Coconut oil is widely used in tropical regions of the world and is reputed to confer numerous health benefits. Soft gels improve the body's absorption of certain foods and drugs. Marketers suggest that soft gels will improve the absorption of extra virgin coconut oil, but there is no proof to support this claim.
Features
Coconut oil is high in saturated fats, but most of these are in the form of medium chain triglycerides or MCTs. These include caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid. According to the Organic Facts website, the health benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to these MCTs.
Health Benefits
Coconut oil can provide energy to power your exercise. The MCTs in coconut oil are processed in the liver and readily converted into energy. Lauric acid in coconut oil helps maintain and strengthen the immune system. A report in the "Philippine Journal of Cardiology" in September 2003 illustrates that coconut oil helps increase levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and reduces levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, thus lowering the risk of heart disease. HDL is known as "good" cholesterol and LDL is known as "bad" cholesterol. The MCTs in coconut oil confer antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antifungal properties. Lauric acid is converted in the body to monolaurin, which may help combat viruses and bacteria such as those that cause herpes, influenza, listeria and heliobacter pylor, reports Organic Facts.
Extraction Process
Organic virgin coconut oil is derived from coconut trees grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without the use of chemicals, heat treatment or refinement processes. The Coconut Development Board of India advises that virgin coconut oil has a high lauric acid content of 47 to 52 percent.
Considerations
Soft gels improve the absorption of hydrophobic drugs into the body. Hydrophobic drugs are not easily absorbed by the body as they do not readily mix in water. Coconut oil is hydrophobic, so theoretically virgin organic coconut oil soft gels should be readily absorbed by the body. However, Organicfacts.net says there is no evidence to suggest soft gels assist absorption of coconut oil.
Soft gels are also used to disguise the unpleasant taste or aroma of some drugs or oils such as cod liver oil. Organic virgin coconut oil has a pleasant taste and aroma, so you do not need to take soft gels to derive the health benefits of coconut oil. Use coconut oil in your cooking, use as a condiment or add to a smoothie.
Virgin or Extra Virgin
"Extra virgin" may be a term borrowed from the olive oil industry for marketing purposes. Organic virgin coconut oil gives you a healthy product with all the benefits of coconut oil. Strictly speaking, there's no such thing as "extra virgin" organic coconut oil, nor an applicable standard to measure such in coconut oil production. Coconut oil soft gels contain small amounts of coconut oil and you would have to take a large number of gels daily to get a therapeutic dose of 2 to 4 tbsp. of coconut oil.
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