Coconut Oil Benefits, Side Effects and Reviews

I DISCOVERED THE SITE JUST A WEEK AGO AND MADE SOME VCO, I HAVE FOLLOWED THE ADVISE OF SOME OF YOUR CONTRIBUTORS BY USING THE VCO IN MY FOOD PREPARATION,I HAVE NOT YET STARTED TO TAKE IT IN IT RAW STATE BY THE TBL. SPOON AS YET, HOWEVER, I HAVE NOTICE SOME LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT WITH ME.

1. I HAVE BETTER BOWEL MOVEMENT.
2. I HAVE MORE ENERGY DURING THE NIGHTS
3. I FOUND MYSELF SNEEZING FOR THE FIRST FEW NIGHTS AND A BURNING SENSATION IN ONE NOSTRIL
4. I HAVE LOST A FEW POUNDS.
5. PERSON HAS BEGAN TO TELL ME THAT I LOOK FRESH AND RELAX.
6. I SLEEP BETTER THROUGH THE NIGHT.
7. I FIND MUCUS CONSTANTLY COMING TO MY THROAT.

TRY THIS:
MAKE TOAST BUT FIRSTLY START TOASTING THE BREAD (WHOLE WHEAT),BEFORE ITS DONE TAKE THE BREAD OUT APPLY SOME VCO AND PUT IT BACK TO FINISH TOASTING ITS TASTE GREAT

Of all of the remedies/cures I've tried on this board my ALL-TIME favorite is Coconut Oil, prefer Barlean's but also have used Garden of Life's version. Why? Because ever since I started using it on my hair it's become silky smooth without being greasy. It has made my once dry, unruly curly hair extremely manageable. Nothing has worked on my hair like coconut oil and I've tried every brand of conditioner known to man to make my hair manageable. Also, it's a great moisturizer on your face, especially if you live in a harsh climate like I do in the Midwest. I use it in the morning and at night. Also, I use it on my legs. It has reduced the dermatitis and itching I get in the winter. So definitely go to the health food store and buy this product, it's definitely worth it!

For hair, I use enough to cover the entire head until all the hair is saturated. About 2 or 3 tbsp. I cover with a shower cap or plastic bag for 30 minutes to an hour. If I'm cleaning the house that day I'll leave it in till I'm done. I then wash it out with a sulfate free shampoo. Love Peter Lamas shampoos. They are 100% vegan and they are the only sulfate free shampoos that I've found to lather real well, and not leave hair feeling like straw (wich castile soap does). After washing all the oil out I put in my regular conditioner for 10 minutes. Rinse, put in a little leave in conditioner and voila!!!! Beautiful amazing hair. Not only does it look healthy, but it looks so thick!!! Super shiny, and it is soft like silk. I was never before able to achieve hair like that. And I've spent thousands of dollars since my teenage years, in expensive hair treatments. This is it! The miracle I've been looking for!!!

Coconut Oil: Has really helped me with my thyroid condition and has given me energy when it has not been functioning that has really helped.

I have had a chronic thyroid condition including goiter and hypothyroidism for years. I have been taking thyroidisine prescribed by my doctor, 1.75 mg per day for 1 1?2 years. The weight loss was slow and I always feel as If there is something stuck in my throat. I would often start coughing and throwing up, because of the condition. my T3 levels were at 90, after a year they are at 3, finally. However I now take coconut oil reliving the constant pain in my neck, therefore i take it everyday. it makes me feel alive, after many years. The weight loss has been slow, I will mix a tablespoon in my coffee in the morning. I spread it on bananas, just so I am getting the desired amount. I find it still hard to swallow, and when I combine my thyroid prescription with the oil, It makes all the difference in my comfort level of my neck area. Slowly, the goiter is shrinking. i will continue to buy coconut oil, the benefits are very great. It still often uncomfortable and I have weight to loose, It is a slow process, but the oil makes a great difference in my energy and throat irritation.

We buy our coconut oil from Vitacost.com and I believe it is the lowest price you will find for a 54 ounce size.

re: Jock Itch and Candida: I had jock itch for years and years - tried everything and nothing worked. When I moved from UK to the Philippines I started researching this problem. Interestingly I found out that jock itch was a well known expression or symptom of Candida which worried me. So, I looked for natural remedies for Candida and came across the humble coconut. Much of the current research on coconut oil may be found on this site: http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm

So, the gist of this was that I started to take 3 tablespoons of coconut oil everyday. The results were astonishing. Not only did the jock itch disappear,my eczma disappeared, my bowel movements became more regular, I had less indigestion and I sleep more soundly now. I was so impressed, I now cook everything in virgin coconut oil - I think it is far more healthy than any processed vegetable oil on the market. I've since also learned that coconut oil has been used in baby food for the last 30 years and people in hospital with intestinal trauma have their food cooked in coconut oil as a matter of course. The only other natural remedy I take is Ted's Alkalizing Remedy (Lemon bicarb water) which is available elsewhere on this site.

coconut oil for mono... my niece had mono about 3 mos. ago... the doctor said all she could do is rest. he told her it would be about 6-8 weeks before she would start to feel better. i immediately called my brother and told him to get some coconut oil. within 2 days she was up walking around and had an appetite again... within 1 week she was back to normal---eating, playing with her friends, and feeling 100 %. it definitely works wonders... the kicker to the story---my other niece is a nurse at a local hospital... i asked her if she told the doctors about her sister being cured of mono by using coconut oil-----she did---to which one of the doctors replied "we know it works, but because we can't prescribe it and make money from it, we don't tell people". he summed up what our health care system is all about...

In my studies, I learned that coconut oil is not a significant spurce of vitamin E. It is great for a lot of things but unfortunately E is not one of them. I have a horse in that race as I need a quick source of high dose E for emergency when my mother goats have not had rice bran during their pregnancy and give birth to a "floppy Kid" , in lambs it is "white muscle disease". Cured first by first aid keeping them warm and tubing their colostrum into them, but then placing a fingerful of red palm oil into their mouth. Highest form of natural E I have found so far. It makes them little legs get strong in days and makes them smart enough to start nursing on their own. Feeding rice bran to Moms is tons easier.

I am a black woman with fine hair. I have never been able to have the shiny beautiful hair I wanted so I wore weaves and braids for many years because my "real" hair was sooo hard to take care of and it always seemed to break off. recently I took my weave out, and I was worried because my hair is down my back and I thought it would break off, but I discovered VCO and have been using it, my hair that was once dull is now shiny, it doesn't tangle, it doesn't come out in huge amounts when I comb it like it did before, and the ends look wonderful. I don't have to use any of the expensive products for my hair anymore. I only need the shampoos. It works great and even protects your hair from heat of blowdrying and flat ironing. I will use this for the rest of my life and I am going to start using it on my body and eventually eating it to see what it does for my entire body. It smells good, and it is really lightweight on your hair. I love it!!!! You will too.

Michael, good for you for taking charge of your health and making so many positive changes!

Plenty of people do report aches and pains (sometimes headache or flu like symptoms when adding new supplements.) It certainly seems like a possibility.

You might try some baking soda baths or epsom salt baths (1 cup per bath) to help your body with any detoxing (which can cause pain) and also helps with joint and muscle pain. Adequate hydration is also important to keep pain down.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks!

~Mama to Many~

I have been using coconut oil for several weeks, initially for weight loss. A few years ago, I heard of using it as a remedy for so many things, but when I tried it, my face broke out, so I stopped using it. I quit smoking (YAY!) almost 4 months ago, and not only gained weight but was told by a doctor that my distended belly was the result of h.pylori bacteria. I can't believe I aquiessed, but took the prescription for double dose antibiotics I was given. I have rarely taken any antibiotics, and don't like them at all. They caused a Candida imbalance, and a return of intestinal parasites. Then I came across a jar of organic VCO in my fridge, and figured it was worth a try. Amazing results; my energy level rose immediately, my belly started disappearing after a week, and I seem to crave "good" food, while being relatively uninterested in unhealthy food. An unexpected benefit was how clear my sinuses became; even 2 months after stopping smoking, my head and ears were stopped up. I am now experiencing some minor break out on my face, but am beginning to suspect this is a cleansing reaction from candida die-off, parasite die off and tobacco cessation. I think it is important that the VCO be ORGANIC. Thanks for the site!

My suggestion is never to buy EVCO, supplements, vitamins or organic foods from Walmart or any other chain store with the exception of Whole grocers. I pay 15.00 for my 12 oz jar of EVCO once a week. It is well worth it. I have severe psoriasis from my scalp to my toes. I use head to toe twice a day. I use spectrum for my skin (organic only). I also cook and take veggie tabs with EVCO two a day.Internally I use Harvast bay and Artisana which gives 1% back to the rain forest. Any name brand item that states it is organic be very cautious. There are certain items you should never skimp on in your life. Food, water, anything that touches your skin or hair, supplements, vitamins, and the air you breathe. Cut cost now pay later. With that said, please take your own green bags to the grocery store to sack your groceries. The feeling you get from this good deed lasts all day.

Extra Virgin and Virgin Coconut Oil are the only coconut oil's with health benefits I was told. If you spend $7 you could spend $10 and get better health results. I have the caplets and I love them. They are helping with my Hypothyroidism. I already feel so much better.

I am new to this website and I think it's fascinating. Can't wait to try some of the remedies. I bought some virgin coconut oil capsules yesterday and was reading everything I could about it. I saw the reference to LouAna oil. It's a Louisiana product, and although it's an old and trusted brand for cooking made from soybeans and possibly cottonseed, I can definitely say that there are no coconuts growing anywhere around here and I wouldn't think they would import something so heavy. For what it's worth.....

I had purchased LouAnn Coconut oil before learning more about coconut oil because it said 100% pure and the only ingredient listed on the label was coconut oil. Realizing that even refined coconut oil can be said to be 100% pure, while still being degraded by the high heat used during processing, I wrote to the company. While ALL coconut oils are organic (I have no idea whoever came up with doubts about this) LouAnn Coconut Oil is refined coconut oil. They use fire to burn off the husks and subject the meat and oil to high temperatures which destroys any enzymes present (enzymes are killed at anything above 104 degrees). They also said - During the refining, bleaching and deodorization process however, some of the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals are removed so some of the nutritional benefits of virgin oil are not seen in the RBD coconut oil. From my own experience, refined coconut oil like LouAnn has the following characteristics - It is odorless, and does not smell like coconuts at all. It has a yellowish tint in solid or liquid form. It is harder in solid form than unrefined coconut oil. One article I read also indicated that refined coconut oil has little if any Lauric acid in it due to the high heat used during processing. It can be heated to 450 degrees before smoking which makes it ideal for cooking. Refined coconut oil is intended for cooking, hence ingesting, because of its ability to handle higher temperatures before smoking or catching fire. Obviously, it will NOT harm you if you ingest it, but you just might not be getting all of the benefits that you could be getting as LouAnn mentioned in their note in response to my questions. Cold Pressed unrefined virgin or extra virgin coconut oil is what you want. This is coconut oil that is processed from raw coconut meat within a couple of hours of the meat being removed from the shells. It is never heated. Some of the characteristics of Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut oil - It smells lightly of coconut. It is far softer than refined coconut oil when it's in solid form. It is also completely clear in liquid form. It begins smoking at 350 degrees which makes it less desirable for cooking. It contains all the enzymes of the original coconut and up to 54% Lauric Acid. One last thing - there is no standard that has ever been determined by which coconut oil can be categorized as "virgin" or "extra virgin". This is totally up to the company to decide what to call their coconut oil. So whether it's called "virgin" or "extra virgin" it's the same thing. What's important is that the label clearly says "Cold pressed" and "Unrefined". As long as it says "Cold Pressed, Unrefined" on the label, you've got the right stuff whether they decide to say it's virgin or extra virgin which is just for marketing purposes and has nothing to do with the quality of the product itself. Hope this clears up much of the confusion I've seen in other posts.

I have been also been heating up virgin coconut oil and putting it in my hair as a hot oil treatment. It washes out easily. Leaves my hair shiny and I don't use expensive hair products anymore. Since doing this my hair has stopped coming out in huge amounts anymore. I have a low thyroid and have suffered hair loss. But now my hair is coming back thicker and Im not losing it anymore at a high rate. Plus its cured me of a dry itchy flaky scalp also.

coconut oil. I started taking it because I read it could help regulate my thyroid. Even tho medicated for my hypothyroid, I continue to have symptoms. I began coconut oil and found I had to reduce my levothyroxine by 1/3 2 weeks after starting taking about 3 tbsp daily. I am hoping it will continue to get better!

I am very active and love to play volleyball outdoors under the sun. I play once a week for 3-4 hours with full sun. The problem is the aftermath. It never fails. The day after I played outdoors, I would feel a tingling sensation around my mouth where the cold sore is about to come out. In the past, I would put all kinds of medications for cold sore and it would still come out painfully.

I found out that putting Virgin Coconut oil directly on my face/skin, after showering and/or after playing outdoors, the cold sore never came back. I am cold sore free for 6 months and going.

My daughter and I are experimenting with the coconut oil and have seen some great results immediately. Her thyroid is working at 20 percent and the swelling is already going down after one week. I am taking it for the overall effects and also an organic liquid vitamin and am feeling great and have more energy. There are some small spots that look like melanoma from the sun and I'm putting the oil directly on them. I'm hoping to see results from that. Will keep you posted. I'm so happy we came across this. It's also helped with a very sensitive stomach.

I have been taking virgin coconut oil for eight months now because I read it will help regulate my thyroid.I am hyper-thyroid and have been on medication for the past four years.Last month I stopped my meds.because I was told my thyroid is in remission now.I believe the oil is what helped me.

Saturated fats do not clog arteries. Stop spreading misinformation and do some research.

I started taking coconut oil when I saw Doctor that wrote, "The Cure," on Rachael Ray Show. It is supposed to help with hormones. I have to admit, I'm not using as much progesterone cream since I've been using the virgin Coconut Oil. I put about a tablespoon in my morning oatmeal.

I had a low functioning thyroid, very dry hair and skin. Since taking the Virgin Coconut Oil I no longer need my thyroid meds. My hair is soft and silky and my skin has dramatically improved. I cook with it and I also put it on my face 2x per day. What a miracle, I have also noticed an increase in energy. Other cure I found for it was diaper rash. My baby had a really bad rash while teething, her bottom would bleed and none of the creams at the store seemed to do anything at all, so I tried the coconut oil and with one application her bottom cleared up dramatically and the next day it was completely gone!

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