by Kaysha Thomas
Coconut oil is a wonderfully versatile oil. It’s like a one-stop shop with many uses—for cooking, skin, hair, nail and cuticle care and even for your oral health. Fats are often placed in one of two camps, good or bad. Saturated fats are often placed firmly in the latter. Coconut oil, the oil that has long held the title of “the world’s healthiest oil”, is in fact 90 percent saturated fat. The oil has a very mild coconut flavour but may not suit everyone’s taste. Luckily, there is a way for all of us to reap its benefits.
Easy digestion
Now, here’s the science: 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is made up of a medium chain fat called lauric acid. Medium chain fats are readily absorbed into our bloodstream for energy use and do not require the lengthy digestion process that some other fats undergo. A teaspoonful of coconut oil will give you an instant energy boost—a good strategy for those who struggle to eat before a workout.
Improved immunity
Found in mums’ milk, lauric acid is one of the many things that make breast best. Beyond the breast, sources of lauric acid are few. Lauric acid has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. It’s able to destroy viruses, harmful bacteria and fungus without sacrificing your health. These antimicrobial properties along with its almost effortless absorption into the bloodstream are what make coconut oil so beneficial to our health.
Weight management and thyroid health
Medium chain fats raise the metabolism and help us burn body fat (they have been shown to reduce belly fat in particular). Coconut oil can also help alleviate the symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism). This is because raising the metabolism provides some relief to symptoms such as sensitivity to cold and weight gain. It doesn’t address the underlying cause of poor thyroid function and therefore should not be used as a standalone treatment for hypothyroidism.
Choosing the right oil
Coconut oil can be found in As Nature Intended, Planet Organic and Holland & Barrett as well as in most supermarkets. You can also buy it online on Ocado and Amazon. Whilst I don’t recommend any brand in particular, I urge you to opt for unrefined, raw and organic coconut oil. It should also still have its mild coconut smell and flavour. I’m currently using one by Biona which ticks all those boxes.
Storage
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and therefore doesn’t require refrigeration.
5 Ways to Use Coconut Oil
Cooking: Unsaturated fats such as olive oil and sunflower oil cannot withstand high temperatures. Due to their delicate chemical structure, these oils actually become harmful to our health when exposed to high temperatures. Coconut oil remains stable at high heat and is safe to cook with. Save olive oil for salad dressings and cook with coconut oil instead. Coconut is also a wonderful dairy-free option for baking. You can add it to smoothies to make them more substantial.
Hair: Use as a deep conditioner before shampooing (a prepoo, as it were). If the coconut oil is solid, rub between your palms to melt. Next slather (and I mean really slather) the oil into your hair from root to tip. Massage the oil into your scalp. By the end your hair should look wet. Then pop on a shower cap and plonk a towel over it, or a woolly hat or a hoody (come on, everyone has one). This traps your body heat and allows the oil to penetrate deep into the shaft of your hair. Leave in for as long as possible. If you’re pressed for time, you can add heat by blowing hot air from a hairdryer prior to putting on the shower cap or by using a hot towel over the shower cap. Then when you’re ready, shampoo and condition as normal.
Skin: Everything you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream (something worth thinking about). So if you’re not keen on the taste of coconut oil, then using it as body oil is another way to get in on the action. It’s also a great way to use it for babies and toddlers! The vitamin E in coconut oil gives it skin-healing properties—perfect for the healing and prevention of stretchmarks and scars.
Its antibacterial properties are beneficial for acne sufferers and are also the reason it’s often used in natural deodorants. The antifungal properties make it a great natural remedy for fungal infections like athlete’s foot, dandruff and thrush.
Coconut oil is also a fantastic makeup remover. Rub over your face as a pre-cleanser to remove makeup. Using it to remove eye makeup gives your eyelashes a little TLC in the process.
Nails: Rub into your cuticles as often as you remember and watch the condition of your nails transform. Another way is to massage into your hands and nails before bed.
Oral hygiene: To keep my teeth and gums healthy, I use an Ayurvedic technique called oil pulling alongside my regular brushing. First thing in the morning before you ingest anything, take one to two teaspoons of coconut oil and gently swish it around in your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes. If you initially struggle to complete the full 20 minutes, you can start with 5 minutes and slowly build up. The coconut oil pulls all the harmful bacteria from your mouth and gums. It’s very important that you do not swallow it. When you’re done, spit it out into the loo or a bin—just not down the sink as the oil will clog your drains. Brush your teeth as normal afterwards. This process leaves your teeth plaque free. Honestly, you won’t be able to stop running your tongue over them all day. Oil pulling is also said to be detoxifying and clears seasonal allergies. All I know is that my teeth are so white complete strangers often comment on them. My dentist is also very happy, so that’s good enough for me.
About the author
Kaysha Thomas is the Nutritional Therapist at the Lucerne clinic in Notting Hill Gate. She specialises in hormonal health, weight management and eating for energy. Find out more at www.zingnutrition.co.uk
