Benefits of Coconut Oil for Health – The health benefits of coconut oil are countless, from preventing tooth decay, to burning belly fat. Coconut oil is one food source that can be categorized as a superfood thanks to its rich nutritional value that is good for the body’s health.
Benefits of coconut oil for health
Prevents osteoporosis
Coconut oil helps the body more effectively absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as magnesium and calcium. Adequate calcium intake in the body leads to stronger bone structure and density. Thus, consuming coconut oil in its most natural form can help reduce the symptoms of bone loss caused by osteoporosis.
Prevents gum disease and dental caries
Gargling with coconut oil (oil pulling technique) has been used for generations as a natural method of maintaining oral health and gums, such as preventing tooth decay and bleeding gums. Research reports that routine oil pulling can effectively erode dental plaque and, at the same time, prevent the formation of new plaque that causes gingivitis, gum infection.
Stabilize blood sugar
A diet enriched with MCT content (65% you can get from coconut oil) has been shown to increase glucose tolerance and reduce body fat buildup. MCT has also been reported to be able to maintain insulin action and resistance, although so far, it has only been proven through lab rat experiments. Coconut oil can also increase insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes.
Fighting inflammation
Free radical antidote antioxidants also enrich this oil as a cause of inflammation. A study from India reports that the high antioxidant content in coconut oil acts as an anti-inflammatory agent to combat the symptoms of infection and inflammation in the body, for example, in cases of arthritis, gallstones, and pancreatitis.
Burning belly fat
In addition to helping combat brain and memory disorders, consumption of medium-chain fatty acids contained in coconut oil has been shown to increase the number of calories you burn compared to other fatty acids. In other words, the body can easily convert fat to be used as energy. This oil is effective in cutting belly fat, which is the most dangerous fat pile of all types of body fat and is highly associated with various chronic diseases. Also, ketones, as a form of energy produced by fat metabolism, are known to have the effect of reducing appetite.
Methods like this are important for people on a diet because basically, coconut oil has the potential to help you lose weight dramatically if consumed in the long run.
Press the risk of heart disease
Coconut oil contains healthy saturated fats, which can increase “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the body, while also helping to convert “bad” LDL cholesterol into a more benign form. This oil can also increase other risk factors and therefore protect against heart disease.
Prevent and speed up cancer treatment
One of the most beneficial properties of coconut oil is its moderate chain of fatty acid (MCT) content. MCT is not only more easily absorbed by the liver but is also rapidly metabolized. That is, these healthy fatty acids can be further processed into ketones.
Tumor cells need energy from glucose to be able to multiply and survive in the body. When accompanied by a low-carbohydrate diet, the body has more energy stores than ketones instead of glucose, so that tumor cells cannot access their main food source. Therefore, ketones can act as a barrier to tumor growth. A study shows that when coconut oil is injected into adenocarcinoma cancer cells in the large intestine, ketones can inhibit the growth of cancer cells without affecting normal intestinal cells.
Maintaining healthy hair and skin
Coconut oil does not always have to be consumed by mouth to show health benefits. Many people use this healthy oil for cosmetic purposes, to improve the health and appearance of the skin and hair.
Research shows coconut oil is effectively used as a skin moisturizer, especially for people whose skin tends to dry, by increasing moisture and fat content on the skin. The benefits of coconut oil for beauty are also a lighter alternative to sunscreen – blocking about 20% of the sun’s UV rays. This oil is also effective at protecting against hair damage.