Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Benefits of Coconut Oil

Welcome to the sixth part of the Superhuman Food Pyramid series. Various sources of dietary fats will be explored. Today’s article will focus on the health benefits and practical uses of coconut oil.

Coconut oil is a type of edible oil made from either the meat or kernel of matured coconuts. Long been included in the diets of populations living in the tropical regions of the world, coconut oil has extensively been used as a home remedy for manifold health maladies in said areas as well. In the West, the value of coconut oil is only recently being acknowledged.

Read further and discover more about the benefits of coconut oil and why the Superhuman Food Pyramid recommends you include this source of dietary fats to help in your quest to Become Superhuman.

Coconut Oil Benefits:

Coconut oil has been for decades incorrectly viewed as an unhealthy type of edible oil. But a growing body of research continues to establish the goodness that coconut oil offers to human health. For instance, it shows potential as a dietary therapy for abdominal obesity in women as well as in men if included in a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and low-protein diet. It appears that the fatty acids, specifically the medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil, helps curb appetite and subsequent food intake as well. MCTs have also been found to improve energy expenditure and so the body becomes more efficient at burning fat.

The MCTs in coconut oil encourage the increase of ketone body levels as well. Ketone bodies have been found as a promising substitute energy substrate for the brain. It is crucial to note that the brain utilizes glucose as “food” to function normally. In individuals with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the brain’s glucose metabolizing function is impaired, “starving” said organ of nourishment, subsequently resulting in typical AD symptoms like memory loss. Increasing ketone bodies by implementing an MCTs-rich, low-carbohydrate, and low-protein diet has shown potential for treating cognitive disorders, as evidenced by studies published in 2004 and 2008.

Coconut oil appears to have heart-protective properties as well. As it turns out, coconut oil reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad cholesterol” in the blood. Also, coconut oil’s phytosterols, polyphenols, provitamin A and vitamin E have been found to be responsible for this tropical edible oil’s potent anti-oxidant activity by preventing the oxidation of LDL.

Coconut Oil Practical Uses:

As a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, coconut oil can then be used like any other topical beauty product. For instance, coconut oil can be applied directly onto the armpits to serve as a deodorant. It can be used as an all-around moisturizer to prevent skin chafing or manage the skin condition called xerosis as well.

Coconut oil can be utilized as a mouthwash to treat halitosis and gingivitis, or just to improve or maintain overall oral health, too. It has been proven useful for preventing hair damage and so can be used as a pre-wash or post-wash hair grooming product as well.

Coconut oil can be used in a variety of dishes as well. It can be a healthier substitute for recipes that call for margarine, for instance. Frying with it is of course its most popular function. Just make sure to not use high heat when frying with coconut oil so that you’ll still get to take advantage of its healthful goodness.

Coconut oil can be stored for up to two years without spoiling. Because this is the case, it would be best to store your coconut oil in clean, re-sealable glass jars instead of in plastic containers that have dangerous chemicals like bisphenol A which may leach into the coconut oil.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the benefits of coconut meat and why you should eat it to help in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the dietary sources of fats on the Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Meat
• Olive Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Avocados
• Olives
• Organic Grass-Fed Butter
• Organic Yogurt (Full-Fat)
•  Ghee
• Free Range Eggs (With Yolk)
• Grass-Fed Beef, Bison, or Buffalo or Lamb
• Sardines, Anchovies or Haddock in Water or Olive Oil
• Wild Salmon, Trout, Tilapia, Flounder
• Triglyceride-Based Fish Oil
• Pure Cod Liver Oil

Moderate:

• Raw Nuts (Except Peanuts)
• Raw Seeds
• Almond Butter
• Palm Oil
• Cold Press Flax Oil
• Bacon
• Mayonnaise
• Organic Peanut Butter
• Coconut Ice Cream
• Dark Chocolate

Avoid:

• Roasted Nuts
• Roasted Seeds
• Regular Peanut Butter
• Regular Butter
• Non-Organic Meats
• Margarine
• Any ‘Spreadable’ Condiments
• Farmed Fish
• Commercial Salad Dressings
• Safflower Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Canola Oil
• Cottonseed Oil
• Commercial Flax Oil
• Soy Ice Cream
• Regular Ice Cream
• Milk Chocolate

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the benefits of coconut oil, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the benefits of coconut oil.