to fight fly away hairs and frizz. You can even mix coconut oil with baking soda to make whitening toothpaste, or combine it with brown sugar to create a solution that can be used as an exfoliating body scrub.
Our top tip? Put a scoop of coconut oil in your bath to literally soak in the many benefits. Your entire body will feel more moisturised along with your nails and hair.
Coconut oil can be used in place of harsh cleaning chemicals. Use it to keep your bath clean, and even condition your wooden furniture and utensils with it. Of course, if you're going to use coconut oil for cleaning then you should consider buying in bulk if you have a lot of ground to cover! It can also be used to clean up bronze items and deepen the colour; it'll even remove rust from steel.
Miscellaneous
When it comes to coconut oil, these uses are just the tip of the iceberg. It can also be used to treat insect bites, or as an SPF. Interestingly, it also contains ketones, which can improve brain functionality and memory, so it truly is a wonder product.
How to use coconut oil?
If you're using coconut oil for topical purposes or hair care, then you may need to melt the oil beforehand. Coconut oil naturally has a high melting point, so don't store it in the fridge. To melt the oil, simply put the bottle in the sun or soaking the tub warm water. Alternatively, you can put some of the oil into a bowl and melt it over a flame, but do not put it in the microwave.
So, if you're looking for a multi-purpose miracle product to keep your immune system, appearance and household in top condition then look no further than the humble coconut oil.