Coconut Oil Benefits, Side Effects and Reviews

Hi all i just started using coconut oil last night and i used 1 tablespoon and swished and held in mouth for about 20 minutes. All went well but i did noticed that right after i spit it out that my gums were like a transperant white around my teeth. I felt great but i looked a little strang. Also when i spit out the coconut oil it looked milky in consistency. I guess i was expecting something different dont know if that worked or not. I went to the dentist today and my mouth is a little sore. i am wondering if i can continue with the oil after just having my gums cleaned under the surface which was done today...........thanks phogallen

Is VCO good for any age? My mother is 70 years old and suffers from diabetes and bigh blood pressure. I know VCO is good for diabetes. Is it also god for high blood pressure? Is it ok for a 70 year old with these ailments to drink VCO?

Also, due to so many benefits includes its ability to fight virus and bacteria, I wanted to give it to my 6 1/2 year old daughter, maybe in smaller quantities of 1 tsp to begin with, gradually increasing to 2 tsp. a day. Is it alright for a child that age to drink VCO?

Thank you in advance for responses.

I give all of my children, ages 2 - 12 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil daily.

I am 66 and in pretty good shape/health. If I were to introduce coconut oil to an older person, I would start very small and watch for any changes.

When I found out the long list of benefits for coconut oil, i bought some. Primarily for my 5 yr olds seizures, but figured we'd use here n there. My acne is clearing up- by moisturizing with it. My hair looks better-hot coconut oil treatment. And best yet, my 5 yr old has had noticibly fewer/calmer seizures this week! I'm just a geek on the net, not trying to sell anything, but wow. read up on it's versatility.

Three years ago I started using raw coconut oil for my seizures after reading about the ketogenic diet which has helped people control their seizures. I kept my seizures away for three years until one day I stopped to detox with smoothies. That day I had a seizure and have since then gone back on a high fat diet to control them! I use coconut oil, olive oil, and real butter.

Hello:
I have had chronic mucus build up for more than 15 years due to food and environmental allergies and have been using over the counter sprays and guifenisin tablets like Mucinex several times a day. I tried oil pulling for the first time this morning (for 20 minutes) using 1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil. After 20 minutes I spit out the oil and it was still white, not yellow. Based on all of the information I have read, if the oil has removed the toxins it should have turned yellow after 20 minutes. I am still congested, should I continue to use the coconut oil or switch to a different type, oil pull for longer than 20 minutes or simply give the oil pulling more time to work. Please advise. Thanks

Can someone please tell me if it is necessary to melt the EVCO before taking it as a cure for side effects of hypothyroid? Is there any particular time this should be taken? Can it be taken close to taking thyroid medication?

Also is Armour Thyroid a better suggestion than Eltroxin, if so, I can ask my doctor to switch me to Armour.

Before thinking exclusively about Armour Thyroid, check out your options if you are going to take a 'natural' thyroid at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and check out all the natural thyroids. This site says that Armour has changed their recipe and after taking it for a while, you go back to square one. Good luck.

OMG I love this site. Sorry, this is about my 4th post in 2 weeks. I just wanted to say, I put coconut oil in my coffee too. It took me months to get off of a well known powdered coffee creamer. And boy do I love my coffee, it just wasn't the same without the creamy taste of the hydrogenated fat I was trying to avoid. But I finally made the switch to real milk in my coffee instead (now if I can just find a sub for the milk, haha). Recently, I thought I would try the coconut oil in my coffee (about 1/4 tsp. per cup) and Guess what, It reminds me of my forever longed for coffee creamer. I love it and recommend it.

I have a dairy allergy, so I now use coconut milk in my coffee instead of cream. I buy the highest fat content milk I can find that is not preserved with any kind of sulfur product. I buy it at the local Asian store.

You can put coconut oil into gel capsules it works great! No bad taste at all. If you can't get to a store to purchase the gel caps then just get an old prescription and empty them out. Make sure you get all the contents out of the capsule and then fill it with the coconut oil, then swallow. Problem solved. :)

You can get gel capsules at your local vitamin/supplement store.

Any information on use of coconut oil for treatment or use on mouth sores due to chemotherapy?

We keep a jar of VCO mixed up with cocoa and stevia. Take a spoonful several times a day and let it melt in the mouth. Tastes yummy.

I have been taking it like a pill. I just take a spoonful, let it melt for a couple seconds in my mouth then drink water and swallow... It's just like swallowing a pill. Super easy.

A friend melts the VCO with dark chocolate (both are good for you) as a treat then pours the mixture in ice cube trays. She uses the VCO that is flavored. You can buy unflavored VCO for cooking. I use mine in green tea, coffee, and toss a blob in with any hot food I am cooking like stews and soups. The flavored VCO is great in Indian and other Asian dishes.

I have heard coconut oil works well for some ppls acne but avocado oil is great for acne and overall nourishig your face. It an antibacterial, natural sunscreen and helps in the collagen process. Organic extra virgin cold pressed olive oil is also great for skin, been using it for over a year now although, I am 31 and ppl think I am 23. Will try the coconut oil for my slight cellulite though, thanks.

After reading miraculous things about coconut oil a couple of years ao, I gave it a try. I read suggestions for what sounded like huge dosages, but instead I just started using it instead of butter on toast, and for cooking, and in hot cereal and baking--just to taste, like any other food. Other times I use olive oil, and I take fish oil sometimes. I like coconut oil a lot, and feel good with it, but my most interesting observation is that these past two winters have been the first in a long time when I've needed no hand lotion, and even doing lots of dishes doesn't dry my hands like it used to. And in general I notice that my skin seems much softer and smoother. But I can't imagine eating it straight off the spoon, or in the quantities some people talk about... Maybe some of the bad reactions are just *overdoses*, from eating more fat at once than the body's able to digest?

Thank you Shannon from New Glarus, finally reading some common sense here. I take cocunut oil in my food at normal doses, (the amount you would use any oil in your cooking) and i have not experienced any of these problems that i am reading so many people are having. I have noticed that most of these people are mentioning that they mix it in their tea or take it straight. You have to treat coconut oil like any other oil and use it wisely. Cook with it, mix it with your food in sensible amounts and you will experiece the true benefits. In countries that coconut is widely used, eg, India, south pacific ect..., you will never see the people eating it straight or mixing in their tea, they only use it to cook with and use to massage into their skin and skalp. They have used it in their cooking for thousands of years and never experience problems like we do in the west, we are too extreme. Its simple, be sensible dont overdue it, use it like you would use any other oil and you will be amazed by the benefits.

I was taken aback by the popularity of the VCO recently and the wide variety of its benefits recently when I read it on the web. We over here have been using it for time immemorial and little do we realise its true potential. Our method of extraction: boiling. The oil is mixed with other herbs for external application while the pressed milk is an ingredient in cooking. My grandmother used to choose different species of nuts for specific ailments. What we seldom do is to take the oil straight from the spoon and is what interest me in this thread. These are new ideas and experiences are learnt.Thanks everyone!

At 24 I had my first experience of seborrheic dermatitis, and had it for about 2 years. I can honestly remember one girl commenting 'it looks like his nose is turning green', to be honest I couldn't care less what she said, but there were times when i felt so low I didn't want to leave the house. I might have been exaggerating, but my nose was going from small red marks, to be inflamed burn marks, to a yellow gewy substance which would eventually harden.

I tried so many things. At first the steroid cream I used did the job in the short term. But it was no long term cure I was comfortable with. If I stopped using it it was back in a week. Maybe less. So I stopped using that pretty early. I also used aveeno yeast cream, aloe vera (from a bottle and from a plant), going on a yeast free and sugar free diet (to be honest this lasted about a month and a half, and don't think I went completely all out. But tried to cut the main stuff out), and garlic- none of these things worked.

Funnily enough, when I went to the states, it practically seemed to go on its own.

Then I decided to use coconut oil. externally (100% coconut oil- the brand is pukka). I applied it about once every day, not very much was needed as it is a very oily product. Actually I started by using this and taking it internally, eating crushed coconut from a jar with a spoon. but now I just apply it externally. I've been doing this for about 4 to 5 months now, and it is already feeling like a miracle cure, so I hope it carries on like this! I only had one major flare up since, whereas before I was getting one every other week. I hope I'm not speaking to soon, but it's really helped my confidence, and probably changed my life for the better. And something so simple! Just gotta thank the people on this website (and this website for this).

Of course a downside could be seen as it coming back if I stop using it. But who knows, it might even go for good!

I suffered from Seborheic Dermatitis for twelve years. I tried ACV, Coconut Oil, Borax etc. They helped relieve, but not cure it or make it go away. When I stopped the above treatments, I would get some flare ups. Finally, I read about the Master Cleanse aka lemonade diet. I did it with the intention to shed some pounds, but after the eleven days on the cleanse, I noticed my Seb Dermatitis had disappeared. I had a flare up about five months after I first did the Cleanse, so I did went ahead and did the Clenase again. Seb Dermatitis is gone and I do not suffer from it at all... My only explanation for this is the Master Cleanse and getting some toxins out of my system. So, good luck!

I have been taking coconut oil for the last 2 weeks 1 teaspoon every morning and also cooking with it. Today, (this may sound gross)I had a pain in my back just around the rectum and after using the toilet I looked and found a dead worm in the toilet. YUK! I can't believe that came from me. So it must be killing off the parasites I have. Hopefully it gets them all.

I've been detoxing for a few months, I added the two tablespoons of coconut oil to my detoxing program, in addition to raw plant aloe and have also seen more liver flukes and tape worms! This combination seems to be working better than any I've tried!

Parasite tests, in order for them to be accurate my ND told me that you need at least TEN parasite checks at different times to determine if you have parasites, because parasites hide and may not be visible they go undected. I read that 85% of people have parasites, Parasite tests are 20% accurate, some estimate it to be lower shocking 10% accurate! The best lab for testing in the states is in Arizona. I was really sick flu-like symptoms: chills low grade fever, stomach pressure, colon pain, shortness of breath my heart rate would sometimes go up The MD had me try every single thing and I had been tested three times for parasites all the tests showed up negative, well Finally my MD suggested an ND best idea she ever had! I started the ayurvedic coconut parasite cleanse with cloves, with wormwood and gse.. Dramatic decrease of my symptoms by 80% in ONE DAY ! I'm posting this because I hope this seriously helps someone!

You might want to research Armour Thyroid. It is derived from pigs, making it a much closer replacement to human thyroid than the stuff made in a test tub. Some people notice no difference between synthetic thyroid and Armour but for others it's a huge difference. You can't know until you try it for awhile. The natural thyroid hormone is a complex combination of chemicals. Man made thyroid hormone is is very simplistic.

I'd suggest bio identical estrogen.

Try Magnesium Glycinate. You can take much more w/out getting loose stools.

I'm so glad I have found this website and read how Coconut Oil has helped with Hypothyroidism! I have recently changed my prescription from Synthroid (of about 10 years) to Armour (after struggling with my Dr.), and changed my diet after meeting with a nutritionist. I have more energy and my sex drive is much better. I am taking Symplex F (by standard processing), but I honestly don't know if it's the supplements, the diet or my new thyroid pill! I just know that I'm feeling better! I still get a little bit of the "brain fog", and have dry skin & hair so I'm excited to start taking some coconut oil and hopefully that will help!

Good luck to all of you who are trying coconut oil! This is a great site!

How did you convince your doctor to prescribe you the Armour?

I've tried every way to get magnesium and they all give me diarrhea. I've done the oil, under the tongue liquid, every compound. What can I do to get more mag? I feel like I desperately need it but can't find a way to get it without the diarrhea.

Namaw, transdermally. Epsom Salt baths.

I already do epsom salt soaks and magnesium oil sprayed on my skin. If I do both in one day, I get diarrhea. I have terrible cramping in my legs and feet at night and the mag oil applied then does help, but I just can't seem to get enough of it to not have the cramps. I bought the mag liquid that you hold under your tongue to let it absorb and was out from work the next day with diarrhea (but I slept so well! ). Maybe I don't need the magnesium for the cramping, but what should I try?

Namaw,

Potassium also chases cramps. And for me Orange Juice works quicker than pills.

I use potassium to come off a fast without cramping.

Be sure to drink your 8 glasses of water.

HisJewel

Lugol's iodine or Iodoral can help increase your sex drive.

I am curious as to what results people have achieved using coconut oil for reducing facial lines?

Making Coconut Oil: I have digestive problems and I heard that coconut oil will help me with the problem I have, but it seems as if coconut oil is very costly, so I thought I'd try to make my own but I was wondering if the boiling process is just as good as the fermentation process. If I use the boiling process would there be any lost of vitamins?

In some research I did, boiling the coconut milk to get coconut oil will not be as effective as processing it without heat and that some type of vitamins will be lost if I boil the oil. Is this true? Can you please help me.

Thank you!

If you are in the island, you can dry the coconut in the sun until it completely dry that it will come of the shell. Then crate it with a fine crater or blender and then squeeze out the oil. If your coconut meat is completely dry, you will see that the liquid that comes out will be oil and not milk. It is very important to make sure that the coconut meat is completely dry. You can put the coconut meat in the sun many times just to make sure that it is very dry through. I came from one of the islands in the pacific where the equator runs through some of the islands and we use every part of the coconut tree from the roots to the tips.

Tema, could it be done in a slow oven?

Yes, you can dry that in the oven on low heat. Just crack the coconut in half and put the whole thing in the oven until the meat moved away from the shell. Take it off the shell and continue drying it until it completely dry. It is very hard to squeeze the oil out so use your juicer if you have one. In the island we roll the crated dry coconut meat in coconut fibers. We tie both ends with the coconut string and we put them on a log that raised of the ground and press down with another log like a titter totter. It's a lot of work but to us it is a special oil. Another way of making a coconut oil is to crate a coconut meat and squeeze the milk out and cook it on low heat but stir frequently to avoid burning until the coconut milk begins to girdles. Continue cooking it until the girdles color turns brownish and you can see the oil already separating. Take a little girdle and roll it between your fingers to check if it's done. It the girdle is mushy or sticky between your fingers, then it is not done yet. Continue cooking the oil and check the girdle frequently until it rolls between your fingers. Turn off the heat and remove your pot from the heat and tilt it so that the oil and girdles are separated and more oil drain off the coconut girdles. Cool off the girdle a little bit but not completely cold and squeeze out more oil from it. Cool off your oil before you put it in a dry jar, water will spoil your oil. You will notice that you could taste a little sweetness in the oil and the girdle from the coconut oil is very sweet and delicious. It is edible. My grandmother taught me that if the coconut oil is not cooked properly, the oil will not last long. The smell will turn sour like and you can feel the stinging feeling on your tongue if you taste it. Enjoy making your coconut oil and let me know your result. Good luck and God bless.

I have been using Organic Coconut Oil for 2 years now as a "skin lotion". When I started using it I was 43 and already using a top product for anti-aging. The product had worked some to reduce wrinkles but in just a couple of days the CO worked so much better. now at almost 45 I have very little wrinkles. I use just a little bit on my fingers and spread so thin that no one can tell that I use an oil on my face. My 17 year old daughter uses it also.

I started using the CO for other things and one of the best is on a canker sores. It does not hurt unless you rub it too hard. I had no pain all day and did not have to put more on until bed time. I put a dab of CO on a Q-tip and applied it to the sore.

What brand of coconut oil do you use? And, does anyone know what the shelf life of coconut oil is? I have an opened jar of it that I have had for more than a year. It doesn't have an "off" smell but I was wondering if it would still be effective?

I have read health info at health store that said coconut oil doesn't have a shelf life so it is probably safe. I would suggest low doses though. using it like reg. oil or butter sounds like a good suggestion. Helen

I read that you should not use nut butters - maybe that's just when you're cleansing?

Peanuts are often contaminated with fungus. Tree nuts, too. Coconuts don't seem to have this problem.

In my studies of health issues peanuts often have aflatoxins that are carcinogenic and were linked to cancers of the liver in The China Study by T. Colin Campbell pg. 34-36. It was moldy peanuts used in Peanut butter (in the Phillipines) and corn that caused children in their study to die of cancer of the liver at early ages and adults when the reached around 40's. Whether higher standards are kept now there or elsewhere I do not know. In a recent book on raw foods diet it stated that all raw peanuts have the same AF toxins. I'd suggest to try another nutbutter like almond if you are seriously concerned about your health unless you have an allergy or intolerance to all nuts ground and tree. Do your own research if you will.

I've somehow managed to catch a horrible cold and have battled a sore throat for 2 days now. I have absolutely NO tolerance for pain, so I've been miserable. I've been using cayenne pepper and ACV as both a gargle and added to hot water to sip on constantly, but it only gives little to temporary relief.

I decided to try some coconut oil in some pineapple tea that I had (hoping deep down it resembled a pina colada!) I saw that EVCO wasn't listed as a remedy for cold or sore throats, really, but I decided to give it a shot.

Wow, was it soothing! The horrible thing about sore throats is how dry and scratchy the throat gets which makes the pain ten times worse... but the coconut oil lubed everything up so nicely that it doesn't hurt half as bad! I have no idea how long this will last, but I'll take what relief I can get!

I did have a lot of success with EVCO after having a strange sinus infection last year at this time that made all the glands in my head so swollen. After trying everything and going to the doctor who gave me no-good antibiotics, I gave EVCO a shot, and within one day my glands had gone down, my head and decongested and I felt better. I love this stuff. I just wish I liked the taste better!

Just to follow up on my own post...

It's now been 24 hours since I took the EVCO for the sore throat -- it cleared it up 100%. About a half an hour after taking it, it dislodged a very large, quite solid, disgusting piece of you-know-what from the back of my throat which I surprisingly blew out of my nose. I won't go into details, just trust me -- it was the source of the infection, the queen bee, if you will.

The thing to remember (which I had forgotten) was that if you're not used to taking ACVO, it will give you digestive issues -- I had severe nausea later since I had not taken EVCO in quite some time. But it didn't last that long, and was well worth it considering.

I have taken it about two more times since in tea, and it immediately makes my sinuses and ears crack and pop as things start draining out.

I was on a quest to find Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. So many people from this site rave about EVCO so it led me to do my own research about the benefits and truth of EVCO. It turns out that EVCO is the best oil on Earth! Not only good internally but also topically. Just good over all healthy for your body head to toe, inside and out. So of course I HAD TO HAVE IT! After searching in every grocery store and having no luck I decided to take the long drive to our Health food store.."Trader Joe's". Was totally dissapointed to find that there was none there either. Maybe it was out of stock? The trip wasn't a total waste because I picked up a bottle of Tea Tree oil for 6 bucks which is normally $13 in drug stores. I also bought some Organic Apple Cider Vinegar there too which I hear is very good. So I guess there is not a market for Coconut Oil in California?? I guess the brain washing and false information has really worked on us Americans. What a shame! So my last stop was Walmart. I have heard that Walmart carries the low quality Coconut oil made from dried COPRA. So I wasn't too optimistic since I was only going to purchase the high quality EVCO even if it meant I had to buy online. They had the cheap stuff but I FOUND USDA EVCO there!! Yay! I'm so happy = )~ Nutiva is the brand and can be bought online as well. For 29 oz. it was $19.99 pricey I know. But well worth it since I love it on my skin and cooking with it! I guess after my long story the point is never give up in your quest for ultimate health. Cheers to good health and many blessings!

I think various WallMarts carry different items, our local one carries Virgin coconut oil in the vitamin aisle. It's by the vitamin company "Rexall", I cannot remember the size, but it was about $10.00. They also carry Tea Tree Oil, which I bought - 50ml for $5.00.

Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cold Pressed, unrefined. Nutiva Brand..... 54 oz... SOLID....... At "The Vitamin Shoppe"
Online for $22 Plus S&H..... Great deal.

They carry EVCO at whole foods, I got mine from the one in tustin at the district.

I use to live in Riverside as well and found it at Vitamin Shoppe

EVCO is available at Mother's Market, Whole Foods Markets, and online.

I was able to get mine at GNC in my town. I think I paid $11.99 for 15 fl. Oz. I love it I wish I could find it in a bigger container but I am sure I could if I look on line.

http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/

A very INFORMATIVE article and brief clip at this site.

Please help. I would like to start taking CO, being in Africa Im not sure if the coconut oil I have can be ingested. or if one can only apply it. My daughter who is a great believer in using it on her hair left it with me. It is called Pure Coconut Oil and is in solid form, althought when warmed becomes clear oil. It has no smell or perhaps faintly. I am not sure what the appearance should be.

Regards
Mary Ann

Thank you so much. The name on the bottle is Hercules Pure Coconut Oil. I am not sure if Hercules is the manufactures name, but there is no other reference on the bottle. It is sold in the Medicinal Section in supermarkets and I think in Pharmacies as well.

Hercules coconut oil is distributed by Enaleni Pharmaceuticals, which was recently bought by the Indian Marico group. It is marketed as a hair care product and I am not sure whether or not it is suitable for internal use - it does not have the characteristic coconut smell. However, organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil is sold under the Crede Natural Oils label and is available in 400ml bottles at most health shops at a cost of around R70.