Coconut Oil Detox Symptoms

Much more than an ingredient in Oriental cooking, coconut oil stands out for its special position as a food and as a traditional medicine. Bruce Fife, the author of “The Coconut Oil Miracle,” refers to the coconut oil as “the healthiest oil on earth.” Its medium chain fatty acids have a number of anti-microbial effects that can help to cleanse the body of pathogens. When you introduce coconut oil to your diet, you may notice a number of initial effects.

Fungal die-off

Researchers from the Weston A Price Foundation credit coconut oil's potent antimicrobial properties with sustaining health among Thai villagers, despite their regular consumption of parasite-laden water. If you, like many, have an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria or fungi in your body, then the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil may begin killing off these microbes. This often results in an initial die-off reaction, sometimes referred to as the Herxheimer response. Although temporary, symptoms often include dizziness and fatigue, which result from the actions of coconut oil's antifungal effect, which initially increases the concentration of fungal toxins in the bloodstream.

Body temperature

A number of individuals report that their body temperature increases following the ingestion of coconut oil, which led many people to conclude that this unique oil possessed thyroid-boosting properties. Dr Fife explains that use of coconut oil does not directly boost the thyroid, but explains that the ability of the oil to support the the immune system can do so indirectly. He goes on to explain that infections can result in inflammation at various sites around the body, including the thyroid; such inflammation can result in lowered function of the gland. Coconut oil helps to clear such infections, allowing full thyroid function to be restored, together with energy production and body temperature.

Weight loss

Almost three quarters of coconut oil comes in the form of medium chain fatty acids. Not only do these fats exhibit antimicrobial effects, they also provide a unique form of energy as the body both absorbs and oxidizes them differently than other fats. Whereas most oils are absorbed from the intestines into the lymphatic system before being bound to cholesterol, medium chain fats go straight from the intestines to the liver via the portal vein. The liver oxidizes them rapidly. The end result of this unbridled burning of medium chain fats is that your metabolic rate increases. Researcher M.P. St-Onge led a team who looked into the energy expenditure of those who consumed coconut oil and measured a 6 percent increase in metabolic rate for those that did. Such an increase can considerably enhance efforts to lose weight.