The trend of Coconut oil has been on for decades and many people thoroughly embraced it after a 2010 study in the American College of Nutrition Journal said it was useful in weight loss programmes. As much as that may have been a little over exaggerated, there are many benefits and uses of the oil that doesn’t have to do with internal well being of the body.
Uses and Benefits of Coconut Oil
Its versatility has been of great advantage and subjects to experimentations and exploitation by various industries including the beauty industry; for hair growth, face and as a skin moisturizer; and food industry. The Telegraph UK reported that Britons spend over £100 million a year on coconut products and £14 million on coconut oil alone. This amount makes sense knowing that coconut oil is used for the following:
For Skin and Face Moisturizing
To increase hydration of the exceptionally dry skin, living the skin feel smooth, soft and supple
For Hair treatment, conditioning, growth, moisturising and styling
There are varieties of hair products made solely from coconut oil. You can either use any of those or opt for pure extracts. However, it may not be beneficial to all hair types and the outcome may not be the same.
How to use it?
1. You simply need to apply the oil to dry or damp hair, starting from the scalp (root), but it spreads easily through damp hair.
2. Cover your hair with a shower cap for at least 30 minutes or leave overnight for thorough conditioning of your hair.
3. Rinse out the oil from your hair with shampoo and warm and style as desired. If necessary, rub a drop of the coconut oil on your palm and slightly apply it throughout your hair.
The oil is also used to relieve skin irritation and Eczema; get rid of dandruff; prevent tooth plague (dental health) used as a natural remedy to combat frizz; remove and prevent lice.
Other uses of Coconut Oil
Cooking
Salad dressing
Increase your HDL cholesterol
Toothpaste
Eyelash conditioner
Insect repellant and provides relief from insect bite or sting
Removes stain from carpets and furniture
Used as a natural deodorant or fragrance
Heal’s ragged cuticles like hangnails
To remove eye makeup
Make your furniture shine
Soothes chapped lips
Combats Candida infection
To speed healing of wounds like minor cuts or scrapes.
Use as a massage oil for you or newborn babies to promote normal weight gain and growth.
Tattoo healing
Use as aftershave
Lubricant
Is Coconut oil Pure Poison
While most people have believed, over the years that coconut is the miracle food to prevent heart disease, aid weight loss and boost metabolism, a scientist from Harvard University had dropped a dent on these notions, as reported by CNN. According to Karin Michels, PhD, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, coconut oil is “pure poison” for certain reasons.
Professor Michels made the statement in the Germany University of Freiburg where she gave a speech on nutritional errors. She says coconut oil increases “bad” cholesterol and the health claims are “absolute nonsense”. It was discovered that the amount of bad cholesterol found in coconut is higher compared to the amount found in red meat and other oils and even almost appropriate to palm oil which clogs the arteries and causes stroke and heart attack.
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Facts
1. Coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, commonly known as “bad” cholesterol commonly associated with increased risk of heart disease.
2. The good side effect of it is that it contains lauric acid which may also raise HDL, the “Good” cholesterol.
3. It is a widely established fact that saturated fat is bad for our cardiovascular health.
4. If you are gulping coconut oil in order to lose weight, you might as well keep a reign on it since research has shown it has a very high saturated fat and one tablespoon contains 120 calories.
5. That’s not to say that coconut oil is entirely canceled out. AHA and WHO recommends coconut oil is part of a healthful, balanced diet if consumed in moderation since it’s still on the list of fats to limit.
6. Its wonders on hair do not extend to the treatment of the underlying cause of hair loss and it can not be relied on for treating baldness related to dihydrotestosterone.