The Miracle of Coconut Oil - 35 Reasons Why You Should Be Using It

Since I discovered coconut oil a few years ago, I've been in love. It's such a versatile oil that it can be used for almost anything. It's packed full of healthy fats like caprylic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid which makes up over 50% of the chemical makeup of coconut oil. These healthy fats are known as medium-chain fatty acids, or MCFAs, and these types of fats aren't really stored as fat. MCFAs are digested through the liver, which converts them to energy quicker. The process of doing this creates ketones which is what happens when our bodies process fat into energy.

I've created a list of all the amazing benefits of coconut oil and why you should be using it for more than just cooking.

Beauty

1. Natural moisturizer
2. Sunscreen
3. Deep conditioner
4. Teeth whitener
5. Make up remover
6. DIY shaving cream
7. Homemade deodorant
8. Face cleanser
9. Can lighten age spots
10. DIY body and lip scrub
11. Lip balm
12. DIY coconut oil and sea salt foot scrub
13. Improves the overall appearance of skin and skin issues (burns, eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, and dermatitis)
14. Has anti-aging properties by improving antioxidant levels and aids in detoxification

Health

1. Increases healthy cholesterol and converts bad cholesterol into good, which:
2. Promotes heart health and lowers the risk of heart disease
3. Protects the liver and kidneys from damage
4. Works to prevent cancer
5. Boosts your immune system (acts as an antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral agent)
6. Aids in weight loss and muscle gain because it is processed as a energy and not stored as fat
7. Prevents osteoporosis because coconut oil helps increase the calcium absorbed, making our bones stronger
8. Treats candida and yeast infections because of the capric and lauric acids
9. Helps balance hormones because of the of healthy saturated fats in coconut oil
10. Supports thyroid functions
11. Treats kidney and bladder stones
12. Improves memory and cognitive functions (studies have shown coconut oil improves and treats Alzheimer's Disease, and a study done in 2004 found that the MCFAs in coconut oil helps improves recall ability)
13. Gives energy without any side effects because the MCFAs are converted into energy immediately and not stored as fat
14. Aids in digestion by destroying bad bacteria in our guts 
15. Improves the symptoms of diabetes
16. Reduces stress
17. Reduces inflammation and arthritis
18. Improves symptoms of gall bladder disease and pancreatitis
19. Reduces stomach ulcers and ulcerative colitis
20. Heals UTIs and kidney infections because the MCFAs work as an antibiotic and kill the bacteria causing these issues
21. Improves overall mouth health and prevents gum disease

Is all coconut oil the same?

In a word, no. The processing of the coconut oil is what makes the difference. The best type of coconut oil to buy is organic, unrefined, cold-pressed and in a glass jar. The benefits of coconut oil dramatically decrease when it's processed at a higher hear and refined, so always look for unrefined and cold-pressed on the jar.

Why a glass jar?

If I can go without buying something in plastic I will. With plastic, there is a chance of harmful compounds being introduced into the coconut oil which kind of defeated the whole purpose of buying coconut oil.

For all the DIYs listed at the start of this post, I will be posting recipes for those soon. Until then...

God bless, lovelies.