The Coconut Oil Miracle (25 page)

You can begin enjoying the benefits of coconut without making any drastic changes in your normal way of living. In fact, incorporating coconut into your life can be done with just three simple steps: (1) use coconut oil in your cooking and get rid of all other vegetable
oils in your diet, (2) eat coconut and coconut products as a regular part of your diet, and (3) apply coconut oil directly to your skin and hair in order to absorb its healing benefits directly into your body. This chapter will help you learn how to incorporate coconut oil and other coconut products into your daily life. In the next chapter, I have provided many delicious recipes that include coconut and coconut oil, as well as instructions on how to use coconut oil as part of your beauty regimen. But first you need to understand what the good sources of coconut oil are and exactly how much coconut oil you will need in order to take advantage of all of its healing benefits.

In order to gain the marvelous benefits available from MCFAs, you must eat those foods that contain them. The only significant dietary sources of MCFAs are whole milk, butter, and particularly palm kernel and coconut. The butterfat in cow’s milk contains a small amount of MCFAs, but most milk and dairy products nowadays are low-fat or nonfat and therefore provide essentially none of these health-giving fatty acids. Butter only consists of about 6 percent MCFAs. The better sources of MCFAs are the tropical oils. Palm kernel oil contains about 54 percent MCFAs, but the only place you will find this oil is as an ingredient in a few commercially prepared foods. It is not often sold separately to the public. Coconut oil contains 63 percent MCFAs, and fresh or dried coconut meat has 33 percent fat. Coconut milk is 17 to 24 percent fat. So coconut products—the meat, oil, and milk—are by far the most readily available and richest dietary sources of MCFAs.

Coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils are referred to as the tropical oils. Coconut oil comes from the seed or kernel of the coconut palm
(
Cocos nucifera
). Palm and palm kernel oils come from the oil palm (
Elaeis guineensis
). The palm fruit is about the size of a small plum with a large white seed inside. It is somewhat like a tiny coconut with the husk surrounding the seed. Palm oil is obtained from the husk or fibrous fruit surrounding the seed by steaming, heating, or pressing. Palm kernel oil, like coconut oil, is extracted from the white meat inside the shell of the seed and is pure white in appearance. Palm kernel oil is almost identical to coconut oil except that it has slightly fewer MCFAs. This oil is rarely sold by itself. It is most commonly found as an ingredient in manufactured foods.

Unlike coconut and palm kernel oils, palm oil has only a tiny amount of MCFAs. Unrefined or virgin palm oil is a deep red-orange color. The color comes from the high amount of beta-carotene and other carotenoids in the fruit. Carotenoids are nutrients that give fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange, and red colors. Because of its reddish color virgin palm oil is called red palm oil. When red palm oil is refined it loses most of its distinctive appearance, becoming a light yellowish color. Refined palm oil is used in many baked and packaged goods as a healthier replacement for hydrogenated vegetable oil.

All of the tropical oils make good cooking oils. They have a relatively high percentage of heat-stable saturated fat and can be safely used in cooking and frying. The saturated fat also gives them an extended shelf life. While polyunsaturated vegetable oils are already going rancid in the store before you even buy them, tropical oils can remain good for one to three years. I have some red palm oil that is well over two years old and it tastes as good as it did when I first
bought it. No hint of rancidity. Of course, the quality and shelf life of the oils depends on the care and processing methods used by the manufacturer. Some poor quality oils may go rancid in just a few months. So it is wise to check out different brands.

Palm oil, and particularly red palm oil, has many health benefits that are different from those of coconut or palm kernel oils. For a more thorough discussion on the health benefits of palm oil I highly recommend my book
The Palm Oil Miracle
. There is also palm shortening, which is a trans fat–free, nonhydrogenated shortening used as a healthy alternative to hydrogenated soybean oil and conventional shortening. Palm and coconut oils can be found in health food stores and ethnic markets as well as online. Coconut oil has become so popular in recent years that it is now becoming available in the grocery section of stores such as Walmart, Kroger, and Costco.

Because of its high oil content (33 percent), extracting oil from coconuts is a relatively simple process and has been the major source of vegetable oil for people in the tropics for thousands of years. Traditionally the oil is extracted from either fresh or dried coconut by boiling and/or fermentation. When boiled in water, the oil separates from the meat and floats to the surface, where it can easily be scooped out. Fermentation allows the oil and water to separate out naturally. The juice, or “milk,” of the coconut is squeezed out of the meat. The milk is then allowed to sit for 24 to 36 hours. During this time, the oil separates from the water. The oil is removed and then heated
slightly for a short time to evaporate all moisture. Heat such as this isn’t harmful because the oil is very stable even under moderately high temperatures.

There are many different methods of processing coconut oil that affect the quality, appearance, flavor, and aroma of the finished product. Coconut oil is commonly divided into two broad categories—“refined, bleached, and deodorized” (RBD) and “virgin.” The difference between the two is in the amount of processing the oil undergoes. The term “virgin” signifies an oil that has been subjected to less intense refining—lower temperatures and no chemicals.

The RBD oil is typically made from dried coconut, known as copra, which is made by drying coconut in the sun, smoking it, heating it in a kiln, or some combination of these. Oil made from copra is the most common coconut oil used in the cosmetic and food industries. While high temperatures and occasionally chemical solvents are used to produce this oil, it is still considered a healthy dietary oil because the fatty acids in coconut oil are not harmed in the refining process. The RBD oil is generally colorless, tasteless, and odorless. Many people prefer this type of oil for all-purpose cooking and body-care needs because it doesn’t affect the flavor of foods or leave an odor when used on the skin.

True virgin coconut oils are made from fresh coconuts, not copra. The oil is extracted by any number of methods: boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, mechanical press, or centrifuge. Since high temperatures and chemical solvents are not used, the oil retains its naturally occurring phytochemicals (plant chemicals), which produce a distinctive coconut taste and smell.

Virgin coconut oil made from fresh coconuts is a pure white when the oil is solidified, or crystal clear like water when liquefied. The RBD oil made from copra is often slightly yellow but can be just as clear and white as virgin coconut oil. You often can’t tell the difference between them just by looking. The way to distinguish between them is by the smell and taste. RBD oils are odorless and tasteless. Virgin oils have a distinctive coconut flavor and aroma.

Virgin coconut oil, which is considered a higher quality product compared to RBD oil, will always include the word “virgin” on the label. RBD or non-virgin coconut oils will not use this word. Often they are labeled “Expeller-Pressed” or “Pure” or something of that nature.

Some companies will make partially refined coconut oil from sun-dried copra rather than fresh coconut and label it as “virgin” so they can sell it at a higher price. This type of coconut oil will have a yellow hue to it. The taste and smell will be strong and often disagreeable. Although these oils have undergone less processing than most RBD oils, that doesn’t mean they are more natural than refined copra oil; they are actually of lesser or inferior quality. When coconut is dried in the open air it is common for the copra to become moldy and smelly. Partial refining may not remove all the impurities and odor. This type of oil is often sold as a cooking oil in Asian markets. Most health food stores sell the better quality brands. Keep in mind that any coconut oil (except hydrogenated coconut oil) is still far healthier than any other vegetable oil regardless of how it is processed. Hydrogenated coconut oil is never sold by itself for public use. It is only used as an ingredient in food processing. Ingredient labels will tell you if the
manufacturer used ordinary coconut oil or hydrogenated coconut oil in the product.

Coconut oil is sold in various-sized bottles. Twelve- to 16-ounce bottles are typical. I buy mine by the gallon. Often people ask me what type or brand of oil they should use. I have a simple answer. Buy the one that tastes best to you. If you don’t like the taste of a certain brand, try another. There is a wide difference in the taste of oils. If you are going to use the oil frequently, you want one that you will be happy with. Some people don’t like the taste of coconut in all their foods. For these people I recommend they try one of the tasteless brands. Personally I like the taste of coconut and love the delicate taste and aroma of virgin coconut oil. It costs a little more than the other types, but it is worth it. Some brands of oil have a strong flavor. I don’t care for them, but some people like them.

The exact amount of coconut oil in the diet needed to gain optimal benefit varies from person to person. However, on the basis of the amount of MCFAs found in human breast milk, which is known to be effective in its role of protecting and nourishing infants, we can estimate the amount that may be suitable for adults. On the basis of this premise, an adult of average size would need 3
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons (50 grams) of coconut oil a day to equal the proportion of MCFAs a nursing baby receives. The same amount of MCFAs can be obtained from 10 ounces of coconut milk or 150 grams of raw coconut (about half a whole coconut).

Studies have shown that the antimicrobial effects of MCFAs increase with the quantity used, so the greater the number of these infection-fighting fatty acids available in our bodies, the greater our protection. Eating more should provide greater health benefits, not only in preventing illness but in improving digestion and nutrient absorption, protecting against heart disease, and so on.

Studies indicate that coconut oil is essentially nontoxic to humans. It is considered safer than soy, which many people eat by the pound. The FDA has included coconut oil on its list of foods that are “generally regarded as safe.” This is an exclusive list. Only those foods that have passed stringent testing and have a history of safe usage can qualify for inclusion on the GRAS list. We know that certain
island populations consume large amounts of coconut oil, as much as 10 tablespoons a day, and have excellent health. This is far more than you would normally want to eat, so you probably don’t need to worry about eating too much. Several clinical studies have shown MCFA levels up to at least 1 gram per each kilogram of body weight to be safe. For a 150-pound person that would equate to 5 tablespoons. For a 200-pound person that would be 6.5 tablespoons. Some people have taken much more than this without experiencing any problems. The worst thing that can happen is that if you eat too much it may loosen your bowels so you will need to use the bathroom more often. For those who are constipated that may be a benefit.