Coconut oil has some wonderful uses and benefits. Here are five reasons I love coconut oil.
Cooking
Coconut oil is great for cooking with because it is resistant to oxidation at high heat. Use it in a stir fry or when sauteing vegetables. When baking, use it to replace butter or oil in your recipes. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, but still want the benefits of the oil, use an organic refined version. It also tastes delicious in salad dressings or smoothies.
Oral Health
I like to use coconut oil for oil pulling. Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic practice where a person swishes oil (coconut, olive, sesame) in their mouth for 15 – 20 minutes. It is best to do this in the morning on an empty stomach. Place up to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish for the 15 minutes. You then need to spit out the oil as it is full of bacteria and toxins from your mouth. Rinse out your mouth with water and brush your teeth as usual. Results from this practice may include a decrease in headaches, whiter teeth, healthier gums, decreased allergies, clear skin and increased energy.
Hair Care
Coconut oil is rich in antioxidants, has antiviral and antibacterial properties and is excellent at nourishing and moisturizing hair. The oil penetrates the hair shaft and nourishes the hair with vitamins and minerals. For best results, massage melted coconut oil through damp hair. Wear a shower cap on your hair for 30 minutes and then shampoo. Rinse with warm water as necessary to remove all oil.
To use it as a leave-in conditioner, simply melt a pea-sized amount in the palm of your hands and apply to your hair.
Weight Loss
Coconut oil is full of healthy medium chain saturated fatty acids that boost metabolism. It is easy to digest and can also work as an appetite suppressant. The best oil to use is an organic virgin coconut oil. You can eat teaspoons of coconut oil or add it to your smoothies.
Immunity
Coconut oil has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It is rich in lauric acid which kills bacteria and other harmful pathogens. It also contains caprylic acid which can help kill off excess candida in the gut.
I am crazy about coconut oil! My husband teases me because I keep a jar in almost every room of the house. I mostly use it for cooking, health, and beauty reasons. It’s my go-to moisturizer. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for sharing! I believe in the power of coconut oil as well and I learned a few things!!
Thank you. Recommending this to my daughter who is pregnant and having headaches. I am also going to try it for inflammation.
I love using coconut oil when I cook. Then I have another jar in my bathroom because I use it on my hair as a deep conditioner. I need to get back to oil pulling. I love the stuff.
Hi Debbie, thanks for sharing all these great uses of coconut oil. I love coconut oil as well and use it for different things, I had heard about the oil pulling, but didn’t know how to do this correctly, thanks!
Coconut oil is amazing! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Great ways to use coconut oil, I have heard about using as an oral treatment but I am not sure if I could swish it around in mouth for that long, lol!! I butter my dog’s treats in the morning with it to help with itchy skin. Thank you for sharing at TaDa Thursday!!
I have been using coconut oil in place of other oils when sautéeing vegetables and fish, but other than that I haven’t been very adventurous. I found your post really interesting. Thank you for sharing it with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
I never realized that coconut oil could also be good for your hair! Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Patty
I love coconut juice. I am very happy that it has been more easily accessible recently. However, I haven’t used coconut oil for other health purposes. Thank you for sharing
I have not tried coconut oil but yesterday it was brought to my attention that it has many purposes that it can be used for! Glad I found your article. Please come on over to our blog hop we have Wed- Sun we would love to have you!!
I am right there with you. I love the stuff 😉 Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! 🙂
I am a big fan of coconut. I used it for my daily routine. And I’ve also heard it is good for pet’s. So, I bought one for my lovely dog and it’s good.