You can cook foods in coconut oil, a saturated fat that is solid at room temperature, add it to recipes that call for other fats or simply eat it with a spoon. You can also receive similar health benefits as you would from eating it when you apply the oil to your skin. Recommended daily amounts of coconut oil vary from person to person, depending on age, health status and reason for consuming it.
Immune Health
In the 1978 book "The Pharmacological Effect of Lipids," Jon Kabara states that properties in coconut oil can counteract viruses, bacteria, fungi and yeast. Thus, many like to use this oil for various infections and to help the immune system. You can consume coconut oil daily, especially when you know you are more exposed to illnesses, as a way to help prevent infections. If you already have an infection, you can eat coconut oil as a treatment. For a skin infection or irritation, try rubbing coconut oil into the affected area.
Thyroid and Weight Loss
Many people use coconut oil in their efforts to support the thyroid gland, which controls the body's metabolism and energy and affects weight. In his book "Eat Fat, Look Thin," naturopahic Dr. Bruce Fife mentions numerous studies that discuss the relationship between ingesting coconut oil and increasing metabolism, enhancing energy and promoting weight loss, which are all related to thyroid functioning. Many people use coconut oil as a way to boost thyroid function and thereby lose weight, and for this purpose, you can eat coconut oil daily by including it with meals. Experiment to determine how much you should take by paying attention to your symptoms, such as your energy level and weight changes.
Cholesterol Reduction
According to Mary Enig, Ph.D. in the April 1995 issue of "Indian Coconut Journal," consuming coconut oil, as compared to other oils, can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad cholesterol, whereas HDL is good cholesterol. When using coconut oil for this purpose, eat the oil with meals. How much you need depends on what your current cholesterol levels are and how much they need to change to be in the healthy range. Getting a cholesterol test can help you determine this.
Ear Infections
Some people use coconut oil as a treatment for ear infections. The ill person eats the oil or places it in the ear. Coconut oil may be helpful for ear infections because, according to "The Pharmacological Effect of Lipids," properties in coconut oil can act against various bacteria, viruses and fungi. The person with the infected ear lies down, and someone else places melted coconut oil into an eyedropper, then carefully drops several drops of oil into the ear. For added protection, you can place coconut oil into both ears. The ill person continues to lie down as the ear absorbs the oil, then places a cotton ball into each ear to assure that the oil stays in the ear area.
References
- CoconutOil.com: Mary Enig Ph.D. on the Effects of Coconut Oil on Serum Cholesterol Levels and HDLs
- CoconutOil.com: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century
- The Weston A. Price Foundation: A New Look at Coconut Oil
- CoconutOil.com: The Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil
- Thyroid-Info: Is Coconut Oil Really a Thyroid Cure?
- NaturoDoc: Coconut Oil and Its Virtues
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