Coconut oil, used for centuries in tropical regions, is 90% saturated fat. But don’t let that scare you. Contrary to what we have been told, not all saturated fat is bad news.

When I began to research coconut oil, the discovery of its many health benefits astounded me! How could something so healthy have ever been thought to be bad for us?

The health benefits of this wonderful oil are many. Coconut oil is preferred by athletes, body builders and those attempting to lose weight. Why? Because coconut oil does not contain as many calories than other oils, its fat is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. It helps to boost energy and endurance, thus enhancing the athlete's performance. It also increases your body’s metabolism.

When you regularly massage your scalp with coconut oil, it will eliminate dandruff, lice and lice eggs. For those of you with children in public school, that is great news. It is so much healthier than the conventional lice treatments that you buy at the store. An excellent conditioner, it even nourishes damaged hair so that it will grow once again.

A natural moisturizer for any type of skin, it delays the appearance of wrinkles. It can also be used to heal skin infections such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.

Great news for women prone to osteoporosis. Coconut oil improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium, magnesium and other minerals that keep our bones strong and healthy. And since our body’s absorb more calcium, it also helps to prevent tooth decay.

Lauric acid, present in coconut oil, aids in the prevention of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. For this reason, consuming coconut oil is great for your heart.

The lauric acid in coconut oil is converted by the body to monolaurin. This helps in dealing with viruses and diseases caused by bacteria, such as influenza and measles. It is also effective when used to treat athlete’s foot and diaper rash.

For my husband, the most wonderful thing about this oil is that it can be used in treating diabetes. Two or three tablespoons of it brings blood sugar levels back to normal in most diabetics.

This extremely stable oil is extracted from the copra, or dried meat, of the coconut. The sooner the oil is extracted from the copra after the coconut is chopped, the better the oil will be.

The coconut oil that I use is pressed from the copra within two hours of the coconut being chopped up. It is cold pressed, unfermented, unbleached, undeodorized and unhydrogenated. Pure white just like coconut, it has a fresh coconut smell and taste. And it is organic.

If you would like to try some coconut oil, here are a couple of links for Nutiva Extra-Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, the coconut oil I use that is available from Amazon.

Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Unit (Pack of 2)


Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil, 29-Ounce Jars (Pack of 2)