The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Rick (Branchburg, NJ) on 02/02/2008
★★★★★
Success! I have been using virgin coconut oil for the past 4 months, typically 2-3 Tbs a day. I just received my blood test results. Total Cholesterol 234, HDL 86, LDL 131, Triglycerides 83, Fasting blood glucose 96. While my overall cholesterol did increase from last year's 182, my HDL was much higher than last year's 60. LDL also increased from last year's 102. I am extremely pleased with these results since the all important ratio (Total/HDL) decreased from 3.0 to 2.7. Finally, I have also found it amazing that I have not had a cold or any illness during this time. In the past, I would normally get some kind of sore throat or cold during the winter months. Energy levels are high and I do find that the coconut oil also keeps me regular.
Flu
Posted by Jill (Wisconsin) on 01/31/2008
★★★★★
I have been taking coconut oil , not every day, but maybe 2-3 times a week, and I have not got sick once since I started taking it 4 months ago. I am usually the first one to get a cold or flu in fall and winter, but thanks to coconut oil, I have remained Healthy!
Glands
Posted by CH (PDL, USA) on 07/01/2008
FOR THE LADY WHO ALWAYS FEELS SOMETHING IS STUCK IN HER THROAT: I was reading the part about something stuck in your throat and hard to swallow, I had a problem for about 5 months where I always felt their was something stuck in my throat, I had every test in the books, problem got worse, I finally had a test where they go down your throat and they found a web at the top of my esophagus that had grown across and the tore/removed the web, After my throat got over being sore from that, I no longer had that feeling anymore and could swallow again.
Broad Benefits
Posted by SHEANNA (DOUGLASVILLE, ATLANTA, GA) on 01/25/2008
★★★★★
I HAVE BEEN USING COCONUT OIL FOR 1 MONTH NOW. HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGE YET. HOW LONG SHOULD I BE TAKING THE COCONUT OIL???? I USE IT AS A FACE WASH AND AS A FACE OIL. NOTHING CHANGE YET. I ALSO TAKE 3 TEASPOONS OF COCONUT OIL. 1 TEASPOONS WITH EACH MEAL. I NOTICE THAT IT LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL I HAVE LESS HEADACHES AND FEEL AWOSOME. I HAVE ALSO LOST 20 POUNDS TAKING THE COCONUT OIL.GUESS WHAT I STILL EAT WHAT I WANT 1 TAESPOON BEFORE EACH MEAL. I HAVEN'T CHANGED ANY EATING HABITS ALSO DRINK 6 TO 8 GLASSES OF WATER. I ALSO USE THIS AS A HAIR CARE PRODUCT ON MY SCALP. I HAVE TO BLADSPOTS THAT HAVE BEEN GROWING LIKE CRAZY. I HAVE TRYED EVERYTHING ON MY BALDSPOTS AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL IS A BLESSING IN MY LIFE.
Hair
Posted by Mirnah (Colorado, USA) on 01/22/2008
★★★★★
Coconut oil has been used for over a Thousand years by the People of Kerala(South India)where Coconut Trees grow very abundantly. Coconut oil is used for cooking & also for Hair & Skin care. Women from this region have beautiful radiant skin & knee length lustrous hair. Most Indian women apply slightly warmed coconut oil to the scalp & hair regularly and wash hair after 1/2 hour to 1 hour. I've done the same for about 2 decades now with good results.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Sharon (Pace, Florida) on 01/21/2008
★★★★★
Since I have been on coconut oil. I have not been sick. I usually get every cold that comes near me. I also have not had any headaches since I have been on coconut oil. I have also used coconut oil to clear up Feline Rhinovirus(feline herpes virus). It was chronic and has not come back since. I have also used coconut oil to treat ringworm on 2 kittens and a hotspot on my dog.
HIV
Posted by Fe (Metro Manila) on 10/22/2017
Is it really true that the coconut oil can cured hiv?. Thank you
Face
Posted by Linda (York County, Maine ) on 09/22/2010
Hi Dori-don't ever apologize for asking questions! This site is all about sharing and learning..... We take what we need and leave the rest! I use coconut oil to wash my face every night by wetting a washcloth then scooping up about 1/4 teaspoon of solid coconut oil-as soon as it hits your face, it'll liquify; it removes makeup well and leaves my skin very soft... I don't rinse, just allow it to absorb; I have not had a problem with breakouts from using it.... I tend to suffer from adult acne, but this treatment does not aggravate the acne at all.... Try it, I'm willing to bet you'll LOVE it :)
Face
Posted by Eric (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 10/02/2011
So the flare up is a typical result of applying VCO? We just recently (2 days ago) applied VCO on my daughter's eczema on her face, and it has gotten worse. Some threads suggest that this is a good thing, I.E. , worse then better. I am worried of my daughter well being and would like confirmation from those who have experienced this. Thx.
Face
Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 11/26/2012
Hi Erin... I am quite surprised at what you say and all the assumptions you have made in your last post:
"Neon, there is no medical evidence to support a "die off" theory at all. I have done soooo much reading and have yet to find an actual medical physician to support this phenomena theory."
I would beg to differ here. Just type 'Jarisch-Herxheimer Effect' in Google search and see how many thousand hits you get. Die-off symptoms do exist and are well-recognised by both modern medicine and also recognised by alternative medicine.
"I believe that people who cut out all sugar and carbs (or most) are denying their brains an essential nutrient that it needs to thrive. "
The misunderstanding here can perhaps be resolved by recognising our natural historic diet and and the truly destructive effects of refined sugars and other processed foods in our diets today.
Up until 10,000 years ago our natural diets consisted of fruits, root vegetables, berries and raw meat. Then we started to eat cultivated crops like wheat and maze. Today our diets consist of heavily processed and refined foods that contain all sorts of pesticides, fungicides, additives etc that are not part of our natural diet. We have been eating agricultural, cultivated crops for thousands of years -- and the truth of it is that our bodies have still not adjusted to this agri-diet yet -- which is why some people still have allergies caused by gluten and lactose. And so what about the fairly recent introduction of so many chemicals and GMO foods into our processed food? Do you think all this proliferation of man-made chemicals in our diets is actually good for us?
There was also a huge difference in sugar intake between the early 1800s and now. Up to the 1850s, very little sugar was eaten -- and usually only in its natural forms such as raw honey. During this time auto-immune diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, obesity, cancer etc were almost unknown. What people are also amazingly ignorant about is that the body doesn't really need sugar at all because the liver and the adrenals can also help to convert proteins and fats into sugar when they are needed for energy -- so you can easily get your energy from just fats and proteins in your diet.
As for the dangers of eating excess sugars and carbohydrates in our diets, here is an interesting Korean 10 year study, involving 1,300,000 participants. Various medical body parameters were tracked in these people over a ten year period. About 20,000 people got various cancers and it was found that, in all cases of cancer death, these cancer sufferers had sugar levels above 110 mgs/decL. In all those that had remission and recovered -- which was about about 3% -- they were all found to have low sugar levels at or below 90 mgs/decL in their blood. From their analysis, the research concluded, "We observed linear trends in mortality with increasing fasting serum glucose level for all cancers combined and for cancers of several sites". See the research here"
JAMA Article on Cancer and Raised Sugar Levels
So when you ask yourself "How did I get my candida" -- the answer and root cause must be because of what we did and what we didn't put into our mouths -- constantly eating unatural refined processed foods, additives, pesticides, fungicides etc or drinking tap water laden with poisons also including chlorine, fluorine, bromine and heavy metals which is also combined with a complete lack of proper nutrients in our diets today.
It's also well-known that candida proliferates and spreads rapidly in the body when sugar is eaten in excess in the diet. Sugar simply feeds candida -- which is why some candida sufferers crave sugary or sweet food. So when you eat excessive sugar and carbohydrates in the diet (which seems to be the Western diet in a nutshell), it really does not really surprise me at all that so many people in the west suffer from candida problems now.
For more honest information and for a better understanding of your candida problem, I would also urge and recommend that you read either Orian Truss's book, Candida: The Missing Diagnosis or William Crook's book on Candida -- The Yeast Connection. Both these authors were practicing medical doctors who specialized in treating and curing candida problems specifically using alternative methods and proper diet as their main tools.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Chrissy (Orlando, Florida) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★
I use coconut oil anytime that I get a sunburn and it works like a charm to relieve the skin and to help prevent peeling. I also know that when people in my family began to cook with it instead of any other oil they had a drop in cholesterol.
How to Take Internally
Posted by KLF (New York, USA) on 01/06/2008
★★★★★
hi- i have been using coconut oil for nearly and year and have had near amazing results- i have recommended it to everyone i know. 2 tips, the first one is i always take it on a full stomach (taking it on an empty stomach caused me to become physically ill on more than one occasion, but since i have been taking it after eating i have been fine). also, for people who cant swallow it, i melt mine first, take a spoonful and chase it down with a small glass of oj. it is the only way i can get it down. but it works!
Fungus
Posted by Michael (Elizabeth, NJ) on 12/31/2007
★★★★★
For the last 4 tears or so I have had a fungus on both big toes. The nail becomes thick and discolored with rough edges. Not an attractive sight. I have been using coconut oil now for about 9 months and can honestly say it has made a difference in the appearance of my toenails. One of the many properties of CO is antifungal. I can"t say enough about this tropical oil. I eat at least 3 Tbles a day I have more energy, have lost weight, no change in my cholesterol and love its taste. Try it and you will never go back to the other veggie oils.
Broad Benefits
Posted by McFord (Lafayette, LA) on 12/05/2007
★★★★★
I started taking coconut oil capsules i month ago. i have experience a calm sense of energy, fast hair and nail growth and lost 12 lbs. without any additional effort. i only take 2 caplules before breakfast instead of the recommended doasage of 2/before each meal. many friends and family members are astonished of how much my physical appearance has changed. isuffer from ms, ra and fibromyalgia. vco has allowed me to perform my coaching and duties as a pe teacher with less pain. of course i do also take 2 flax seed and fish oil capsule in addition to my multi-vitamin (50 plus) along with my vca daily.
Migraines
Posted by Sandy (Bangalore, India) on 11/29/2007
★★★★★
Dear Earthclinic, Thank you for putting up such a fabulously informative site. I am a daily visitor. After reading some virtues of coconut oil on your site, I decided to drink it daily for weight loss. Well, I began to notice that if I had a couple of teaspoons coconut oil in the morning with my breakfast, then I didnt get acidity the entire day. Also, I didnt get migraines that day. I am quite susceptible to migraines close to my periods. So during those days, I have a couple of teaspoonfuls twice/thrice a day, and dont get migraines that day. In fact, I now carry a small bottle of coconut oil in my purse, and drink some of it if I start feeling a migraine coming on, or if I start feeling nauseous(sign of acidity)--after drinking the oil I burp (because of acid base neutalization and subsequent gas release, I guess), and my acidity/migraine goes off.If I am home, I may drink the coconut oil with some cold milk--helps immensely. If I am out, I drink the coconut oil by itself, and just drink some water on top of it to take the oil taste off my mouth. Ever since I started taking coconut oil (thanks to earthclinic), I have been free of migraines and acidity nausea. My facial skin had open pores previously--the pores have closed now (!!) since drinking coconut oil and skin looks moisturized. Thanks again.
Cheap Coconut Oil Sources
Posted by Katy (Scottsdale, Az) on 04/28/2012
You have to use the real thing buy organic virgin coconut oil it is wonderful, and pure no chemicals! I think the cost is reasonable. Someone gave me two cans of LouAnns that didn't even smell like coconuts something about it seemed so fake I tossed both cans in the trash. I've been using Organic Virgin Coconut oil forever and it is superior. I would never support Walmart in fact they are usually protested if they ever want to come into our neighborhood because they completely destroy communities.
Cheap Coconut Oil Sources
Posted by Denis (Vancouver, Bc) on 01/20/2013
My understanding is that the best source of virgin coconut oil is from Tropical Traditions (Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil) Highly recommended for health benefits. It is hand pressed. The result is that it has the highest level of antioxidants. Great for candida sufferers.
Otherwise Costco carries Nutiva which is great tasting but the container is made of plastic.
Trader Joe's also carries a great coconut oil that is reasonably priced and the container is made of glass.
Amazon.com also carries different brands of coconut at reasonable prices.
Refined Vs. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Posted by Stacey King (Gold Coast, Australia) on 11/19/2007
★★★★★
After reading a lot of the different comments here I think it is really important for people to understand the difference between virgin, extra virgin and the general term of coconut oil and why they give such different results.
WHAT IS COPRA OR COCONUT OIL?
My husband is a Banaban islander from Rabi Island, Fiji and was not only raised on coconut and coconut oil as part of daily life but also cut copra to make a living on his small impoverished island. Copra or dried coconut flesh is what is made into basic COCONUT OIL. It is a completely different form of oil compared to Virgin or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil now on the market.
When he cuts copra he first gathers coconuts that have fallen on the ground, cuts the nut in half and removes the white coconut meat. The coconut meat is then usually dried on a rack over a fire (they call them copra smokers) which helps to dry out the coconut meat and it turns a grey colour and has a rancid smell. The biggest and most abundant amount of wild coconuts are found in remote villages scattered across the Pacific and Asia. Sometime it can take up to 3-4 months before the villagers can get their bags of smoked copra to the big copra mills in town. The mills are usually situated 100's of miles away from these villagers. The copra mills resemble a smaller version of a sugar crushing mill and processing of the copra is similar to that found in the sugar mills. The copra is pressed and because the coconut is very smoky or rancid they use chemicals to bleach and clean the oil. This happens in all the basic edible food oils today in the market place. This is also the reason why this style of COCONUT OIL (Copra) processing became known in the old days as poor man's oil or dirty oil.
But for people in the village they only used freshly processed coconut oil and the premium or special oils that their grandmother's made from freshly squeezed coconuts were put aside and bottled for the special ceremonies in the village. Today this special oil is known as Extra or Virgin Coconut Oil and any comparisons to the processing of olive oil should not be used. The term for Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in the Coconut oil industry today means that this form of coconut oil processing is the most unrefined and most natural form and no artificial filtering or expeller pressing (centrifuge spinning -also known as oil polishing) is used. The oil remains in its most natural form and retains a rich smell and sweet taste of coconut.
Today because of the high demand for Virgin Coconut Oil many unscrupulous manufacturers are getting cheap copra oils and running them through centrifuge spinning machines to clean up the oils and also state they are ORGANIC. While the centrifuges remove the smell and all flavour from the oils the Copra COCONUT OIL is a much thicker oil that will NOT quickly absorb into the skin and does contain TRANS FAT. Accept for a higher level of lauric acid it is very similar to all other trans fat food oils on the market due to the processing. If you put this type of oil on your skin it is just that OIL and will clog the pores of your skin.
WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OR VIRGIN COCONUT OIL
Good quality Extra Virgin or Virgin Coconut Oil should taste and smell like coconut. It should be a very fine oil and will quickly melt in the palm of your hand with body heat. If it does not solidify or melt quickly you know it is a much thicker and inferior oil. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil should be in a natural form and gravity or natural filtering of the oil is used. This type of Virgin Coconut Oil will still retain a level of fine coconut particles and usually a very high level of lauric acid. This type or premium VCO should not contain any microbe activity or foreign matter. If wild forest coconuts are used and are very mature trees they retain a very high lauric acid level and the oil can retain a slight golden colour.
While some of the Virgin Coconut Oils currently on the market are crystal clear in appearance they usually are made from the soft immature coconut flesh before the nut hardens. This type of coconut processing usually makes it easy to remove the coconut flesh and extract the oil with fermentation or boiling off the liquid. Because the coconut is not as mature it usually has lower lauric acid levels and the smell and flavour of the oil is not as strong.
It must be remembered that all coconuts when opened will quickly ferment and unless the moisture is removed properly during processing the oil will sour. Good quality Virgin Coconut Oils should have a shelf life of at lease 2 years without any deteriorate of the oil at all. When cooking with Virgin Coconut Oil the oil will fry at very high temperatures. Good quality Virgin Coconut Oil can be mixed in both hot and cold drinks.
To reap the great benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil make sure you know the difference between VIRGIN COCONUT OIL and Copra (basic COCONUT OIL) found in today's market place and why they should not be confused.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Gabi (Czestochowa, Poland) on 11/14/2007
★★★★★
I am using it internally and externally. I cured stubborn fungus on my elbows. I combine coconut oil and lemon juice. Helps with toe nail fungus to. I am sure my Candida is out of control and I just found here info on CANDIDOL so I am going to try it! Few years now since I stopped using creams and moisturizes after accident with sun block for children. I put tube of sunblock in my purse and it spell over Louie Vito n eyeglasses case. We all know it is made of vinyl. It was 20 hrs when I noticed what happened. Vinyl melted like from the heat! I kept that case.
How to Take Internally
Posted by Mellybag (Austin, Texas, USA) on 11/03/2007
I have noticed some of you have heart palpitations when you started vco. If newly using vco, start with 1/4 or 1/2 tsp for around two-three weeks, then gradually increase til you get 1 tablespoon. Those who develop diarrhea and acne, etc., your toxins are being expelled so continue using your vco it would eventually stop once your system is clean. Listen to your body, some have no problem having 1-2-3 Tablespoons of vco, while other have. LouAnna from Walmart and elsewhere uses hexane! That is an RBD oil which can be toxic because of the hexane. They steam to remove hexane, but how sure are you it all dissipated? Melly
How to Take Internally
Posted by Adrien (Indianapolis, Indiana) on 05/10/2008
Response to Elimay - from Canton in USA about Coconut Oil. This is my first time writing to this site even though I've used it quite often... For the past two months I have pulled coconut oil, usually first thing in the morning. I also take 1 teaspoon of coconut oil three times a day. So far I've great results. My skin is nice. Very clear, soft, radiant. My energy level has improve greatly. I'm alert and I feel rested after sleeping. Like so many others I lost weight without trying about 10 pounds or so.(An added benefit.) I am in the habit of taking care of myself but from time to time become lax. I exercise but recently have not been on a strengent exercise program like I need to be on. Anyway, I am 51 years old, in good health, and a woman of color. My diet is good with plenty of vegetables and fruit. I do not drink alcoholic beverages or smoke. Generally, my sleeping habits are good. I've included this info about myself because when reading, often this is left out and I wonder how close are my lifestyles to other readers. Like you, I purchased a less expensive brand of pure coconut oil from Walmart. I use this to pull with (and cook with sometimes). I also have a supply of the Gold Label (top of the line)oil which I ordered on-line from Tropical Traditions. I take this internally. This is pure, unrefined oil that has been separated from the coconut milk in a tradtional method. I use this on my skin, hair as well as cooking. I enjoy a salad dressing of 2 parts vinegar, 1 part honey and coconut oil. I love coconut and have bought shampoo,conditioners, lotions over the years. But, the unrefined oil is the BEST. Either of the products mentioned are acceptable for taking internally it's just a matter of taste and/or afforability. When I could afford the better brand I bought it. After reading about the methods of producing the oil I was sold on the best. May God bless and keep you through the power of His might. Sincerely Your, Adrien in Indy, USA
Broad Benefits
Posted by Tanya (Brisbane, Australia) on 10/19/2007
★★★★★
I have been taking virgin coconut oil now for about 4 months and I love it.. I have trouble with candida and acne and both have been better since I started using it in cooking and fruit smoothies. I also add about a 1/4 of a cup VCO to a warm bath with about 1/2 a cup of micro-biotic sea salt and it is wonderful... Makes your skin feel great and smells really nice. I find when I use coconut oil in the mornings I eat less throughout the day because I don't get the bad sugar or carbohydrate cravings. I'm not trying to lose weight, just heal my acne and candida but I have dropped from about 57-58kilos to 54.5 in about 2 months without really changing anything else (although I do eat a relatively good diet already). I highly recommend it!!! Tan.
Teeth
Posted by Jake (Chicago, IL) on 10/09/2007
★★★★★
Many thanks to Lucille from Jersey City. I had sensitive gums and nerves for several months after having two dental procedures - removal of an impacted and decayed wisdom tooth -lower left,and placement of a crown on a molar above. I was very sensitive to cold especially but hot as well. Oil pulling with coconut oil just three times cured it 95%. It was hard to believe after it was so sensitive it virtually went away. I rarely feel anything anymore except with extreme temperatures and I see even that declining as the days go by.
Fat Stripper
Posted by Jennifer (Mi, Usa) on 09/21/2010
I read on another site written by a doctor who researched VCO that although it IS high in saturated fat it is a Medium Chain Fatty Acid, which means the saturated fat does not get ingested into our system. It is processed in our bodies as energy and then whatever is left is flushed out and takes all the bad stuff (toxins) with it!!
Fat Stripper
Posted by John (Arlington, Texas) on 03/21/2011
★★★★★
Coconut oil helped my dad get over pneumonia. It has a host of good benefits. Visit some sites where they are listed.
Coconut oil is white and solid when it is below 76 degrees. It is liquid and looks like water above 76 degrees. Unfortunately I had just bought a bottle of it for my dad, when my sister came in and poured the whole bottle down the drain. She thought it was water. lol.
Coconut oil was the only oil in a study in India which looked at the best hair oil to use. Of the three, only coconut oil penetrated the hair folicle and nurished the hair. The other two did nothing.
Yes coconut oil is not like other oils. It does not get used like other oils. It actually increases your metabolism and it is a bacteriacide, a viruscide and a fugicide. Check out the benefits for yourself.
Fat Stripper
Posted by Granny Laura (Waco, Tx, Usa) on 03/22/2011
You are so right about the coconut oil for hair. I put some on the dry ends of my hair last week before I washed it. I put a plastic cap on and just let it soak for 2-3 hrs. I didn't put the oil on my scalp, just the ends. I had thought I would have to have 2-3 in cut off as it was so damaged. It still looks good after washing it this time. Wonder what they would have charged for an oil treatment at the hairdresser's?
