Coconut Oil Benefits, Side Effects and Reviews

Reply to JB of New Iberia, Louisiana: about the LouAna company--they DO make coconut oil but also make the oils that you mentioned. The local groceries decide what oils go on their shelves according to popular demand.

Also, being a "foodie" I have recently learned a little about our nation's food history. Bananas and coconuts have been coming into our ports even as our nation was being formed. I don't know when the tradition started but... "Ambrosia" is a fruit salad which includes coconut and has been served at Thanksgiving in the South for many, many years.

From what I've heard, I think baking with coconut oil--pure or not--may be preferable to using butter, which is what I do now (except for those few recipes that use a liquid oil, then I use canola).

I am amazed at how well coconut oil has worked to normalize my blood pressure. I am a very healthy and petite woman who was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the age of 27. My diet is clean and I exercise regularly and with high intensity, but nothing lowered my blood pressure except medication. It was about 160/90 without medication, but stayed steady around 110/70 so long as I took it daily. After I began taking coconut oil daily (just 1 Tbsp. A day does the trick), I noticed that my blood pressure was getting TOO low! I stopped taking my medication and kept an eye on my daily readings. The coconut oil keeps my blood pressure just as low as the medication did! I am surprised there aren't more reports here of coconut oil normalizing blood pressure (I have read that it also works for people whose pressure is too low).

I have been spreading the word of coconut oil to anyone and everyone! There are other benefits as well, but I'll post those in the appropriate sections. :) The next challenge I'm going to give it is trying it on warts (the banana peel remedy isn't working for me).

I can also vouch for coconut oil clearing up a chronic bladder infection. I had all of the symptoms of interstitial cystitis (IC), and I found by accident that if I took coconut oil daily, the symptoms completely disappeared. I have been symptom free for well over a month now. I am about to do an experiment and stop taking coconut oil for a period of time to see if the symptoms return or are truly gone for good.

Hi everyone I'm 53 years of age and my significant other is 57 when I first met her she look so vibrant and healthy until a few weeks into the relationship she decided to get really sick on me, well it turned out she had really high cholesterol and acid reflux, I myself had been suffering from high cholesterol for years but did not want to take medicine. One day after getting her home from the hospital I decided to research for a home remedy and I ran into the organic virgin coconut oil I ordered 4 quarts and started her and me on one teaspoon in the morning after a great cup of coffee and 4 months later after a followup with the Doctor- Amen! Cholesterol and Acid Reflux was gone thank you for your time. I recommend this to anybody that is not allergic to COCONUT, GOD BLESS America and all of us.

Thanks so much for that comment about the itchy scratchy throat because I've been getting that off and on too, as I have increased my Tablespoons of VCO per day. I thought as you did that it was an allergy, but have noticed it sometimes not coming on, so your confirmation leads me to feel comfortable that it will pass. BTW, I also notice my cold hands and feet disappearing.

We use a pendulum to communicate with our sub-conscience mind. That is probably what you are getting, the answer from your sub-conscience mind.

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.

To Chris from Singapore: Glad to see you using coconut oil. However the reason you are better but not cured is that you need to help the coconut oil with strong probiotics to balance the bacteria in your intestines. The fungus causing your skin and scalp issues probably initiated its growth from your intestines and overwhelmed the good healthy bacteria types there when your immune system was weak or compromised in some way(possibly antibiotics?). It spread to other areas whenever the environment was suitable. Now that you are attacking it, it is withdrawing to safe areas and will spread again if your immune system is weakened.

Taking a strong probiotic (one that has at least 6 different strains of bacteria) would help create a balanced intestinal tract and eliminate this fungul overgrowth at its source. I emphasize the minimum 6 strain probiotic (from a good health food store refrigerated section) because some people think yogurt will do the job. FOR AN ADULT, THE PROBIOTICS IN A SMALL TUB OF YOGURT A DAY IS NOT GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR ANY PRE-EXISTING SKIN OR SCALP CONDITION.

Hi, I was pretty open to trying coconut oil being a lover of all things coconutty from young. I started taking 3 tablespoons of this oil daily and applying this oil on my face. I can report the following benefits so far: very good bowel movements (not that I had bad ones before but there is a definite improvement), more restful sleep and my complexion is certainly looking and feeling softer. I didn't think I'd describe it such but it really feels that way. [Would like to see some weight loss off me... There's been about 3 pounds shed... So, we'll see]. This has only been for a month since I started using (consuming and applying externally) it.

Recently, I've started having this itchy scalp which has so called 'degenerated' into dry flakiness as well! I've tried every anti-dandruff shampoo there is available - the bottles line my shelf in the bathroom, believe me! - yet I'm still scratching my itchy flaky head like mad! Anyhow, last night, I've decided that I'll massage coconut oil to my scalp each night and shampoo my hair in the morning daily and see how it goes... Today's the first day after a coconut oil hair treatment and the itching is less intense. At least I got by today's work without having to scratch my head silly behind closed doors!!!

Watch this space, folks... and to all you consumers of coconut oil, I hope you're enjoying a better quality of life now...

Time to give my head that coconut-oil massage now... :)

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.

Hi! What brand VCO do you use? :) Nature's Gift VCO made gain weight after 5 days of taking 3T a day.

AWESOME!!! ... What an amazing report! It's nice to read a post from someone who has taken EVCO for many yrs. THANKS!

What coconut oil capsules do you take? I bought extra virgin coconut oil from the vitamin shoppe can you take it by spoon? thanks!

Another way to get nice smooth hair is to use a Castile soap such as Dr. Woods instead of regular shampoo. It does not contain the harsh chemicals found in regular shampoo. I use the castile soap with lavender and shea butter and my hair has never been so nice and it smells great.

Your husband is probably NOT allergic to it at all, I would say that he had a "healing crisis" coconut oil is a great detoxifer. I would have him try it again for a while and see what happens.

In my experience, most acne is a virus and an imbalance in good bacteria in the colon. It's often not enough to take probiotics or coconut oil because it does not kill it entirely. The best one thing for acne is black walnut because it is very good at killing all the things that cause breakouts AND will balance the good/bad bacteria at the same time. And yes, cleansing and supporting the liver is important too, but if you're not killing things when they come out, you're just re-circulating everything. I suggest working with a professional on this one because killing stuff is not an easy process most of the time and it's hard to know if it's die-off or you need to back off because your organ are in overload.... Because that's what probably caused the problem in the first place. There are different parasite killing herbs for different parasites, viruses, etc... So if you're going to get the job done... You need to know which one you have... Get tested.... Muscle testing is best and I'm an advocate of nutritional response testing.... Good luck!

I use this site all the time but have never posted before. Today, however, I'm dying to share! I've been adding 2tbs of coconut oil to my diet for the past month in various ways and I've experimented with using it in smoothies but it always clumps up when you add cold ingredients. Today however, I managed to make a 100% smooth no clump smoothie! I put coconut oil in a cup and placed it in a bowl of hot water to melt it and then smushed my fruit (just strawberries today) into the oil and added it to the food processor. Processed until completely smooth and THEN added my cold ingredients ( vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream and 1 crushed up ice cube for extra coldness. ) Result was as smooth as yogurt and delicious! Coconut oil has really been a cure all for me. I've lost a little weight even though my fat intake is obviously higher since I haven't changed anything else in my diet, my nails are stronger and look more clear, and the stubborn cystic acne I get around my jawline have all flattened out. The redness is still there, but with makeup on you can't even tell and no new zits have popped up and my skin looks better now than it has since I started getting cystic acne about 4 years ago. Finally being able to use evco in smoothies is just gonna make it better!

Please research the benenfits of a raw diet to cure cancer. Also look into getting the book "The China Study"

I have used coconut oil for most of my life for cooking and other uses. Most people in fiji make their own oil at home which is virgin. It is not a good oil. Doc in fiji recommend us to use corn oil instead.

For the person taking the birth control pill for acne instead you should try Tumeric spice or tumeric capsules (main ingredient must be curcumin and nothing else) fortified with black pepper to help absorb it. Tumeric is also a miracle herb in which it eliminates many ailments almost within 30 minutes depending what exactly you are suffering from. For alergy sufferers 1 tsp of tumeric powder spice mixed with 1 cup of milk will clear up your sinus, pain and watery eyes completely and you will breath again. Tumeric is a pain reliever because it eliminates inflammation and cures a lot of other problems too. I found a lot info about tumeric on this site as well.

Hi all,

ABSORPTION OF COCONUT OIL VIA SKIN

Coconut oil is not a 'thin' enough oil to allow for true absorption through the skin. As far as I know, only essential oils are able to do this. All other oils only seal; hence the use of oils for massage. It does, however, seal the skin and assist with dryness. Ingestion would be more advisable for medicinal use.

CANDIDA ALBICANS TREATMENT

"The active ingredients in Coconut Oil are Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid and Lauric Acid. These medium-chain saturated fatty acids are potent antimicrobial agents. They kill bacteria, viruses and fungi by causing their cell walls to disintegrate.

There are studies¹ that show how all the fatty acids work together to kill Candida albicans. Another study ² shows that Coconut Oil is as effective as fluconazole (Diflucan). It goes so far as to say; 'Coconut Oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species. ' " Refer to the link below for more detail and info on how this oil works.

http://www.candida-albicans-cure.com/coconut-oil.html

Also perhaps bear in mind that fatty acids are not meant to be exposed to heat, since this kills the medicinal properties of the oils. Hence the need for coldpressed oils.

I personally mix mine with full cream plain yoghurt, macadamia nut, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Full cream plain yoghurt also has live a & b cultures which assist with digestion, similar to pro-biotics.

The magnitude of fungal meningo-encephalitis has been described worldwide; it is presented as the most deadly opportunistic infection in people living with HIV/AIDS.

The classical medications for the treatment of fungal meningo-encephalitis (amphotericin B, flucytosine, and fluconazole), are very expensive, and not available in most hospitals. Fungal infections are frequently not responsive to classical antifungal therapy. Considering the enormous emphasis on the antifungal properties of the fatty acids of the coconut oil, thus the coconut oil, in scientific literature; the natural and the non toxic nature of coconut oil; the knowledge acquired from a previous research; mfonfu oil, extracted from coconut was administered orally twice daily at a dose of 5ml to HIV/AIDS patients as treatment against fungal meningo-encephalitis.

All patients were taking antiretrovirals (ARV); those who were not on ARV were placed on ARV in the following week, except for the patient who was in coma.

The rapid recovery of the patients to treatment with coconut oil was spectacular and miraculous with the major symptoms and signs disappearing generally within the first month of starting treatment with mfonfu oil; indicating that coconut oil treats fungal meningo-encephalitis in HIV/AIDS patients, and that coconut oil is a very formidable, powerful and effective antifungal. Coconut oil will constitute the corner stone in the treatment of fungal meningo-encephalitis in HIV/AIDS patients.

Nevertheless, the only treatment for HIV/AIDS remains prevention of the infection, because there is no specific medication against HIV yet.

The setting of the research was in Bamenda from October 2007 to March 2008, at St Mary Soledad Catholic Health Centre.

For more reading: http://mfonfudaniel.blogspot.com

I tried this Pina Colada smoothie: 3 cups of water/ice, 2 cups of fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup pitted dates, 2 tbs of coconut oil and 1/2 vanilla bean. Mix it all up in a high speed blender. It is fantastic!

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 agree with Renee. I foolishly used EVCO for sun protection yesterday, a very sunny day, and I have a very bad sunburn as a result.

Thirty four HIV/AIDS patients suffering from fungal meningitis and encephalitis treated from October 2007 to December 2008 were analysed. The only objective sign observed in all the patients was oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush); it is thus the pathognomonic sign in fungal meningitis and encephalitis in HIV/AIDS patients.

For futher reading my blog is : http://mfonfudaniel.blogspot.com

Besides it working for cholesterol I've heard people using it for oil pulling etc etc....my questions would be is Virgin Coconut oil everyone is talking about the one in a paste form or liquid form? I'd like to go and buy some but don't know what the product is. thank you in advance

Hi Sergio, it depends on room temperature. Right now it's winter where I live to it is in solid/pasty form. But during the summer is always liquid.

my sister has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and was wondering if coconut oil was any good for her could you please let me know how you benefited from using this it would be a great help thank you Jackie.

I've been reading on the mutiple cures of coconut oil. I recently bought some but, my question is should the oil be in liquid form or paste form?

I was actually diagnosis back in 2002 with pappillary carcinoma which was deemed cancer after the lump was removed from neck so I had to get my thyroid taken out completely. I have just started taken EVCO and was wondering from all great info on this site if it would still work for me? I am pretty much hypo all the time since I have no thyroid..... Just curious

hi debbie, thanks for getting back to me, ill start oil pulling tommorrow morning on a empty stomach, starting with a teaspoon first, till I get used to it. I'll post a comment in a week. Im due back at my dentist approx 7 weeks time, which I hope gives the oil time to start healing my gums. thank you.

Hi Diamond, No, you don't swallow the oil it because you will also swallow the bacteria that has been released by swishing with the oil.

Hi Diamond - I've had success melting a teaspoon of VCO in my coffee every morning.... Not sure why I chose one teaspoon as I've read where some folks take multiple Tablespoons daily. I can say that I've noticed my teeth are brighter and the wrinkles on my face have plumped-up a bit; I've been doing this for several weeks or to put it another way, I'm halfway through my second jar..... Ingesting it may not result in the same benefits as if you were to pull with it - maybe I'll try that next! Regards, Linda

hi, thankyou debbie, for your last feedback, could you please advise,

after I melt the coconut oil in a bowl, then put it in my mouth, do I just swish it round, then spit it out or do I swallow it. Im so sorry for being a nuisance just being careful. thank you.

Diamond you could put it in a small dish and have it sit over a cup of hot water to melt it or you could put it in your mouth and that will also melt it.

hi,

I managed to get from my local health shop today, Unrefined pure coconut oil, I do hope this is the correct one. The texture of it is like lard. Do I just take a teaspoon full chew then to swallow it, or is it just a pinch first to see if I have any adverse reactions to it. I bought it because I have gingivitis I am also taking CoEnzyme Q-10 30mg 3 times a day. Any feedback would be gratefull thanks.

Or maybe governments have their own agendas!

It would be a real shame to use the coconut oil for pulling (use sesame or sunflower oil instead) - you should use the coconut oil neat on your skin like moisturizer or better still as you would vegetable oil. It melts at 75 degrees F and, unlike many other oils, it can withstand the high temperatures undamaged. If you like the taste, you can eat it any way you like.

Hi Debbie,

I had made two previous attempts just introducing coconut oil into my diet without any change. I had the same weight gaining respose and no decrease in appetite. With the exception of when I had severe food poisoning, I am the sort of person who is always hungry. I have tried everything on the market to surpress my appetite, but other than diet supplements with ephedra, nothing works.

I was feeling tired walking around feeling like I was starving to death and blacking out (yes, I am hypoglycemic and do not eat sugars or statches), so I was really hoping coconut oil would work for me, but it just didn't.

Thank you Debbie,

I watched the video, and it is interesting, will definetily go deeper into this..

I don't think I have trouble digesting the fats, I don't have any of the signs for this. After having the attack I was put on a low fat diet and I was miserable on it. I decided I was feeling that bad because I wasn't getting enough fat and started re-introducing it into my diet. I immediately felt better. That being said, I'm still afraid I might trigger something. I guess I will start with a low dose and see how it goes.

Thanks for your help

Andreea

Hi. I just read a whole lot about 'oil pulling' here on your site, what a strange idea... But with lots of valid uses! So, while considering giving this a try, I remembered that I still have a whole gallon of virgin coconut oil that my Dad bought, after much research on it's benefits, he never used it at all. You know, he was "old school". I believe he likely opened it, saw it as a gallon of really pricey fat, not quite remembering all the good claims it had made to it's use... Felt rather ashamed he'd probably been ripped off... Through no one's fault but his own, and closed it back up thinking... "~no way! ~"
The thing is... This was a few years ago. He has since passed, & adding that my daughter is highly allergic to coconut, I just felt it was better left alone, for the time being. (to rot?) OK, my daughter has now moved out. This gallon of fine virgin fat has been with me this whole time. I have been storing this gallon of (quite expensive) coconut oil, .. And yes, still I have it, sitting on the floor of my pantry.
OK, so I just now finally opened it up... yes, in the middle of writing this... But thought if it were rancid, I could save the trouble of asking/posting, here... But to my surprise, it was just as fine as could be. The surface hadn't even been touched! (I'm SO thankful that little furry green coconut babies didn't come oozing out..!! & I'll bet I've just stirred my dear old Dad's soul when I too, noticed that it looks just like a tub o' lard! ) Sorry, I don't mean to delay my point, or question, rather. I'm just in one of those writing modes, I guess...

So my question is: No harm in trying it out... Is there? Even being "aged", as it is? It doesn't smell like anything at all, but when I dipped some out into a smaller container & rubbed it into my hands and arms it got a light coconutty sweet smell to it, but not strong at all... Quite pleasing, really. Not at all rancid, sour or otherwise spoiled. I almost feel silly even asking, now that I've tested it out topically... & I suppose, if nothing else, I could make some kind of skin preparation from it! But since I've gone and typed all this out .... Maybe it will save someone else from having to ask. Or... Otherwise let the world know that it is probably ok to use even "aged" for... Ok, 2007, is when he floated on outta here, so... I'd give a likely guess at probably 6 or 7 years old, now. That's quite a long shelf life! Only due to its appearance, am I almost already comfortable with its future use, but, really, I know nothing about any kind of longivity for its health benefits to remain... I still value the opinion of an expert or knowledge of experience... Whichever...

So, please, do let me know if you see any adverse reasons for using this product!!! While I can't yet see myself spreading it on my toast, I don't forsee any harm if I were to swish it and spit it! I must say, it feels good to have that feeling of, "I just KNEW I'd find a use for ~that~.. someday! " I Thank you so much in advance for your consideration, and subsequent opinion/advice.

Stacey, you said

"I tried to decrease my caloric intake from other foods while taking the [coconut] oil, but since I was already consuming a low-calorie, low fat diet, I gained weight and riddled with hunger pangs".

A low fat diet will cause hunger pangs because your body needs the fat. Most people eat lots of carbohydrates to compensate for being hungry. That is why the obesity levels are skyrocketing.

Our grandparents ate a high fat diet and mostly were not fat.

Here is a great website - Weston Price and a page entitled "know your fats". Heaps of info. Great website. Fats are also loaded with nutrients.

http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats

Andrea, here is an excellent video by Dr. Natasha McBride on why cholesterol is vital for our health & the brain.

Pancreatitis in the past may indicate that you have trouble breaking down fats and are deficient in enzymes so maybe digestive enzymes would be beneficial (or maybe you are already taking them).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9HFZT5x9Xc

Thank you for your reply. Perhaps a little bit more background was called for. I had my cholesterol levels checked recently and they came back at 4.5. This is way above the high limit. However, the HDL is 2.2 (so almost equal to LDL) so the ratio is good... The doctor told me I have nothing to worry about, but I still do

I also suffered an acute pancreatitis attack one year ago. Nobody knows what caused it. I am thin and have a healthy diet. I eat lots of veggies, good fats (avocados, some butter, etc) some meat, fish, I don't smoke, I don't drink So, as you can imagine - I am scared of anything that might trigger pancreatitis again.

I will look for the books and read them

Thank you again, Andreea

Hi,

My experience with coconut oil is that it did cause me to gain weight and did not help decrease my appetite. I am within the upper range of "normal" bmi for my size, and was hoping to benefit from the oil for candida issues. I tried to decrease my caloric intake from other foods while taking the oil, but since I was already consuming a low-calorie, low fat diet, I gained weight and riddled with hunger pangs. This was really unfortunate, as I have to be within a certain BMI to retain 80/20 health insurance through my employer.

I found that coconut oil did help with fatigue, so I was very dissapointed that I gained so much fat in such a short time (~2.5-3.0 in around the abdomen). Because of my health insurance issue, weight is actually more important than the rest of my health for retaining medical coverage, so I discontinued use.

If you are already on a low-calorie, low fat diet, and the issue of weight gain is significant for you, it is posssible to gain weight.

Hi Andrea, Debbie is absolutely right! I haven't read Nurishing Traditions yet but I can advise you two books, Trick and Treat which I have reviewed on the book review section and Fat and Cholesterol are good for you which I will review shortly, both excellent books. I hadn't realised how important saturated fats were till I came to this site! I have to thank the knowledge I have now to Bill in the Philippines.

By the way, EC, the spell check is not working!

Excellent post Debbie, I wonder if the governments are just misinformed by nutritionalists who follow scientists who research for big brand food companies. Cheers Lily.

Hi Andreea... I used virgin coconut oil in order to help successfully cure my own systemic candida 4-5 years ago. In fact, VCO helped me to lose weight as well. I now don't use any form of veg oil at all, I cook only with with VCO now and my weight has stayed off.

I also know that when you ingest VCO -- even though it is called a saturated fat(which is why everyone is scared of it) -- the VCO is handled completely differently in the body as compared to polyunsaturated vegetable oils(PVO). PVO's are Long Chain Triglycerides which are absorbed into the lymph system and are eventually stored as fats throughout the body.

However, since VCO consists mainly of Medium Chain Tryglycerides(smaller fats than PVO's), these are absorbed directly into the blood and all of it is taken to the liver where only some of it is stored and the excess is always excreted into the intestines through the liver bile. Medium Chain Tryglycerides are never stored throughout the body as fats like PVO's.

Also, the stored VCO takes a completely different pathway than fats or sugars when energy is needed in the body. When energy is needed, the VCO stored in the liver is released into the blood as ketone bodies which are directly absorbed by all cells and easily converted to glucose to provide energy. This VCO energy pathway is completely independent from control by insulin, which is why VCO is so useful to diabetics.

VCO is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal:

https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/coconut_oil.html#ABAF

Read more about the benefits and research of VCO here:

http://coconutoil.com/coconut-oil-research/

Andrea why don't you google the "truth about saturated fat". Saturated fat is needed by our brain, by our lungs, by our kidneys. Butter, animal fat, cream, hard cheeses are the most healthy things you can eat. Cholesterol is necessary for the brain as well.

On the other hand margarine and vegetable oils are like rubber in our arteries.

Eating a meal with animal fat satisfies our hunger. Low fat diets only make our bodies scream out for more and most people then eat carbohydrates to fill the void. The end result is obesity and many many health problems. Many children have learning disabilities because their brain is starving.

If you didn't have carbohydrates and ate animal fats, coconut oil, Cod liver oil you would be very healthy. Govts have not been truthful about what is healthy and what is not.

There are some great books out there you can read as well. Nourishing Traditions is one.

Hello

I read a lot that was written on this site about the possible effects of VCO and decided to get some for myself. I went to the healthfood store and bought a jar and noticed on the back under the Nutritional Values that 1 tablespoon contains 22% of the recommended daily fat intake and 67% on the saturated fat intake. Given that the recommended dosage is 2-3 tablespoons a day is that normal and healthy? I am just a bit apprehensive about all that fat.

Thank you

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.