Coconut oil, sometimes known as coconut butter, is made by extracting oil from dried coconuts. Virgin coconut oil doesn’t contain any dangerous hydrogenated or trans-fatty acids. Health benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of capric, caprylic, and lauric acids, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, etc.
Health benefits of coconut oil
- Coconut oil strengthens the immune system. It helps in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as influenza, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis and even HIV.
- Virgin coconut oil balances out-of-range cholesterol levels in the body.
- Coconut oil helps reduce risk for heart disease and stroke.
- Coconut oil helps reduce risk of cancer.
- Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar.
- Coconut oil enhances weight loss. Fats contained in coconut oil are easily converted into energy quickly, thus giving it no time at all to accumulate in the body. Coconut oil also speeds up metabolism, and boosts energy and endurance.
- Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing anxiety and stress.
- Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.
- Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of important nutrients.
- As coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important nutrients (including minerals, such as calcium and magnesium), it helps in getting strong bones and teeth.
- Coconut oil helps in preventing liver, kidney and gall bladder diseases.
Add coconut oil to your daily diet! It can be a healthy alternative to butter or margarine. It is also ideal for frying foods, as it possesses a high smoking point. Moreover, coconut oil is very stable, and has a long shelf-life.
Coconut oil for a healthy hair
Virgin coconut can give you stronger, shinier and healthier hair. It strengthens your hair shaft and root, reducing split ends and hair breakage. Coconut oil is the best hair treatment for dry, damaged hair and itchy scalp. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs.
Coconut oil hair treatment recipe:
- Scoop out some coconut oil into a cup. Put the cup in a pot with warm water to melt the oil.
- Pour some of the warm oil into hands and run your fingers through your dry hair.
- Coat your hair with the oil. Use just enough so that the oil will penetrate the hair, without leaving an oily or greasy look. Use more oil at the ends, less in the middle and near the roots.
- Put on a shower cap. For very dry hair, leave the treatment overnight; for oily or normal hair, leave it for an hour.
- Wash out hair with a gentle shampoo. Skip using a conditioner.
- For dandruff treatment, combine coconut oil with two-three drops of tea tree, rosemary, geranium, or cedarwood essential oils.
Coconut oil for a healthy skin
Virgin coconut oils will moisturize and nourish your skin using only its pure natural ingredients, without any preservatives, chemicals or solvents. It improves skin lipid levels, increases hydration, reduces roughness and scaling, and fights viruses and bacteria.
Deep skin moisturizing and conditioning treatment:
- Shower and exfoliate all over your body.
- While still in the shower take some virgin coconut oil and rub between your palms to melt the oil.
- Massage the oil onto your skin.
- After covering your body in coconut oil, rinse off in warm water.
- Step out of the shower and use your towel to gently pat dry your skin. This will leave a nice thin layer of coconut oil on your skin.
Do this treatment right before going to bed, several times a week, and you would not experience any dry itchy skin symptoms – even during the cold dry winter months.
- Virgin coconut oil is safe to use as a facial moisturizer. It does not clog pores. Moreover, it can help reduce acne symptoms.
- Coconut oil is gentle enough to use as eye makeup removal, and it can lubricate the skin for shaving.
- Coconut oil make it a great topical remedy for rosacea, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and diaper rash.
- Coconut oil makes great massage oil. It is easily absorbed by the skin and promotes healing. It will make your skin soft, shiny, smooth, and mmm… yummy!

Good post, people really do not realise the great benefits of coconut oil. I use it all the time to keep my skin hydrated as I live in a warm climate and the sun has such a drying effect.
Another thing I use it for is my eczema – mixed with shea butter its great.
How do you feel about coconut oil tablets. I have recently started using them. Do you think it will help bring my cholestrol down. I do not cook enough to benefit from cooking with it.
Also you say the oil has a long shelf life. How long is long? Someone gave me some in a plastic container several years ago and I have just recently gotten interested in using it. I use it on my hair and skin.
Pretty good post dude, just what I searched for. Website bookmarked for further reading!
Interesting post..
Thank you for the post..
Hi Laquita,
Coconut oil has long shelf life – 5 years when properly stored in cool, dark place. Coconut oil does not have to be refrigerated. Try to avoid plastic containers, especially in hot climate.
As far as I know, the lauric acid in coconut oil helps maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range. If you do not cook, you can just take a spoonful of virgin coconut oil a day with, say, a toast. I believe it will be better than taking handfuls of costly and highly processed tablets.
Cheers,
Natalia
Its an interesting and informative blog post..thank you for the post..
I have something to say about coconut oil, I recently stopped smoking and started using electronic cigarettes, well I got the nicotine that was based in vegetable glycerin to refill my carts. Well to my surprise when I started my period I had no menstrual cramps then I realized it must have something to do with vegetable glycerin so I researched it and found out it is made of coconut oil. Then researched coconut oil and it helps menstrual cramps. So I went from terrible menstrual cramps to no cramps at all ,now isn’t that amazing and totally unexpected. But you should start slow on coconut oil because it did give me a light rash so I had to back off some and taking it slower. I use pg based and using vg more slowly to build tolerance.
Hi Patricia,
Thank you very much for sharing. What a great story, I will definitely tell about it to some of my friends!
Cheers,
Natalia
I’ve used coconut oil now for a few months because I’ve always had very dry and sensitive skin. I live up north and the climate causes some problems too when it’s cold. Of all the things I’ve tried coconut oil is definitely one of the best simple remedies you can find. My skin has now become much softer and smoother. And I love the smell!
I love this post because I agree that Coconut oil is the best ever…i whip it up in a mixer with vitamin e oil and use after i get out of the shower..it does wonders for my skin..makes it soft and i also use on my face every night…i love it so much. Thanks for the info.