Coconut Oil

[Fred]

I’m a big fan of Coconut Oil and yesterday I stocked up from an ethnic cooking store in the city. I buy it there because it costs less, and it is just good quality pure coconut oil and nothing else.
The one I buy comes in a big plastic jar or small bottles, when it’s cold it is a white solid a bit like candle wax, and once melted it is a clear liquid. It melts on body contact or you can always warm it up. DO NOT mistake it for coconut milk; you’re looking for Pure Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is a fantastic natural moisturiser for any dry skin and is especially helpful for psoriasis leaving your skin feeling and looking great. It has been reported to help with wrinkles but there is no good evidence. It’s also one of the most nutritious products you can put on your hair, as it provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues, and rubbing it on cuts will form a protective barrier against infections.

Whilst you can eat Coconut Oil there is no evidence that it helps with psoriasis by ingestion. You should consider its high saturated fat content but some say it helps with cholesterol, high blood pressure, digestion, immunity and infections, and weight loss. It’s used in many South Asian curries.  And was once described in a New York Times article as “having a "haunting, nutty, vanilla flavour" that also has a touch of sweetness”, that could explain its use for making popcorn.

Apparently Coconut Oil will repel Sand Fleas found in the tropical parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and India. The Sand Flea can cause Tungiasis, which is identified by skin inflammation, severe pain, itching, and a lesion at the site of infection that is characterized by a black dot at the centre of a swollen red lesion, surrounded by what looks like a white halo.

So get yourself some Pure Coconut Oil from your ethnic cooking shop, use it daily on your skin especially after a shower or bath and give your skin a treat. You can use it on all parts of your body, but please note that Coconut Oil could possibly damage latex condoms.

EDIT: Since making this post I have tried various brands of coconut oil and found some to be good, some bad, some even contained additives, and some are just to expensive. But now my favourite brand is Biona virgin coconut oil.

[Fred]

Coconut oil attacks the bacteria behind tooth decay and could be used in dental care products, according to research.

Scientists found that coconut oil which had been treated with enzymes stopped the growth of Streptococcus bacteria - a major cause of tooth decay.

Tooth decay affects 60% to 90% of children in industralised countries.

Speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's conference, the Irish researchers say that coconut oil also attacks the yeast which causes thrush.

The research team from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland tested the impact of coconut oil, vegetable oil and olive oil in their natural states and when treated with enzymes, in a process similar to digestion.

The oils were then tested against Streptococcus bacteria which are common inhabitants of the mouth.

Only the enzyme-modified coconut oil showed an ability to inhibit the growth of most strains of the bacteria.

It also attacked Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing bacterium which is a major cause of tooth decay.
Active acids

It is thought that the breaking down of the fatty coconut oil by the enzymes turns it into acids which are active and effective against bacteria.

Previous research found that enzyme-modified milk could stop Streptococcus mutans from binding to tooth enamel.

Researchers now want to look at how coconut oil interacts with Streptococcus bacteria at the molecular level and which other strains of harmful bacteria it can inhibit.

Dr Damien Brady who led the research at the Athlone Institute of Technology with Patricia Hughes, a Masters student, said coconut oil could be an attractive alternative to chemical additives.

"It works at relatively low concentrations.

"Also, with increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important that we turn our attention to new ways to combat microbial infection."

Their studies are also looking into the workings of antibacterial activity in the human gut.

"Our data suggests that products of human digestion show antimicrobial activity. This could have implications for how bacteria colonise the cells lining the digestive tract and for overall gut health," said Dr Brady.

Source: bbc.co.uk/

[Brighteyes]

Coconut Oil.

I use it for my skin, for cooking, for teeth, for hair..........personally it's the business.
Stick a bit in a smoothie or your bio yogurt. Yes, they do say it's high in saturated fat but, for the small amount needed, I personally think it's negligible ( and I haven't gained any weight for years).

I also found it beneficial for my self esteem too. Psoriasis can make you feel less than human at times but a nice spot of Coconut Oil skin pampering leaves me feeling clean, refreshed and smelling like a Bounty bar.

[Fred]

I've found another use for Coconut Oil: Cold Sores

I got a bad cold sore the other day and I had forgotten how damned annoying they were as I haven't had one for a long long time. I did have a bit of my favourite over the counter treatment but it was almost a year out of date, then I remembered reading once that Coconut Oil had Antiviral properties.

I've been using it on the cold sore and it's drying out very quickly. In fact I would say it's working quicker than the stuff I used to buy from the pharmacie.

How much better can this stuff get? Apparently it's antiviral properties have been found to be effective in destroying viruses that cause influenza, measles, herpes, mononucleosis hepatitis C, and AIDS.

So thank you once again Coconut Oil. I will be using you again if I ever get another cold sore, but next time I will try it first off to see if it is effective as the over the counter stuff at stopping the cold sore coming out or if it only works to dry it out quickly.

*Remember if you do want to use Coconut Oil don't go cheap. The cheap stuff is useless and you need to spend a bit more for a good quality Virgin Organic one. It goes a long way and the extra you spend will be worth it.

[Grizzly Bear]

Antiviral properties

Now that is fantastic news Fred, thank you.

I've ordered some more biona virgin coconut oil as i'm running out of it.

[Fred]

Antiviral properties

Now that is fantastic news Fred, thank you.  

I've ordered some more biona virgin coconut oil as i'm running out of it.

I use Biona Virgin too. I tested most of them and found that one to be the best.

Oh and I looked into eating it re your other post. And yes you can eat it, but it seems you need 2 - 3 table spoons per day to be beneficial from the inside. That is a lot, and as it has high levels of saturated fat I wouldn't recommend eating to much. Use it in cooking by all means, but treat it as you would an animal fat and be sensible with your consumption.

I'll stick with just slapping it on my skin.

[Kat]

I bought some at Cosco. It's 100% organic extra virgin oil by Carrington Farms. It doesn't say "raw" like Biona does. But it does say "extra" virgin although makes one think what "extra" could possibly mean. Anyway, it works so I'm happy with it.

[Fred]

I bought some at Cosco.  It's 100% organic extra virgin oil by Carrington Farms.   It doesn't say "raw" like Biona does.  But it does say "extra" virgin although makes one think what "extra" could possibly mean.  Anyway, it works so I'm happy with it.  

I think "Extra" is a bit of sales trick as Extra is the better category in olive oil. But in coconut oil there is no difference between Extra virgin and Virgin. Unlike olive oil, coconut oil has two main categorises Virgin and Refined.

It's the Virgin that you want or in the case of the one you mention Extra Virgin.

The best way to go is spend as much as you are happy with.

Buy Virgin

Avoid Refined

All the other words don't mean a lot, I think Biona put raw because they also make a steamed one. Grizzly asked me about the steamed one and although I haven't tried it I said it would be best to use the raw as it has had nothing done to it.

[Kat]

I've found another use for Coconut Oil: Cold Sores

I got a bad cold sore the other day and I had forgotten how damned annoying they were as I haven't had one for a long long time. I did have a bit of my favourite over the counter treatment but it was almost a year out of date, then I remembered reading once that Coconut Oil had Antiviral properties.

I've been using it on the cold sore and it's drying out very quickly. In fact I would say it's working quicker than the stuff I used to buy from the pharmacie.

How much better can this stuff get? Apparently it's antiviral properties have been found to be effective in destroying viruses that cause influenza, measles, herpes, mononucleosis hepatitis C, and AIDS.

So thank you once again Coconut Oil. I will be using you again if I ever get another cold sore, but next time I will try it first off to see if it is effective as the over the counter stuff at stopping the cold sore coming out or if it only works to dry it out quickly.

*Remember if you do want to use Coconut Oil don't go cheap. The cheap stuff is useless and you need to spend a bit more for a good quality Virgin Organic one. It goes a long way and the extra you spend will be worth it.

Thanks for this info Fred! Mr. Kat asked me a couple of hours ago if we had anything for a cold sore and I said, no.... oh wait! Try some of my coconut oil. I asked him just now how it was doing and he said he feels much better already!!

[Caroline]

I've found another use for Coconut Oil: Cold Sores

I got a bad cold sore the other day and I had forgotten how damned annoying they were as I haven't had one for a long long time. I did have a bit of my favourite over the counter treatment but it was almost a year out of date, then I remembered reading once that Coconut Oil had Antiviral properties.

I've been using it on the cold sore and it's drying out very quickly. In fact I would say it's working quicker than the stuff I used to buy from the pharmacie.

How much better can this stuff get? Apparently it's antiviral properties have been found to be effective in destroying viruses that cause influenza, measles, herpes, mononucleosis hepatitis C, and AIDS.

So thank you once again Coconut Oil. I will be using you again if I ever get another cold sore, but next time I will try it first off to see if it is effective as the over the counter stuff at stopping the cold sore coming out or if it only works to dry it out quickly.

*Remember if you do want to use Coconut Oil don't go cheap. The cheap stuff is useless and you need to spend a bit more for a good quality Virgin Organic one. It goes a long way and the extra you spend will be worth it.

Thanks for this info Fred!  Mr. Kat asked me a couple of hours ago if we had anything for a cold sore and I said, no.... oh wait!  Try some of my coconut oil.  I asked him just now how it was doing and he said he feels much better already!!  

Amazing, but very good to hear that this works for Mr. Kat.