How coconut oil benefits your health: The inside scoop

Benefits of coconut oil

Let me set the record straight. The saturated fats in coconut oil are good for you. Period. If it's toxic and poisonous that triggers heart disease, I would've died long ago. But if coconut oil is so good, then why do some people still slam it as hard as they can, without even giving coconut oil a chance to prove its worth?

It all thanks to a well-planned plot spearheaded by ASA. Here's the dirty truth… I remember that day very clearly. "Someone" took away my beloved coconut snack (the crunchy, puffy and yummy coconut balls) overnight.

Can't remember the brand. But I would buy a large can every couple of days because sometimes I could finish off one large can in a day. That was in the late 1980s.

As usual, I gobbled up a can one day and then went to the supermarket hoping to get a replacement to satisfy my palate for coconut-flavored snack.

To my surprise, I couldn't even find a single can on the usual shelf I bought from. I scavenge at other shelves thinking that the shelf stockers could have re-arranged the goods.

So much stock I just saw the other day and they simply got off the shelves in just a day or two, I couldn't believe!

Well, no luck. I was thinking perhaps they were suddenly selling like hot cakes and thought I could return the following day to get once they replenish the stock. Day after day I got disappointed and I even tried other grocery stores and supermarkets at other places.

Finally, after a month or two, I gave up. I didn't know what exactly happened but I knew something was not right.

Then somewhere in 2006, my girlfriend, Laura (now, my wife) handed me a book called The Coconut Oil Miracle.

I flipped the first few pages and suddenly 'Ding', a light bulb went off in my head. At last, everything became clear. I finally understood why I couldn't find my favorite coconut snack 20 years back.

So, it was all because of a well-orchestrated conspiracy led by the American Soybean Association (ASA). You know how sleazy they were and what they did?

Although import of consumable tropical oils at that time took up only a minority share of the America's dietary oil market, if the soybean industries can wipe out as many competitors as possible to gain more profits, why not?

So, they set out to create a negative publicity about tropical oils, capitalizing on the public's fear of the artery-clogging saturated fat and its close connection to heart disease.

Coconut oil gets the hardest hit as it carries the most amount (80–90%) of saturated fat in it.

Soon after, many authoritative but misguided health groups, especially the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) jumped on the media bandwagon to support the twisted claim, blindly followed by a Nebraska multi-millionaire, Phil Sokolof (founder of the National Heart Savers Association) and many food manufacturers.

With the combined effort of these powerful (but moronic) groups and people, the wicked propaganda became so viciously "loud" that it muted the weak voices from the tropical oil industries and medical researchers and professionals who were familiar with the extensive benefits of especially coconut oil.

So, in the end, the public of course, believed in the rumors as the misinformation clouded the America's sky.

For the "safety" of the public, since then, the tropical oils and all coconut-based food were forced to "vanish" and you could only see food that were non coconut-based. This not only took place in America, soon the world got to know about the "oil from hell".

My homeland, Singapore, was quick to pick up the propaganda and so that's how I lost my deliciously crunchy, puffy coconut balls. Crying Emoji

Fortunately, in the past 10+ years of the relentless effort of those who have benefited greatly from the consumption and use of coconut oil, the truth about coconut oil has gradually surfaced and come to light.

Let's look at some ways coconut oil can potentially help you with.

1. Coconut oil as natural health remedy

For thousands of years, both Ayurvedic and Indian folkloric medicine use coconut oil as a traditional remedy for almost all illnesses.

Gradually, modern medical science discovers that coconut oil actually benefits our health by protecting us against heart disease (yes, contrary to what we've been led to believe), stroke, diabetes, cancers, liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, dental decay and skin infections.

It also relieves symptoms associated with illnesses like pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis (difficulty in breathing and absorbing nutrients), chronic inflammation, prostate enlargement, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers, psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis.

You can also take coconut oil to stimulate bowel movement too if you've been chronically constipated.

This tropical oil continues to "show off" its incredible health benefits and astonish doctors with its powerful ability to kill viruses such as hepatitis C, herpes, measles and influenza.

It also gets rid of bacteria that cause pneumonia, urinary tract infection and acne.

In addition, coconut oil fights fungi and yeast like Candida, ringworm, thrush, which are otherwise resistant to drugs and antibiotics.

Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds, right now some doctors are including coconut oil in their treatments against the world's deadliest incurable terminator – HIV/AIDS. The super antimicrobials in coconut oil can rip the viruses apart and kill them on the spot.

2. Coconut oil fights HIV/AIDS

According to a first clinical study on the effectiveness of coconut oil against HIV conducted in 2000 at San Lazaro hospital in the Philippines by Dr. Cornrado Dayrit, M.D., emeritus professor of pharmacology at the University of the Philippines and former president of the National Academy of Science and Technology in the Philippines, 9 out of 14 HIV patients after six months of treatment using the antimicrobial acids found only in coconut oil had a decreased viral load (the number of viruses in the blood).

If the study doesn't sound convincing enough, meet Tony V., a Filipino AIDS sufferer who was about to die of AIDS years ago suddenly saw a ray of hope after trying coconut oil on his terminal condition.

Tony contracted the disease in Saudi Arabia where he worked as a waiter and florist in the late 1990s. He then returned to Philippines in 2002 and shockingly found that he was infected with HIV.

Day by day as HIV ate at his immune system, other viruses, as well as bacteria, parasites and fungi, seized the opportunity to take hold and further infest his body, leading to secondary infections, which were what actually caused the severe deterioration of Tony's health and put him in hospital by July 2003.

His doctor prescribed for him drug cocktails comprising a mixture of antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal and anti-cancer agents to fight HIV and the secondary infections.

But the drugs failed to stop Tony's condition from aggravating.

His body was soon covered with fungal infections and skin lesions. He was losing weight drastically, and had repeated bouts of vomiting and diarrhea accompanied by fever, chronic fatigue, oral candidiasis, and various other infections including chronic pneumonia with a persistent cough. Skin infections covered his head, face, and body.

He was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS.

Tony's doctor then discharged him and gave him the drugs in the hope of slowing down his raging infections so he can get his affairs in order before he dies.

As Tony was too sick to work and his savings had almost dried up, he could not afford the expensive medications anymore (AIDS drugs can easily cost over $1,250 US a month).

"I felt like a candle that was starting to flicker and die." he said in despair.

Unable to afford the drugs, he turned to the Department of Health for help that then referred him to Dr. Conrado Dayrit, the author of the first clinical study on the healing effects of coconut oil on HIV-infected patients as mentioned earlier.

Tony was skeptical when Dr. Dayrit told him about how coconut oil can treat AIDS. So, instead of applying coconut oil to the sores and infections on his skin 3 times a day and consume 6 tablespoons daily as instructed, he experimented first by applying a little oil every day to the small wound on his foot that refused to heal to see if what Dr. Dayrit said holds true.

To his amazement, that small wound healed completely after only 3 days. Encouraged by the results, he began the coconut oil regimen in earnest.

And as more remarkable improvement shown on his skin infections, low-grade fever, symptoms of pneumonia, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting, Tony began to swear by the healing power of coconut oil and started to apply the oil from head to toe 3 times a day, including the amount of consumption as instructed.

When he returned to the hospital for his periodic blood tests, the doctors were all astounded at his recovery.

"They were all excited and couldn't understand what was happening", says Tony. "They asked me what I was taking. I told them I was using coconut oil."

They couldn't believe that something as simple as coconut oil was killing the virus and infections better than their drugs.

Tony's condition continued to improve by leaps and bounds until one day, which was 8+ months after his coconut oil regimen, he decided to stand before an audience for the first time to share his story and encourage other AIDS victims to use coconut oil.

Tony V making his speech sharing how coconut oil has helped his HIV / AIDS condition

"HIV virus has not been curable until now," he said. "The antiretrovirals cannot control the infection, which is why a lot of my friends died. Doctors cannot predict how long I will live. When I was diagnosed, my doctors told me I wouldn't live another three months. Well, here I am now. I'm still standing. Maybe I have a mission to share my experience with all whom I meet."

"People like me who have HIV/AIDS are scared. But you don't need to be afraid now. Years ago tuberculosis was a worldwide epidemic, but eventually they found the cure. For HIV, maybe virgin coconut oil is the solution the world has been looking for."

Though coconut oil fights and even kills HIV effectively, you can never be free from HIV attack completely. You can at best, keep their viral load well under control with daily consumption and topical application of coconut oil. But that's good enough since you can at least lead a normal life and do not have to suffer the agonizing symptoms of AIDS anymore.

Gentle reminder: Prevention is always better than cure. So, please stay loyal to your partner and refrain from any potentially dangerous sexual activity especially one-night stand. You never know who you're sleeping with.

In 1996, an AIDS patient Chris Dafoe of Cloverdale, Indiana, having a HIV viral load of 600,000 copies – an indication of rampant HIV infection, after eating cooked coconut for breakfast every day, had his viral load dropped all the way down to undetectable levels. Instead of dying soon he suddenly regained his life. Incredible!


You might wonder, if coconut oil or coconut-based food is so effective against HIV/AIDS, then why isn't it being widely used as a treatment today?

It's the money issue again.

Because coconut oil is relatively low cost and readily available worldwide, pharmaceutical companies won't be able to protect their coconut oil-based drugs with a patent.

Hence, they can't charge extortionately and reap enormous profits like they do on other drugs. That's why they don't see the rewards in funding the research for the use of coconut oil in fighting HIV.

Perhaps you're still skeptical about coconut oil's health benefits.

In that case, come... follow me. Let me show you the underlying mechanisms that make coconut oil almost so invincible.

Please bear with me for a while since it's gonna be somewhat technical. But I'll do my best to make them as humanly simple to understand as possible so that at the end of this lesson you'll be able to comprehend coconut oil. Hey, it's about fixing your health with coconut oil. So, it's probably worth investing your time learning a little more about it. Let's get started.

3. Why is coconut oil so good for you?

Some people thought that coconut oil is rich in vitamin E and a good source of omega-3, which are what make coconut oil good for our health.

Not true. Take a good look at coconut oil's nutritional info below.

SCFA – Short-chain fatty acid, MCFA – Medium-chain fatty acid, LCFA – Long-chain fatty acid

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 1 Tbsp (14.8 ml / 13.6 g)

  per 100 g per serving
Energy 892 kcal 121 kcal
Carbohydrate 0 g 0 g
Protein 0 g 0 g
Fiber 0 g 0 g
Total fat 99.06 g 13.47 g
Saturated fat 82.475 g 11.217 g
→ Butyric acid (SCFA, 4:0) 0.009 g 0.001 g
→ Caproic acid (SCFA, 6:0) 0.477 g 0.065 g
→ Caprylic acid (MCFA, 8:0) 6.802 g 0.925 g
→ Capric acid (MCFA, 10:0) 5.39 g 0.733 g
→ Lauric acid (MCFA, 12:0) 41.84 g 5.69 g
→ Myristic acid (LCFA, 14:0) 16.653 g 2.265 g
→ Palmitic acid (LCFA, 16:0) 8.636 g 1.174 g
→ Stearic acid (LCFA, 18:0) 2.516 g 0.342 g
→ Arachidic acid (LCFA, 20:0) 0.076 g 0.01 g
→ Behenic acid (LCFA, 22:0) 0.019 g 0.003 g
→ Lignoceric acid (LCFA, 24:0) 0.031 g 0.004 g
Mono-unsaturated fat 6.332 g 0.861 g
→ Palmitoleic acid (LCFA, 16:1 | ω-7) 0.016 g 0.002 g
→ Oleic acid (LCFA, 18:1 | ω-9) 6.253 g 0.85 g
→ Gondoic acid (LCFA, 20:1 | ω-9) 0.041 g 0.006 g
Poly-unsaturated fat 1.702 g 0.231 g
→ Linoleic acid (LCFA, 18:2 | ω-6) 1.676 g 0.228 g
→ Alpha-linolenic acid (LCFA, 18:3 | ω-3) 0.019 g 0.003 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 mg
Phytosterols 86 mg 12 mg
Calcium, Ca 1 mg 0 mg
Iron, Fe 0.05 mg 0.01 mg
Magnesium, Mg 0 mg 0 mg
Phosphorus, P 0 mg 0 mg
Potassium, K 0 mg 0 mg
Sodium, Na 0 mg 0 mg
Zinc, Zn 0.02 mg 0 mg
Copper, Cu 0 mg 0 mg
Manganese, Mn 0 mg 0 mg
Selenium, Se 0 mg 0 mg
A-1, Retinol 0 mcg 0 mcg
B-1, Thiamine 0 mg 0 mg
B-2, Riboflavin 0 mg 0 mg
B-3, Niacin 0 mg 0 mg
B-5, Pantothenic acid 0 mg 0 mg
B-6, Pyridoxine 0 mg 0 mg
B-9, Folate 0 mcg 0 mcg
C, Total ascorbic acid 0 mg 0 mg
E, Alpha-tocopherol 0.11 mg 0.01 mg
E, Beta-tocopherol 0.6 mg 0.08 mg
E, Gamma-tocopherol 0 mg 0 mg
E, Delta-tocopherol 0.18 mg 0.02 mg
K, Phylloquinone 0.6 mcg 0.1 mcg
Choline, Total 0.3 mg 0 mg
I pulled up the above data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for SR 1 Release April, 2018. They tested with partially-hydrogenated coconut oil, which generates the unnatural components such as trans fat and a few odd-numbered fatty acids. I took away the unnatural components while keeping only the natural components in the table. Those are what actually make up the natural coconut oil which you should be focusing on.

See? Even if coconut oil does hold vitamin E and omega-3 (other brands might not even have omega-3 in it), their amounts are too tiny to effect any health benefits on you.

It's actually the 3 properties of fatty acids (saturated, medium-chain and antimicrobial) in coconut oil that benefit you. How?

Let's delve into them one by one.

3.1   Benefits of saturated fatty acids

All oils and fats are essentially made up of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Saturated fatty acid chemical structure

Saturated fatty acid consists of a chain of carbon atoms fully attached with hydrogen atoms.

That little gray box is the carboxyl group (–COOH), which is the typical characteristic of a fatty acid. It also serves as a "connector" to the glycerol backbone to form triglyceride. (Doesn't matter if you don't understand.)
Monounsaturated fatty acid chemical structure

Structure of monounsaturated fatty acid is similar to that of saturated fatty acid, except for one missing pair of hydrogen atoms. The missing hydrogen pair will induce the 2 neighboring carbon atoms to bond with each other via a double bond (C=C).

A double bond consists of one pi (π) bond and one sigma (σ) bond. And pi bond is weaker (and hence, more unstable) than sigma bond. This causes the double bond connection to become vulnerable to free-radical reactions.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid chemical structure

Structure of polyunsaturated fatty acid is similar to that of monounsaturated fatty acid, except that it lacks 2 or more pairs of hydrogen atoms in the chain. 'Poly' means many. Since there are 2 or more double bondings, this type of fat is very unstable and thus, highly susceptible to oxidation.

What you see from above are 18-carbon chain fatty acids. In actual fact, the chain can appear from as short as 2 carbon atoms to as long as 24 or more. The length of the chain can impact your health too, which I will touch on later.

3.1.1   Free radical and oxidation

In case you're not familiar with the terms 'free radical' and 'oxidation', let me back up a little bit about the relationship between them.

A stable (hence, harmless) atom or molecule has its electrons perfectly paired on the outer shell. But when it loses an electron on its outer shell due to chemical reaction, air pollution, radiation, viral attack, bacterial infection, or other reasons, the pairing is upset. This then causes the atom or molecule to become highly reactive and thus aggressive.

And this highly reactive atom or molecule is called free radical.

Difference between stable atom and free radical

To restore its electron pairing, this barbaric free radical will go around hunting like a robber for an easy target. It'll snatch an electron away from a neighboring molecule that has weak (double) bonding, causing the molecule to disintegrate and separate into two atoms or molecules that have their electron pairing disturbed.

These two atoms or molecules in turn become free radicals, and they'll repeat what the first free radical has done to them and attack other molecules nearby, leading to a destructive chain reaction.

(Just like us, when we lack a sense of security or feel a sense of "emptiness", we seek comfort to fill the "emptiness" so as to stabilize our emotions, otherwise we can behave just like a free radical.)

Let's go back to the structure of monounsaturated fatty acid. It has one missing pair of hydrogen atoms that induces a double bonding between 2 carbon atoms (pink box below), right?

Monounsaturated fatty acid missing a pair of hydrogen atoms

Now, imagine this fatty acid is exposed to air. Any free radicals in the form of unstable oxygen atoms or molecules can attack and react with the unstable carbon atoms and convert the monounsaturated fatty acid into a "don't know what".

Oxidation of Monounsaturated Fatty Acid

Who knows, that dangling oxygen (the unstable 'O' with a red dot above) might also take a leap of faith and join with the unstable carbon atom (the 'C' with a red dot above) to form into an unnaturally saturated compound (below).

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Oxidizes into Saturation

Such chemical reaction between fatty acid and oxygen is called oxidation.

Oxidation can also occur when the fatty acid loses its hydrogen atoms to the environment upon heating, rendering the fatty acid even more unsaturated and thus, unstable, and causing the environment to have more free radicals in the form of hydrogen atoms that are highly reactive.

Oxidation changes the entire properties of the fatty acid. That means, if the fatty acid has health benefits, it can easily lose its health benefits or even become health detrimental when oxidation takes place.

In short, free radicals can cause oxidation and oxidation can also result in the formation of free radicals, forming a vicious cycle.

3.1.2   Coconut oil contains mostly saturated fatty acids

Fully (and naturally) filled with hydrogen atoms, saturated fatty acids remain very stable because they allow no space for other unstable atoms or molecules from the environment to fit in.

In contrast, monounsaturated fatty acids are prone to oxidation and free-radical formation at the exposure of light, oxygen or even low heat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are even more prone.

Now, you can find these 3 types of fatty acids in coconut oil. Will that make coconut oil oxidize easily or not?

Coconut oil carries about 80–90% saturated fatty acids while also holding about 8% unsaturated fatty acids (inclusive of mono- and poly-). So, you can imagine how randomly spaced out the unsaturated fats are when saturated fats predominate in coconut oil.

Saturated fats prevent oxidation of unsaturated fats

This means that the saturated fats are acting as antioxidants that prevent the unsaturated fats from oxidative stress. Much like elephants surrounding their cubs from lion attack.

Hence, reaction of free radicals and oxidation hardly takes place in coconut oil under normal circumstances and uses.

So, how does that benefit our health?

Imagine you consume a common dietary oil (like corn oil, peanut oil or soybean oil) that contains predominantly unsaturated fats, which means, these fats are extremely liable to reacting with the abundance of oxygen inside your body. They'll create more free radicals (by losing hydrogen atoms) as well in the presence of your body heat and chemical reactions.

But your body doesn't just get free radicals by consuming oil with more unsaturated fats, you inhale free radicals via your surroundings as well, especially a polluted environment.

So, what you get from these trillions of free radicals are, they'll mercilessly assault your healthy cells. And turn them into mutant cells. This then leads to multiple destructive chain reactions that create even more free radicals and cause degenerative damages to your organs and tissues over time.

We're talking about trillions of free radicals, so it's near impossible to freeze all of them dead in their tracks.

However, we can tremendously minimize their impact on our health by simply switching to the "more saturated" coconut oil. Of course, the more you eat, the better protection you'll have against free-radical damage.

3.1.3   Coconut oil lifts your face and cares for your skin

Did you know that free radicals can also make you look older than you really are?

They cause premature aging by building "tracks" (wrinkles) on your face, smearing your skin with age spots and loosening your skin tissues to make your skin saggy.

Scary? What can you do to save your delicate skin and stop the renegades from wreaking havoc in your body?


Yes, only antioxidant can stop them.

Do the commercial creams and lotions you're using right now contain antioxidants?

I dare say they don't contain as much as what coconut oil provides. Instead, they compose mainly of water to help moisturize your dry and wrinkled skin. The moisturizing effect can be pretty deceiving as it makes you believe that it works instantaneously to help soften your skin and reduce your wrinkles.

Truth is, the effect is at best temporary only. Here's why...

As water from commercial creams or lotions enters your skin, it expands the tissues, flattening out the wrinkles to make your skin look smoother. But this effect stays only for a short while. As soon as the water evaporates or is carried away by the bloodstream, your dry, wrinkled skin returns.

See? That's why you have to keep buying the expensive skin care products and spread all over your face and skin to sustain your skin smoothness.

In contrast, coconut oil softens your skin by penetrating deep into the layers to help heal the broken connective tissues caused by free-radical attack.

Coconut oil also promotes faster growth of new and healthier cells to replace dead skin cells. Your skin becomes smoother as a result. The smoothness on your skin can now reflect light more evenly, creating a healthier, more youthful appearance.

I've heard people having blemishes and age spots on their skin amazingly reduced or faded after daily application and consumption of coconut oil.

It all thanks to the rich supply of antioxidants in the tropical oil that comprises the predominant lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid and other antioxidative saturated fatty acids.

Which means you can access to an abundant supply of antioxidants cheaply and easily since you can get coconut oil literally everywhere.

No more sign-ups for exorbitant facial and skin treatment packages and purchasing of high-priced skin care products. You save tons of cash!

All you need to do is get a good quality coconut oil and apply a dab to your skin each time, and reapply it as often as necessary. Don't forget to incorporate it into your diet so that you can fight free radicals more effectively from the outside as well as from the inside.

After 3 months, come back here and check how your skin fares in this Skin Elasticity Test.

Skin Elasticity Test

Pinch the skin on the back of your right hand with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand and hold it for 5 seconds. Then let go of your fingers and time how long it takes for your right-hand skin to completely flatten back out (don't cheat!).

The shorter it takes your skin to flatten out, the younger the functional (or biological) age of your skin.

For example, let's say you're 30 years old, but it takes 6 seconds for your skin to totally return to its normal look after the 5-sec pinch-and-hold. That means, your skin is functionally older (between 45 and 50 years old) than your actual age. This is a sign of degeneration and loss of function resulted from free-radical destruction.

You can prevent or perhaps even regain the youthfulness and tenderness of your skin by simply eating coconut oil in place of other cooking oils, and use it topically. I can attest to the skin benefits of coconut oil because my skin bounces back in 2 seconds. I'm in my mid 40s.

You might want to try out fractionated coconut oil for daily skin care. It penetrates your skin better than a regular coconut oil due to different compositions of fatty acids.

3.2   Benefits of medium-chain fatty acids

Most, if not all unsaturated fatty acids comprise literally long-chain fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids, however, can come in the form of short-chain (2-6 carbons), medium-chain (8-12 carbons) or long-chain (14-24 carbons) fatty acids.

Different Lengths of Saturated Fatty Acids

As with different degrees of saturation, different lengths (or sizes) of fatty acids can also make or break your health.

So, how will the different sizes of fatty acids, especially medium-chain fatty acids, impact your health? To understand that, you must first comprehend the structure of triglycerides and how your body digests them.

3.2.1   Structure of triglycerides

A triglyceride is a fat molecule that consists of 3 fatty acids joining together via a glycerol backbone as shown:

Triglyceride Chemical Structure

It can hold 3 different lengths (or sizes) of fatty acids. It can also have 3 fatty acids with different degrees of saturation.

When the triglyceride holds 3 long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), it's called a long-chain triglyceride (LCT). Similarly, 3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) make up a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). And 3 short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) form a short-chain triglyceride (SCT).

3 Different Sizes of Triglyceride

MCT and SCT behave very differently from LCT. How so?

3.2.2   Digestion of long-chain triglycerides

Let's say you consume food cooked with soybean oil, which carries 100% long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) that compose predominantly of (mono- and poly-) unsaturated fatty acids.

To digest the LCTs in soybean oil, you need fat-digesting enzymes such as lingual lipase (secreted by serous glands in your tongue), gastric lipase (secreted by peptic cells in your stomach) and pancreatic lipase (secreted by pancreas into your small intestine). You need bile as well to help with digesting the long-chain fats in the small intestine.

What these fat-digesting enzymes do is they'll break down LCTs into individual fatty units called monoglycerides, free fatty acids (LCFAs) and/or glycerols (when all 3 LCFAs are freed). For example...

When 2 bonds are broken, LCT splits into 2 free LCFAs and a T-shaped monoglyceride.

A Long-Chain Triglyceride Splitting into 2 Free Fatty Acids and 1 T-Shaped Monoglyceride

But when all 3 bonds are broken, LCT splits into 3 free LCFAs and a glycerol.

A Long-Chain Triglyceride Splitting into 3 Free Fatty Acids and One Glycerol Molecule
Not all LCTs will be completely broken down into free fatty acids and glycerols. Some will become monoglycerides (2 fatty acids pulled off from glycerol leaving only 1 fatty acid attached to it, forming a 'T' molecule), some diglycerides (2 fatty acids attached to 1 glycerol) or even remain undigested as triglycerides, depending on the size of LCTs, amount of digestive enzymes produced, efficiency of digestion and the body's metabolic rate.

Upon digestion, micelles (tiny spheres formed by bile salts) will ferry the long-chain monoglycerides and free fatty acids (LCFAs) along with other substances like cholesterols, phospholipids and fat-soluble vitamins across the chyme (watery mass of partly digested food in your small intestine) to the absorptive (epithelial) cells lining the villi (finger-like projections) on the intestinal wall for absorption.

Pathway of Long-Chain Fatty Units

Once inside the absorptive cells, long-chain monoglycerides and fatty acids are reassembled back into triglycerides. As soon as the triglycerides are reconstructed, they're bundled together with cholesterols and phospholipids to form chylomicrons, which are coated with proteins.

These chylomicrons will then enter the bloodstream via lymphatic vessels (lacteal) and deliver these fatty units to the tissues throughout your body.

By contrast, fatty units (i.e. monoglycerides and free fatty acids) in MCTs and SCTs follow a completely different path when you consume food containing these smaller triglycerides.

3.2.3   Digestion of short- and medium-chain triglycerides

Though MCTs and SCTs are also crumbled into their respective monoglycerides and free fatty acids just like LCTs, their digestion may not necessarily require pancreatic lipase and bile to take place.

By the time they leave your stomach and enter duodenum (first part of your small intestine into which bile and pancreatic lipase are secreted), most of them would have already been dissolved into smaller units by lingual lipase and gastric lipase.

That's why people with difficulty secreting pancreatic enzymes and bile for efficient food digestion and nutrient absorption found ingesting food (like coconut oil) that contains MCTs and SCTs can help them digest food and absorb nutrients better.

Unlike the long-chain fatty units, medium- and short-chain monoglycerides and free fatty acids (MCFAs and SCFAs) can swiftly sail through the chyme and penetrate the absorptive cells without the need for micelles.

Same way as entering cells, the small fatty units effortlessly diffuse out of cells through membranes into the blood capillaries. Once the fatty units enter bloodstream, they will be transported directly to your liver for energy production via hepatic portal vein.

Pathway of Short and Medium-Chain Fatty Units

3.2.4   Why LCT and MCT/SCT behave differently

The sole reason why LCT and MCT/SCT digest and travel differently is due to their sizes.

As the monoglycerides and free fatty acids (LCFAs) from LCTs are large and clumsy, they can't move as freely and fast in the chyme as those from MCTs and SCTs. That's why they need micelles to quickly ferry them across to the intestinal wall for absorption.

Not only that, after the long-chain fatty units enter the intestinal absorptive cells, because of their sizes, again, they can't diffuse out of the cells as quickly and effortlessly as the medium- and short-chain monoglycerides and free fatty acids.

For that reason, they must join back into triglycerides and then combine with cholesterols, phospholipids and proteins to form chylomicrons, which will export them out of the absorptive cells by means of exocytosis.

Once out of cells, as chylomicrons (~80 nm) are too large to fit in the pores of blood capillaries in your small intestine, they have to go by the lymphatic capillaries (lacteals) that got pores large enough to accommodate the bulky chylomicrons and take them to the bloodstream for distribution of fatty units to every cell of your body.

Up to this point, you might ask, "What have the different paths the fatty units take got to do with my health?"

When LCTs circulate in your bloodstream, they supply fats to fat cells in your tissues and organs and other parts of your body.

Which means, you can unwittingly gain more body fat than you need since the fat you eat is literally the fat you wear, unless you increase your physical activity level to the point that burns those fats off your fat reserves or even before they get deposited into fat cells.

Do take note that if these fats are unsaturated, they can oxidize easily and be collected in your artery walls when an inflammation takes place. This raises your risk of heart disease.

On top of that, long-chain fats require pancreatic enzymes and bile to break them up into smaller molecules. This increases your digestive load and thus, drains your energy.

In response to the loss of energy, your body will attempt to turn down your metabolism to cut down on energy loss, which in turn causes fat gain easily.

Medium- and short-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides, on the contrary, are converted to energy and burned as fuel in your liver as soon as they drive up to your liver.

A certain percent of these medium- and short-chain fatty acids that head towards the liver will be converted (by liver) to ketones. Ketones are 4-carbon short-chain organic acids that can serve as an alternative energy source to effectively fuel cells in all parts of body, including the brain. How much ketones are produced will depend on the amount of coconut oil you consume and the health condition of your liver.

This stimulates the metabolism of your liver that in turn, energizes its 400+ functions including protein synthesis, detoxification, deactivation of oil-triggering hormones and production of digestive chemicals etc to help keep your body operating properly.

3.2.5   Medium-chain fatty units benefit you even more

What you might not know is that not all medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides will go to the liver and be burned off as fuel (or be converted to ketones).

In fact, some amount of medium-chain fatty units especially the 10-carbon capric and 12-carbon lauric acids and their monoglycerides (monocaprins and monolaurins respectively) will be delivered by chylomicrons.

That's because they're relatively longer in the medium-chain group.

Hence, they may move or diffuse slightly slower than other medium-chain fatty units inside the absorptive cells that give rise to chances of them getting wrapped into chylomicrons.

Caprylic acid (8-carbon) may have some taking the lymphatic route too. But because it's the shortest (and therefore, swiftest) among the medium-chain group, more of it go by the portal system than by the lymphatic route.

So, does that mean these medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides that travel in the bloodstream will end up as your body fat like the long-chain fatty units?

Nope. This actually benefits your health even more when you also have medium-chain fatty units carried in the bloodstream to every other cell of your body, besides having portions of their fatty units transported directly to the liver. Why?

Despite they're relatively larger in the medium-chain group, the 10-carbon and 12-carbon fatty units are still considered much smaller than long-chain fatty units.

Long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides require insulin to enter cells whereas medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides can easily permeate the membranes of cells without the help of insulin.

What's even better is that after getting into the cells, these medium-chain fatty units can effortlessly penetrate both the outer and inner membranes of cellular mitochondria (singular: mitochondrion – below), which are organelles inside cells that convert the fatty units into energy.


Long-chain fatty units, by contrast, require special enzymes called carnitine transferase to help them get through the double membranes into the core of mitochondria for energy production.

Which is why diabetics are able to restore their cellular activity (with regular and adequate intake of coconut oil) such as nutrient absorption that in turn, helps to improve their energy levels and insulin resistance problem.

What I'm trying to tell you is that, medium-chain fats, whether they're in the form of free fatty acids (MCFAs), monoglycerides or triglycerides (MCTs), whether they go directly to the liver or travel around your body in the bloodstream, DO NOT essentially get deposited as body fat.

That's because our body simply prefers to use them as a quick energy source due to their smaller sizes (unless you really consume a heck lot of them that contribute to excess caloric intake).

And they don't contribute to artery-clogging since they're saturated and do not promote oxidation and free-radical activity.

On top of that, they don't drain your energy and tax on insulin and enzyme reserves like the long-chain fatty units.

In short, medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides strengthen your liver functions, provide immediate energy for cells throughout your body, heal your skin faster when you get a cut and they can even burn fat since they rev up the metabolism of cells in you.

3.2.6   Limitation of short-chain fatty units

What about short-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides?

Most, if not all short-chain fatty units travel in the portal vein and almost none goes to lymphatic vessels.

This means that they're exceptionally good energy sources and metabolism-boosters for your liver. But the problem is, they can't provide energy for every cell in your body since they literally travel in one route only.

In view of that, consuming more MCT provides better overall health benefits than SCT since MCT powers up the entire body. That's why Mother Nature creates coconut for us all.

And when we consume the oil from this tropical fruit, we get less than 1% SCFAs and 55% MCFAs plus about 36% LCFAs. We need LCFA for energy reserve, organ protection (cushioning) and cell repair.

So, such composition is perfect for our health. No other vegetable oils or animal fats can give us that!

3.3   Benefits of antimicrobial fatty acids

Did you know that all fatty acids (as well as their monoglycerides) in coconut oil, regardless of long-, medium- or short-chain, whether saturated or unsaturated, can protect you against viruses, fungi, bacteria, parasites and other pathogenic microbes?

Triglycerides and diglycerides do not possess antimicrobial properties. Only monoglycerides and free fatty acids do.

3.3.1   Composition and amount of fatty acids in coconut oil

Fatty AcidsType / SizeAmount
Butyric acidSaturated / Short-chain0.009%
Caproic acidSaturated / Short-chain0.477%
Caprylic acidSaturated / Medium-chain6.802%
Capric acidSaturated / Medium-chain5.39%
Lauric acidSaturated / Medium-chain41.84%
Myristic acidSaturated / Long-chain16.653%
Palmitic acidSaturated / Long-chain8.636%
Stearic acidSaturated / Long-chain2.516%
Arachidic acidSaturated / Long-chain0.076%
Behenic acidSaturated / Long-chain0.019%
Lignoceric acidSaturated / Long-chain0.031%
Palmitoleic acidUnsaturated / Long-chain0.016%
Oleic acidUnsaturated / Long-chain6.253%
Gondoic acidUnsaturated / Long-chain0.041%
Linoleic acidUnsaturated / Long-chain1.676%
Alpha-linolenic acidUnsaturated / Long-chain0.019%
The above composition of coconut oil is based on data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for SR 1 Release April, 2018. If you add up all fatty acids in coconut oil, you would get around 90% only, not 100%. This is due to the presence of non-fatty acid material like phosphate, sugar, glycerol or sterol that make up the remaining. Of course, not all coconut oils have the same composition.

Of these fatty acids, medium- and short-chain such as butyric, caproic, caprylic, capric and lauric acids (and their monoglycerides) provide the fastest antimicrobial protection.

That's because they can go through cell walls on their own with ease to fight and kill pathogens inside cells, unlike long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides that require insulin to escort them into cells.

And of these short- and medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides, capric acid and lauric acid in coconut oil exhibit the best antimicrobial properties, why?

Remember early on I told you that because capric and lauric acids are relatively longer in the medium-chain group, so they travel in both pathways – portal vein and lymphatic system?

As liver is the center of detoxification and nutrient processing for your body, it sure will have lots of viruses and other pathogens lurking there attacking liver cells. So, having short- and medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides that go directly to the liver can help to kill pathogens there, besides burning as fuel to stimulate hepatic metabolism.

Your liver functions will further be enhanced with more pathogens eliminated. That's great!

But other parts of your body may have billions of cells being invaded by pathogens also.

If you leave them solely to the hands of long-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides such as myristic, palmitic, stearic and so on, it won't be long before the invasion gets out of hand. This is because like I said, the long-chain fatty units require insulin to enter cells in order to fight pathogens. And if the pathogens multiply faster than the penetration of long-chain fatty units, you're dead meat!

That's why I said it's good to have some medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides (like lauric and capric) channeled to other parts of your body so they can offer you immediate protection by killing pathogens on the spot before they multiply and thrive within your tissues or cells and cause irreversible damages.

Although lauric acid and its monoglyceride (monolaurin) demonstrate the strongest ability in eradicating a broad range of viruses, fungi and bacteria such as HIV, influenza, Candida, streptococcus and staphylococcus etc, other fatty acids do have stronger effects on various other strains or species of harmful microbes and pathogens where lauric acid and monolaurin have little or no effect upon.

That said, coconut oil provides an almost all-round protection for you with its variety of fatty acids plus their monoglycerides working synergistically to boost your immunity and keep you free of super germs.

Let me share with you one of my experiences to prove coconut oil's antimicrobial properties...

We went to Taiwan in July 2014 (Summer) for a relaxing trip. When I was resting in a shelter after a 4-hour bicycle ride under a scorching hot sun, a mosquito flew quietly and attached to my left upper arm sucking up my blood until her bottom was fully filled. By the time I realized her existence, she swiftly flew off. I then quickly rubbed coconut oil on the bitten spot and soon after that, I did not see any mosquito bite on it. No redness. No itch. No swell. No nothing. My skin looked perfectly normal the entire day.

See? That's coconut oil's antimicrobial properties in effect.

4. Best type of coconut oil for maximum benefits and protection

If you want to get the most health benefits out of coconut oil, choose virgin coconut oil.

Unlike olive oil which comes in 3 essential official grades – Extra-Virgin, Virgin and Pure, coconut oil is basically classified into 2 types only – Virgin and Refined. 'Virgin' in coconut oil is not an official classification. It simply means that the coconut oil is produced through the use of low temperatures (< 120 °F or 49 °C) without chemicals, and retain its most natural form. This tells us that extra-virgin coconut oil is exactly the same as virgin coconut oil. No difference in quality. The term 'extra-virgin' is sheer marketing gimmick only.

I strongly recommend virgin coconut oil because this type of coconut oil is extracted from fresh mature coconut meat using either cold-pressed or centrifugation without high heat and chemicals.

When these types of extraction methods are used, coconut oil gets to retain all of its health-promoting properties, including its intrinsic phytonutrients (i.e. lactones) that give it a distinctive coconut aroma and flavor.

Virgin coconut oil in glass
Organic virgin coconut oil in glass jar

Best combo of saturated fats, MCTs and antimicrobials for good health. No pesticides. No hexane. No plastic leaching.

But not all people like the natural aroma and flavor of virgin coconut oil like I do. If you happen to be one of those who wants only the health benefits but not the natural coconut odor, you can go with RBD coconut oil.

RBD stands for "refined, bleached and deodorized". This type of coconut oil is made through a refining process that runs at 220 °F (or 104 °C). They make it to meet the demand of those who dislike coconut odor but yet still want to reap coconut oil's benefits.

But the involvement of relatively high temperature will inevitably caused some loss of health properties. On top of that, removal of lactones means the removal of some antimicrobial properties too since lactones carry antimicrobial traits.

So, don't expect to gain as much health benefits from RBD coconut oil as you would from virgin coconut oil.

However though, you're very much better off eating RBD coconut oil than any other vegetable oils or animal fats which are detrimental to your health.

RBD coconut oil in glass
Organic RBD coconut oil in glass jar

Don't like the odor in virgin coconut oil? This refined coconut oil best fits your needs.

5. How to maximize virgin coconut oil's benefits on YOU

A common mindset that most people have is that, they shall continue to use their typical cheaper unsaturated oils for heavy cooking in everyday life while taking virgin coconut oil as a health supplement.

This on one hand is to help cut their daily expenses as virgin coconut oil costs relatively higher. On the other hand, they hope that their petty intake of virgin coconut oil can help them dilute the negative impact unsaturated oils have inflicted on their health.

Well, even if that paltry quantity of virgin coconut oil does help you debilitate some oxidative damages caused by the unsaturated oils you consume, how much nutritional benefits are left in that peanut amount of coconut oil to enhance your health? Think about it.

Supplement is something that you take to support your immune system and bodily functions.

For example, calcium. If your food intake fails to feed adequate calcium for your bone needs or your body is unable to pull out calcium from your food intake due to digestive disorder, that's where calcium supplement comes into play.

Believe me, if you treat virgin coconut oil like any health supplement, you won't benefit much from its health properties because its health properties can easily get offset or undone by the health-detrimental unsaturated oils you consume.

Imagine on one hand you're detoxifying your body with only minimal consumption of the healthful virgin coconut oil but on the other hand, you're intoxicating your body with maximum consumption of unhealthy oils.

How can your health ever be in its best condition at all times to readily fight illnesses and diseases? Agree?

Coconut oil is a dietary fat that we need badly, just as we need carbohydrate badly. Fat is one of the 3 macronutrients our body requires for essential functions. It's just that you didn't realize all along that the fat you've been ingesting is bad for you.

Now all you have to do is substitute virgin coconut oil for the usual cooking oil you're using. And you now have a good dietary fat in your kitchen that provides tremendous health benefits for you and your family every time you eat.

Don't worry about the cost. When you barely fall sick, you'll realize that you have a lot more spare cash in your pocket than before. Trust me.


Did you read the nutrition label on the container of unsaturated oil you've bought?

Most, if not all carry a small percentage of trans-fatty acids. The amount may seem trivial or even negligible. But no tiny amount of trans-fatty acid should be taken lightly. As trans-fatty acids are aliens to our body, our body may not handle it appropriately. Instead of purging them all out every time they gain entry, our body might shove some of them into our fat cells, which can make it difficult for us to retrieve the true fat for energy usage.

Trans-fatty acids are carcinogenic too. So, don't let them in easily or your cumulative intake of them can completely destroy your life one day when they act up and stage a riot.

6. How to store and use virgin coconut oil to retain its health benefits

I use virgin coconut oil every day, so I simply leave it out in liquid form in a cool, dry place like a cupboard. Easier to use whenever I need it.

But if you feel it's better to store in fridge, by all means.

Just need to know that it'll turn white and rock solid in fridge as it hardens below 76 °F (24 °C). So, when you take it out of fridge, you'll need to thaw or warm it a bit before using. Or you can scrape it out with a butter knife for spreading over bread.

When virgin coconut oil cools below 76 °F (24 °C), it will look snowy or cloudy. That's not a sign of rancidity. Scoop up the soft chunks (it'll get harder as it cools further) and dump it on hot frying pan and the cloudy oil will return to its crystal clear liquid state.

Another thing you need to take note of is, bringing the jar in and out of the fridge frequently may spoil it with molds and bacteria over time. That's because when you open it for use, the moisture in air will condense and form tiny droplets inside the jar. A damp environment provides the best ground for molds and bacteria to grow and "party".

No doubt coconut oil possesses super strong antimicrobial properties that can rapidly eradicate molds and bacteria. But that only happens when the antimicrobial fatty acids in coconut oil are freed by means of digestive enzymes when we ingest it or the friendly bacteria on our skin when we use it topically.

So, handle it with exceptional care if you were to store coconut oil in fridge.

Under proper storage and usage, it should stay good for at least 2 years. (I never let mine stay that long. I usually burst a 23 fl. oz jar in 2 weeks or less.)

Actually, you don't really need to store virgin coconut oil in fridge after opening. It's remarkably stable in itself.

However though, avoid placing it near any heat source especially if your virgin coconut oil is held in a plastic jar. It may not promote the growth of molds and turn bad easily. But its beneficial properties may degrade over time due to probable reaction between the oil and plastic.

Speaking of that, heating or cooking won't destroy virgin coconut oil unless you heat up till it smokes at 350 °F (177 °C). When it smokes, its structure will start to fall apart. This changes its health properties and therefore, compromises its health benefits.

The small percentage (i.e. 8%) of unsaturated fats in coconut oil may oxidize at the exposure of heat, even when you control the cooking temperature well below its smoke point. But fortunately, they cannot interact with one another in the destructive chain reactions that occur in other dietary oils because they're so spatially spread out and surrounded by saturated fats.

If you're thinking of taking some virgin coconut oil with you wherever you go so that you can continue to gain its enormous health benefits, it's best to get some portable, preferably glass containers to hold the oil.

Coconut Oil in Portable Containers

I managed to get a 100 ml glass bottle to store my virgin coconut oil. It is (but not necessarily) tinted as I couldn't find a transparent container that's such a good fit for me. It comes with a "beak" that makes pouring over food super easy without messy dripping from the side.

I also found just the right-sized plastic food container to protect the bottle against breakage. I broke it once without protection and it messed up the place big time.

To enhance the protection, I cut out and place a piece of padding around the inside of the food container to surround the amber glass bottle. Safe until now.

On top of that, I always bring along a handy little glass bottle (5 ml) for my skin care. It has a dropper so it's easy to dab coconut oil on my skin.

So, that's how I maximize the use of coconut oil.

But make sure you wash and dry the glass containers before you transfer the oil over.

I usually air-dry the bottles rather than wiping with cloth or tissue as fibers may stick on the inner wall. Those fibers are harmless though. But I just don't like my precious oil to be tainted with something else especially the inedibles. I use hair dryer sometimes to make my glass containers dry faster.

If the container is not dry, the moisture inside may react with coconut oil (at the oil-water interface) and cause a slight pungent odor amid the natural coconut scent. This mild pungent odor signifies the release of a very small amount of free fatty acids.

You can try shaking a teaspoonful of coconut oil vigorously with some water (it'll become murky) and then take a whiff. That's the odor I'm talking about.

It's still okay to consume at this point unless it gets very pungent and sour which tells you that lots of free fatty acids have been released. When that occurs, the oil has become very acidic and can scorch your skin when you apply topically or burn your throat when you consume it.

On top of that, moisture can promote the growth of bacteria or molds and contaminate the oil over time. Hence, keep the inside of container dry to maintain the quality of coconut oil being transferred.

Same for using spoon to scoop coconut oil. Make sure it's clean and dry before it touches the oil. If not, you'll see little water bubbles trapping inside the oil and when you pour it onto the hot frying pan, you may get scalded when the steam bubbles burst and pop hot coconut oil everywhere.

Because coconut oil is slightly acidic, it may "attack" the metal a bit even when you scoop with a stainless steel spoon that has the highest grade of corrosion resistance. But that shouldn't kill you since the amount of metal tainting the oil is very negligible. If you're worried about ingesting a metal-tainted coconut oil, use porcelain spoon instead. It's definitely non-reactive and safest to use.

7. How much virgin coconut oil to take per day?

I usually recommend 3–4 tablespoons daily for most people. Me? I can take as much as 5 tablespoons in a day by adding the oil to my food and beverages. I can go way above that quantity especially when I sense my immunity has fallen. That's because I'm already seasoned.

If you're brand spanking new to virgin coconut oil and you start taking like 2–3 tablespoons per day, you might feel the burning sensation around your liver area (when MCFAs get burned in the liver) that causes some discomfort in you. You may also get the runs too because virgin coconut oil loosens bowels.

So, don't take too much virgin coconut oil at first. Spread 1 tablespoon over the day for a week or two before you increase to 2 tablespoons and so on.

You can of course begin with just 1 teaspoon per day if that's what you prefer, which I think is the safest amount to start with for anyone.

Simply put, increase your intake gradually and progressively to condition your body to the health effects of virgin coconut oil.

8. Coconut oil's benefits seem too good to be true?

Look, we're constantly (almost every second, in fact) assaulted by free radicals, viruses, bacteria and various other disease-causing pathogens that are always looking for opportunities to take us down.

The reasons why coconut oil is so good for us are mainly because its predominant saturated fats can effectively freeze free-radical activities, and all its fatty acids, particularly lauric acid have powerful antimicrobial properties.

Which is why when you consume coconut oil you get very well protected against these micro-renegades. And when you're well-protected, you barely fall prey to common illnesses and even fatal diseases.

It is just that simple. Nothing so incredible that you'd find hard to believe.

What's more, people (especially the diabetics) with low energy levels often get invigorated by the MCFAs in coconut oil. MCFAs (as said early on) can feed cells more effectively and sustainably than the insulin-dependent glucose.

Another clear evidence is its ever growing number of people around the world using coconut oil over the past 10+ years. If coconut oil is just a fad, it would have died off in a matter of weeks because it couldn't perform as desired, like all kinds of slimming pills out there.

Admittedly, some people have overly touted the benefits making coconut oil seem like a cure-all which could be the reason that turns you off.

I've used coconut oil for more than 10 years and I know it very well. Coconut oil may not be a cure-all, but it does work very well in boosting your immunity and revving up your metabolism. That's the solid fact.

Even the once skeptical Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor who runs The Dr. Oz Show, reversed his stance on coconut oil in 2011. He began to recommend coconut oil on his show to his audience pretty much often since then.

"Coconut oil is loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and oozing with calories...", he once sneered.

Here's what he said after discovering coconut oil can actually burn fat and benefit our health:

"The fatty acid contained in coconut oil is the fat you want to eat to lose the fat you don't want."

Here, I commend Dr. Oz for his courage to quickly take a 180-degree change on his position in light of new information he had never realized until 2011.

Unlike the many stubborn doctors and health care professionals out there who are still not willing to admit publicly or privately that they've made a mistake and that the dietary advice they have handed out to people over the years was wrong.

I know it's hard to accept a new truth when your mind has been so conditioned to believe in something for so many years.

But you can never ever change a fact. So, why not face it?

All you need is just open up your mind, do a little research and your wisdom will help you discern right from wrong and good from bad.

"The mind is like a parachute – it only works if it's open" ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

Discover next: Side effects of eating coconut oil »

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113 chats on “How coconut oil benefits your health: The inside scoop

    • Hi Maddy, yes coconut oil can help with your BV. Leave the tampon in your vagina for 2 hours and do it at least twice a day till symptoms subside. Rinse the area with warm water once done. Additionally, you should eat coconut oil as well to get rid of your BV faster.

      • Just recently found out about coconut oil. Have severe hormonal, thyroid, allergy and blood pressure problems following a 1 1/2 year exposure to black mold we did not know was present in the house. Looks like this could help me rid the mold "mico-toxins" from my body and maybe I could have a more "normal" life.
        I found some coconut oil in a bottle. It is a liquid ready for pouring. Is this an acceptable product? I have IBS and constipation is ongoing. I see it does not say "virgin", but if I find this as a virgin brand would it be a good product or should I use the thicker spoonable product? Very glad to know you're there. Many thanks, Carmen

        • Sorry, one other question: What about coconut water. I started enjoying it about two weeks ago. Like the taste. Can you tell me the helpful properties? So far I have only read it is an anti-fungal which would certainly be good for the mold toxin. Thank you, Carmen

          • Hi Carmen, which region are you residing at? If your room temperature falls below 76 °F (24 °C) and the oil in your bottle is a regular coconut oil, then it should solidify or at least show some soft chunks inside.

            But you said it is in liquid form, could it be liquid coconut oil? (Liquid coconut oil is a form of fractionated coconut oil that contains only MCTs.)

            How does it smell like? Smoky plus a little coconut scent, fresh but delicate coconut scent, a little bit pungent or nothing at all? Other than not saying it is "virgin", what else did you see from the label? What's the brand?

            Of course, I would recommend organic virgin coconut oil for your IBS and constipation. This is the safest coconut oil for consumption since it's gone through only minimal processing. What do you mean by "thicker spoonable" product?

            Coconut water has very little MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids), less than 0.5%. Anti-fungal properties are largely dependent on MCFAs. So, it's not gonna help much in fighting the mold toxins. But coconut oil does, particularly virgin coconut oil. The best thing about coconut water is its rich mineral profile.

            Minerals are electrolytes (calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium etc) for our body. We tend to lose more electrolytes when we perspire especially after working out. Drinking coconut water is a good way to replenish those electrolytes. And coconut water is quite fulfilling as well, so you tend to eat less after drinking it. I love coconut water too. 😉

            • Thank you Soon. The liquid is Nature's Way. Just "premium "liquid" coconut oil and no GMO." No mention of Virgin or extra virgin. Nothing else mentioned. The aroma is a nice, gentle coconut smell that's all. stays liquid in refrigerator. Does not solidify - no chunks. Sounds like mostly for cooking. I also need this for thyroid function. By solid I mean not a clear liquid product as this is. It is poured from the bottle into whatever you want to put it in. Am I better off with coconut oil in solid form from in a jar. Not clear but thick and white and one which you need to spoon out. Thank you again, Carmen

              • Hi Carmen, the reason why natural coconut oil such as virgin coconut oil looks solid is due to the surrounding temperature that falls below 76 °F (24 °C). If you scoop it up and put on your palm, it will melt and become a clear liquid oil.

                Liquid coconut oil, technically speaking, is not really coconut oil. It contains 3 different types of medium-chain fatty acids (caprylic, capric and lauric acids) extracted from either coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Because it only houses medium-chain fatty acids that have low melting/freezing point, it does not harden easily even in a refrigerator.

                You can learn more about liquid coconut oil from these 2 articles:

                It should suffice to use that liquid coconut oil of yours for your low thyroid. Make sure you consult your doctor regarding the needs to lower the dose of your medication if you're on any. Medium-chain fatty acids are good at increasing metabolism, thereby treating low thyroid problem.

    • Hi Tman, if you visit the bathroom for more bowel movements, then this is the effect of coconut oil. But if you pee frequently, this is definitely not the effect of the oil because coconut oil is never diuretic.

    • Hi SCS, better not do that coconut oil cleanse without food just to get rid of herpes. You might not be able to withstand the "side effects" from eating coconut oil this way, especially when the virus causes genital lesions and coconut oil tends to loosen bowels easily.

      Best is to add it to every meal and take it every day. Herpes virus will eventually get killed. And eating this way has the benefit of giving your body ample time to adapt to coconut oil's effect. You should also apply some coconut oil to the affected area to enhance the killing of herpes and expedite the healing. For best effect, use organic virgin coconut oil for both consumption and topical application.

    • Hi Ozzzy, some people may see their LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels drop while others may have their LDL readings remain roughly the same after taking coconut oil for a couple of months.

      But in both cases, coconut oil almost always helps to increase HDL ("good") cholesterol level that in turn, increases the total cholesterol level.

      When your total cholesterol increases, does that mean you're at a higher risk for heart disease? Not necessarily.

      Let's take this opportunity to decipher a lipid profile to help you better understand what effect coconut oil has on cholesterol and whether or not it does put you on a higher risk of heart disease.

      Imagine this is your lipid profile:

      HDL Cholesterol = 75 mg/dL
      [Optimal >= 60 mg/dL]

      LDL Cholesterol = 136 mg/dL
      [Optimal < 100 mg/dL]

      Triglycerides = 74 mg/dL
      [Optimal < 150 mg/dL]

      Total Cholesterol (HDL + LDL + Triglycerides/5) = 226 mg/dL
      [Desirable < 200 mg/dL]

      Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio = 3.0
      [1.5 < Desirable < 4.5]

      Normally, doctors would warn you against heart disease when your Total Cholesterol level shoot above the 'Desirable' value. This strikes unnecessary worry and fear into patients, actually.

      In fact, basing the risk of heart disease simply on the Total Cholesterol reading is not accurate at all. I can prove that.

      Look at the calculation of Total Cholesterol value. As HDL, the "good" cholesterol, forms part of the equation, when it increases, the Total Cholesterol also increases. Does that mean you're prone to heart disease? Of course not.

      On the other hand, imagine your Total Cholesterol value shows 180 mg/dL, which is in the 'Desirable' range, but your LDL Cholesterol reads 136 mg/dL (which is no good), does that make you less prone to heart disease? Again, no.

      According to Dr. Bruce Fife (N.D.), also the author of The Coconut Oil Miracle, many people who die of heart disease have normal or below normal Total Cholesterol levels and many people with high Total Cholesterol levels live long lives without experiencing heart problems.

      That's why experienced and smart doctors do not use the Total Cholesterol value to determine your risk of heart disease. Neither would they use solely the reading of LDL or HDL to indicate your risk.

      They use Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio instead, which is a far more accurate indicator for the risk of heart disease. That explains the presence of that Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio reading. It wouldn't be there if it's useless, right?

      So now, back to the effect of coconut oil on cholesterol.

      As said earlier, coconut oil has a positive effect on HDL cholesterol, and this will improve your Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio, which lowers your risk of heart disease.

      Still skeptical? You can try taking 2–3 tablespoons of coconut oil every day for 3 months and the result of your report will speak for itself.

      But please take note that because coconut oil boosts metabolism, your metabolic rate may hike when you're taking both low-thyroid medication and coconut oil at the same time, causing palpitation. Seek your doctor's opinion if you're on low-thyroid medication.

        • Hi Karen, yes, low thyroid means underactive thyroid. Many people with low thyroid have gotten their metabolism back to normal via regular consumption of coconut oil.

          But as your hypothyroidism improves with coconut oil over time, you'll need to reduce your dosage of thyroid medicine. Work with your doctor on this to avoid over-driving your metabolism.

          How long it will take you to completely wean off your thyroid drugs will depend on how severe your hypothyroidism is and how much coconut oil you're taking. And of course, how good your overall diet is. Keeping an active lifestyle is important too.

  1. Hi Soon,
    I've read that some people with Parkinson's Disease have experienced relief of their symptoms (tremors, stiffness of muscles, ect...) by incorporating Coconut Oil into their diet on a daily basis. Have you heard of this or have any thoughts on the subject?

    • Hi Chris, people with Parkinson's disease have issues absorbing glucose (insulin resistance) into the brain cells called neurons for coordinating and controlling bodily movement. Over time these neurons may weaken and die when glucose fails to reach them which then cause tremor of the hands, legs and jaw etc as a result.

      Taking coconut oil does help with Parkinson's disease since its medium-chain fatty acids will be converted to ketone bodies (by the liver) as an alternative fuel that will flow to the brain to feed the weak and dying neurons. Of course, the earlier you detect the symptoms of Parkinson's disease the faster will be the recovery with regular as well as adequate intake of coconut oil. But for those who have developed into stage 5, I'm afraid coconut oil may only help a little.

      However, it's still good to take coconut oil every day for strengthening immunity and prevention of other diseases. Before getting started, please learn about the side effects of taking coconut oil first.

    • Hi Lystra, menopause symptoms are mainly caused by hormonal fluctuations. Coconut oil can help to regulate hormones that in turn reduce the several symptoms associated with hormones. But that's provided you're consuming enough of it every day. One of the most common menopause symptoms is slow metabolism. Coconut oil is particularly good at improving metabolism.

    • Hi Stanley, coconut oil can protect the tear film layers from evaporation, so it is good as an eye-drop for dry eyes (but the discomfort to your eyes may last longer than artificial tears, that's my experience). Because of its antimicrobial and antioxidative properties, coconut oil at best can help to slow the deterioration of eyesight.

      Coconut oil may help to improve blood flow. But I don't think it helps to improve libido since I never see any libido improvement in myself over the past 11 years of taking lots of virgin coconut oil. I am still as normal as before.

      • For libido and prostate health including heart health, pomegranate seed seems to be of help. As always, consult your doctor when you want to include herbs along with your regular medicines.

  2. Just wanted to say thanks for this article. I've learned a tremendous amount, not just about coconut oil, but oils in general. I love understanding things scientifically.
    So, thanks so much! I wish more articles went into the science behind phenomena.

  3. Great information experience in short has been having a very distorted body from tight fascia and scar tissue............ from many years of competitive sport...including 28 years of aggressive squash.

    I applied some coconut oil on the chronic areas..........on the right side of my body today.......and had the easiest few hours I have had in years..

  4. Hi, I suffer from BV, no antibotics help it, I always have it, i have tried all the antiobitics out for it except the ones I am allergic to, do you think Coconut oil would work on this?

    • Hi Susie, many women are able to get rid of BV with coconut oil. Here's how: Leave the tampon in your vagina for 2 hours and do it at least twice a day till symptoms subside. Rinse the area with warm water once done. Learn to consume coconut oil to eliminate your BV faster.

    • Hi Pontso, I can't promise you that it'll help with conception. But one thing for sure is coconut oil may help to decrease HIV's viral load. How effective it is will still depend on your overall diet and the quantity of coconut oil you consume.

  5. Hi, I have been using organic virgin coconut oil for a few months now.i eat it everymorning in my porridge,also use it on my skin and has also lowered my cholesterol to my amazement and helps with indigestion as well.i simply think nature has given us this natural medicine to use.pls keep up the good work and for your informative research and for sharing with us.

    • Hi Sylvia, your husband's brain has become insulin resistant. Meaning, insulin has failed to properly transport glucose to his brain cells, causing his brain cells to starve, degenerate and die. But fortunately, your husband's case is still mild. Taking coconut oil every day will help to stop the progression of the disease, or even reverse the condition and bring him back to norm.

      That's because a significant portion of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil will convert to ketones (food for brain cells) upon consumption. These ketones do not require insulin to enter the cells and hence they're not affected by insulin resistance. Which is why diabetics are able to improve their condition with regular intake of coconut oil... same principle behind.

      There's no limit on how much coconut oil your husband should take for Alzheimer's. The more, the merrier. But for a start, please only begin with adding a teaspoon to his breakfast, lunch and dinner. That makes up to 3 teaspoons or one tablespoon per day.

      The reason for starting out slow and small in quantity is to avoid potential diarrhea caused by eating too much coconut oil. Coconut oil is good at stimulating bowel movement. So, spread out the amount, always.

      Make sure he's comfortable with the amount for a few days before increasing another teaspoon or tablespoon. However, coconut oil's positive effect can easily get offset by the wrong type of food he eats. So, it makes perfect sense to improve his diet as well. But how?

      Please get this book: Stop Alzheimer's Now!: How to Prevent & Reverse Dementia so that you're more informed on how to help your husband fight dementia and reverse his Alzheimer's disease condition.

  6. Hi
    Would taking few spoons of VCO on empty stomach in the morning cause bad health? I was told it could turn rancid in stomach. I dont know how it will become bad.
    Taking with some food, people say may be ok and it will not make the oil turn rancid.
    Can you help with your advise.

    • Hi Siva, who's that moron to tell you that coconut oil would turn rancid in stomach? If you listen and believe in him or her, you'll become one. But the choice is yours. Believe in this article and go try it out yourself. Your experience after a couple of months is the best evidence to dispel one of the most ludicrous myths that you've ever heard.

  7. Hi Soon,

    Is it safe to give coconut oil to infants (1-2 years old)? What are the benefits of giving VCO to children? If so, how much should an infant take? Thanks.

    • Hi Doris, coconut oil is generally safe for all ages unless the individual is specifically allergic to the fatty compounds in coconut oil (which is very rare).

      Virgin coconut oil helps to strengthen immune system, enhance healing of cells, improve nutrient absorption and protect against bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that often attack very young children who are growing and developing their immunity. You can scroll all the way up to browse through the benefits of coconut oil to get a better picture of how it can help your children and your family.

      There's no limit on how much a person can take, even for infants. But to be on the safe side since coconut oil can easily loosen bowels due to its potent detox property, go slow on your infants. Mix one teaspoon of virgin coconut oil each into their breakfast, lunch and dinner that make up to 1 ½ teaspoon daily. Keep to this amount for a week and observe for any peculiar reaction. If it looks good and they love it, raise to 2 teaspoons per meal.

      The reason for slowly increasing intake of coconut oil is to help our body adjust itself to the strong antimicrobial and detox effect of coconut oil. This way we don't get shocked over frequent runs or breakouts of hives or other skin reactions, which are "healing crisis" actually.

  8. What is your opinion on coconut oil and alzheimers/dementia? My mother is suffering from this terrible disease and my sister and
    I have started giving her coconut oil for a week now. Sometimes I feel it has given her more clarity but other times not. She is taking. 3 TBLS a day with meals and we just increased to a fourth with a snack (nuts) at bedtime. The only thing my sister and I have noticed is an occasional headache and my sister thinks she seems a little weaker. My mother is 83 years old and very healthy except for her failing mind. What I have read is that some think it is like diabetes of the brain and since the liver processes it, the brain can use the mct from the oil much like a diabetic uses insulin. At times she seems like my old mom and then she reverts back into thinking I am just a nice lady. I hear the trick is trying to keep it in her system continually. Have you heard or seen anyone who benefited from the oil for this condition?

    • Yes Vicky, I did hear that some people have had their Alzheimer's condition improved or even reversed. This disease is sometimes called "Type 3 Diabetes" (not an official term though) because it is the brain cells that have turned insensitive to insulin.

      When our brain cells constantly fail to accept glucose from insulin, they'll go hungry slowly and starve to death eventually, which explains for the loss of memory. You were right about the MCT stuff. Coconut oil's MCTs will convert to ketones (aka ketone bodies) that serve as food for the brain cells, without the need for insulin.

      Your mother's headache could be caused by a surge of ketones "jamming" into her brain cells or a detox reaction in her body that causes her to feel weak on and off. I cannot confirm this but based on the amount you have administered on her in just a week (a bit too much for a beginner).

      Usually, I will suggest to increase the intake from 1 tablespoon gradually (over 2 to 3 weeks) to 3 or more tablespoons daily because coconut oil can incur quite a powerful detox response on people.

      Did your mother move bowels easily and frequently upon taking 3 tablespoons for the first week. I hope she did not get the runs. If so, then most of the MCTs have converted to feed her brain (and other cells) rather than stimulating the contractions of her bowel muscles, which I feel it's good news.

      Coconut oil may help to improve dementia. But it's not a magic potion after all. It may require quite some time for people to improve their Alzheimer's condition with coconut oil, of course, depending on the severity of their condition. It's the cumulative negative effect that affects her brain over the years, so she naturally needs some time (probably couple of years) to recover.

      Rome wasn't built in a day. It's still early to conclude whether her condition has improved with coconut oil after merely a week.

      If you need more info about treating Alzheimer's with coconut oil, you can buy this book called Stop Alzheimer's Now!: How to Prevent & Reverse Dementia by Dr. Bruce Fife, the author of many books about the healing power of coconut oil.

  9. hi Soon,
    Im suffering from acid reflux,for the past one month..had heart burn,burping,throat inflame ,neck pain and some times tongue ulcers..i change my diet totally and starting green veggies on my diet menu..and sometime i used to take ginger mix with warm water and drink it.and now im using aloevera juice it seem to fight acid burping is gone..but sometimes i can feel the burning sensation in my chest and throat....neck and shoulder pain keeps on occuring..
    can you please help me to conquer this ..with a proper advised
    thought of using vco for better result..and im not in any kind of medications..thought of visiting doctor.


    • Hi Danny, the main reason for acid reflux and heartburn could lie very much with your eating habit. Chew your food well to help eat your food slowly. When you eat, fill your stomach to 70 % full only, not 80, 90 or 100 % which you often do so (I guess).

      Taking virgin coconut oil may not help much with your heartburn, but it does help improve your immunity and metabolism. Please scroll back up to view this article for a better understanding of how coconut oil can benefit you and why it's so good.

      • Hello,thank you for your worthy are absolutely right about my eating habit.
        I don't know what happen to my stomach for the last 2 days i pass out green STOOL is it a good sign is it that my stomach system is under the process of healing or it is something else..i have this irritate neck pain it goes directly to my head and cause me to feel dizzy and weak is it because of acid reflux before i don't have any neck pain recently i got to cure this..i have no idea what to do..please help me by giving me tips.I shall be grateful to you..Thanks in advance for your wonderful work and help..

        • Hi Danny, I don't think acid reflux has anything to do with your neck pain. It could be some clotting in the blood vessels that cause the pain or you unknowingly hurt it during work? Please go see a specialist regarding your neck pain.

          Meanwhile, you can try to gradually tilt your head back to lift your chin up in the sky which can force blood flow to your head, then lower your chin slowly to almost touch your chest. Perform this neck exercise for 20 times each time you feel the pain and see if it helps to relieve your neck (as well as head) pain. Gently massage your neck too.

          As for your green stool, please refer to Why Your Poop is Green.

    • Hi Laurel, I believe the MCFAs in coconut oil would be able to strengthen and heal the ruptured carotid artery via increasing metabolism of the cells that build the artery. But it's going to take some time, so be patient.

      In fact at the same time, coconut oil's MCFAs can help to lower blood pressure by improving blood circulation. This can help to prevent future occurrence of bleeding in the brain or stroke.

  10. So you are telling me that Coconut oil is good for diabetics.. i just wonder if one has intestinal problems ... and problems with there stomach lining can it help to mend or heal the stomach lining

    i am curious about Michael Dempsey is he genuine.
    Michael Dempsey’s Vedda Blood Sugar Remedy Review
    I will have to read over your article again.. i have to say it gave me great insight, ... i am trying to understand the chemistry attached to this situation... i need more insight into the reverse of diabetis.

    • Hi Nat, virgin coconut oil is good at fighting vaginal yeast infection. Leave the tampon in your vagina for 2 hours and do it at least twice a day till symptoms subside. Rinse the area with warm water once done.

      To lower the recurrence of your vaginal yeast infection, you should learn to add virgin coconut oil to your meals. And consume more vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables (particularly dark green leafy).

  11. Hello,
    Does coconut oil go well for someone who has diabetes and hypothyroid.
    I did start -start feeling extremely tired after taking oil. Concerned... Shall I continue ?

    • Hi Jag, coconut oil can help improve insulin resistance for diabetics. Your cells have become insensitive to insulin and therefore, unable to absorb sufficient glucose for energy. That explains why you feel tired easily.

      The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil can enter cells directly (without insulin or any other carrier) to serve as food for fueling cells. Some diabetics have shown improvement after regular consumption of coconut oil. Coconut oil also helps to boost metabolism that in turn helps to improve thyroid function. That said, you should continue with coconut oil.

      Your feeling of fatigue could be due to your body not accustomed to the effect of coconut oil yet. So, go slowly to let your body adjust itself to the benefits of coconut oil.

      Add one teaspoon each to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then once you feel good with it after 7 days or so, increase to 2 teaspoons per meal and so on until you reach up to 3 or 4 tablespoons daily.


      • Hi Lesly, I am not sure why you were feeling the pain in the lower tummy when you left the tampon overnight. Could it be that you have left it in your body for too long?




    Leah D.





      Scroll all the way up (or click here) to read this entire article and you'll soon understand why coconut oil has got such a bad name in the past (even today).

      If it so happens that coconut oil couldn't help improve your dementia after a few months of consumption, at least you'll have your immunity boosted so that you don't fall sick easily. You got nothing to lose.





      If yes, coconut oil can induce an increase of heartbeat due to its metabolism-boosting effect. This in turn can trigger shortness of breath. Speak with your doctor about adjusting your medication to complement the effect of coconut oil. Coconut oil can help improve low thyroid.



  15. THANK YOU for this amazing information.

    Quick questions - I've been making coconut oil suppositories (about 1 tablespoon coconut oil & 3 drops tea tree oil) to help cure BV (I found this to be more effective than soaking a tampon in it). My question is- Is it safe to do this before going to bed at night?

    Thanks, again! I love coconut oil & coconut cream and have used it for years!

    • Hi Zina, I'm not sure of whether the suppositories you make is safe for you since I don't know how BV would react to the mixture of tea tree oil and coconut oil.

      Sorry for not able to give you sound advice on this. But I do hope it works safely for you. Thanks for your input, by the way.

  16. Hi Soon Chai,

    Great information. I have never seen it said so well all in one place. Very informative. Thank you. I have been cooking with coconut oil for years but recently have been experimenting with MCT oil and also with Nutiva Coconut Manna. I have removed other fats from my diet and limit some others, like seeds, so that I don't get too much of them. So often I am looking for something fatty to get me to the next meal. I have found that Nutiva Coconut Manna does the job very well and makes me feel good, and not overloaded like other fats. I have recently understood that it is made from dried coconut flesh at 170 degrees F. I've started to consume more virgin oil (Nutiva) and felt a great benefit from it. I do like the taste and consistency of the manna much better and feel that it is more satisfying, and part of me likes that it is the whole food. I often eat 4-8 tablespoons at a sitting. Can you comment on the coconut manna and it's health and about the quantity limit per day? Thanks

    • Hi Bradley, Nutiva coconut manna is essentially a coconut puree made from grinding dried coconut meat into a very fine powder form.

      I used it as a spread for bread. I ate it straight off the jar too. It didn't match well with a lot of what I ate, unlike coconut oil. So I stopped buying after finishing a few jars.

      But that doesn't mean you should stop as well. Since you like it so much, it does serve as a good supplement to your diet that has already included coconut oil.

      If we look at its nutritional profile, coconut manna has:

      • Protein: 7%
      • Carbohydrate: 21%
      • Saturated fat: 57%
      • Fiber: 14%
      • Sugar: 7%
      • Iron: 9%
      • Sodium: 36%

      That's all. Comparing to taking the whole coconut (including its water), coconut puree has relatively lower nutritional value. This is because coconut puree is processed without coconut water, which carries a lot more minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

      But still, coconut manna has 57% saturated fat and some fiber that you can benefit from.

      Your intake of 4–8 tablespoons of coconut manna seems okay to me. You can eat as much as you like as long as you don't get any adverse reaction from it. Unlike coconut oil, if you take too much it can loosen your bowels quite easily and give you the trots.

      • Great, thanks Soon Chai. I have not yet experienced the loose bowels. I am up to about 4 tablespoons a day of virgin coconut oil. Since you know so much about coconut oil, I was wondering how much you know about cocoa butter. I have searched a lot and not found much at all out there on the web. I eat cocoa butter wafers from mountain rose herbs every morning. A whole mouth full or two, as soon as I get up. I love the texture and how satisfying they are. And they seem to give me great energy and brain power and help me last until lunch. It would be great to see a whole section on your website with some in depth info about cocoa butter. I have a feeling that it is somewhat like coconut butter in that it is an undescovered healthy thing that has been past over due to lack of knowledge, availability, etc. But I am not sure about the type of fats in it and all of that. I just know it makes me feel great and satisfied and that all I read about it is good.

        • Hi Bradley, cocoa butter is actually the oil extracted from the beans of Cacao tree. Some companies label it "Cacao butter" instead.

          I noticed that many have exaggerated its benefits, particularly on its fat-soluble vitamin E.

          100 grams of cocoa butter carries only about 1.8 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol). That's 0.0018%, which only constitutes 9% of our daily requirement, which is 20 mg. (Of course, different people may require different quantity of the vitamin depending on their size and overall health.)

          If each wafer weighs about 5g, you would need to gobble up 20 pieces just to get that 9% of what you need per day. My opinion is, cocoa butter may help with skin but it's definitely not as rich in vitamin E as many have claimed, unless you really consume a whole bang lot.

          Another fat-soluble vitamin cocoa butter provides is vitamin K. 100 grams contain about 24.7 mcg (micro-gram). It's about 70 times less than that of vitamin E. But fortunately, our body needs only 122 mcg for women and 138 mcg for men, as a guide. I won't go into details about the benefits of vitamin E and K. You can easily find them on the web.

          I also found that cocoa butter has about 0.1% omega-3. Not a good source of omega-3. But still, a little bit is better than none. Some say cocoa butter has minerals as well. Sad to say, zero minerals actually.

          You found cocoa butter satisfying because it holds the high-calorie long-chain fats:

          • Saturated fat: 60%
          • Monounsaturated fat: 33%
          • Polyunsaturated fat: 3%

          But since all of them are long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), they don't convert to energy as efficiently as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut oil.

          I wonder if you're taking coconut oil or MCT oil as well for your breakfast, besides cocoa butter. If yes, then it could be the metabolizing effect of coconut oil or MCT oil on cocoa butter that together, give you great energy and brain power.

          MCFAs help to burn up the LCFAs as well via elevating your metabolism.

          From the perspective of health, cocoa butter does not offer much health benefits. It's simply an oil or fat mechanically pressed from Cacao beans. Just like coconut oil, it does not have much vitamins and minerals as well. So, don't expect cocoa butter to have lots of these nutrients. It's a fat, after all.

          But if you talk about dark chocolate alone (without any additives) that comes entirely from Cacao beans, then the health benefits are huge. That's why I love dark chocolate.

          Well, despair not. I still consider cocoa butter wafer a healthy snack as long as nothing artificial is added to it. You might like to try out Sunfood organic Cacao butter wafer after finishing yours (which is not organic).

          Another thing I forgot to add previously was you should try also Artisana coconut butter. It's named differently from Nutiva coconut manna, but they're just exactly the same product. They taste pretty much the same except that Artisana feels finer and smoother on my tongue. That's my take.

          • Hi Soon Chai,

            Thank you for the reply. I am consuming virgin coconut oil in the morning also. I think it is so satisfying to me because I am low on weight and need fat so much right now. I hear you that it doesn't have as many nutrients. I think I may just use it temporarily until I gain back some more weight. The Mountain Rose Herbs cocoa butter wafers are organic. Thanks for the links to the other options. I have tried the Artisana butter but favored the Nutiva one....I will try it again. Since we last talked, I searched the internet for a raw organic product and found this great company - Original Living Coconut. They produce raw coconut butter that ferments, they have cultured coconut water keifer and they have virgin oil also. The story of Renee the co-founder is on the website and quite remarkable. Seems like she came back from a very serious life threatening situation by using raw coconut stuff. I'm ordering some of the products today.

            I'm also interested in your take on avacado. I have been eating a lot of them and feel like it is another great fat. Also, I'm interested in what you eat to stay balanced. You mention that you have a meat free diet and have no trouble staying balanced with all of your numbers, fat-types, etc. It would be nice to understand how you do that a little more as I am understanding how important the balance of everything is. Thanks!

            • Hi Bradley, yeah you're right. Mountain Rose Herbs cocoa butter wafers are organic. Sorry, I overlooked that.

              The other day I was frying cooked brown rice with avocado and some natural ingredients like carrot, mushroom, green peas etc. Of course, using my yummy virgin coconut oil. The combo tasted super delicious.

              We love eating avocado for its high nutritional value. It is indeed a great natural fat that contains various vitamins, minerals and amino acids. You can get its nutritional profile easily on the web, so I won't go into that.

              It's practically an unsaturated long-chain fat. Since you're looking to put on weight, it's good for you as long-chain fats cause weight gain easily. But it oxidizes and turns brown quickly. So, discard the oxidized portion if it's too dark. Intake of oxidized food does no good to your health.

              What is a balanced diet actually? It's not simply to eat more of this or less of that. But rather, to make sure what you eat does not burden your digestive system. That's the bottom line.

              For example, I will keep my satiety levels for breakfast, lunch and dinner at around 70%. Yes, you'll feel hungry in 2 hours or so. Which calls for a snack in between the main meals twice a day. Or even one more after dinner. When I eat this way, I feel perky the entire day.

              If you take too much food in one sitting, you'll always feel heavy, lazy and clumsy. You'll become less productive.

              And what do I eat every day? That's important, of course.

              I don't blindly follow the so-called recommended daily intake of this vitamin or that mineral. That's going to make you feel overloaded every meal. And you'll be busy counting nutrients rather than enjoying the nutrients from the food.

              You can never have all nutrients in a day. And you don't need to have them all in a day. In other words, you need no supplementation from pills or capsules.

              Our body is a super smart sophisticated entity. It knows how to compensate for the lack of nutrients for that day. So long as you don't stick to just a type of food every day and you'll have an all-round nutrients in a week.

              Take me for example. Yesterday morning I was having papaya and muskmelon (cantaloupe), organic soy milk (added with virgin coconut oil) and dark chocolate croissant.

              This morning I took banana, multigrain drink (mixed with virgin coconut oil) and butter croissant (with home-made strawberry pastry cream). I don't take croissant often. It just happened that I bought some the other day while passing by a bakery. So, I decided to eat that as breakfast.

              Tomorrow's breakfast is going to be different because tonight my wife will bake coconut bread for tomorrow's breakfast. We'll spread on it with organic raw coconut nectar. The beverage may be a green or fruit smoothie. Plus banana since we still have some left on our dining table.

              In short, I try to eat differently for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. And for every breakfast, you're sure to find at least a healthy beverage and a plate of fruits on my table. That's how I eat to stay balanced.

              My daily food intake must always have fruits, vegetables and other natural whole foods. I do take some refined foods, but not often though. Yes, refined foods have low nutritional value. But my overall diet still contains a lot more unrefined than refined foods.

              And not just eating, I work out every morning for about an hour. Whether you're trying to lose or gain weight, it's good to work out every day. It invigorates you. It makes your cells more active and more functional. Your agility and nutrient absorption efficiency will tremendously improve with exercise.

              Long story short, I eat cautiously but I don't want to get too obsessed with the concept of "I must fulfill this or that nutrients every day". That's gonna drive me banana.

              As long as your food choices include a variety of dark green leafy vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds as well, you should provide what your body needs in a week, not by the count of day.

              Of course, don't forget to work out. If you've not been exercising for a long time, kick off with just 5 minutes every morning. And build up your intensity, strength and the length of time from there.

              Additional tip for you, eat more tofu to build up your muscles and you'll gain weight easily. Muscle is denser than fat.

  17. Hi Soon Chai,

    First I'd like to say I think that you're terrific!! You take SO much time to advise, help and encourage your readers. I think that's incredible! Thank you for caring!

    So my sister just told me about VCO 2 days ago. I just started taking it yesterday (2/6/2018). So while I've not noticed a significant difference in my body as of yet, I certainly plan to continue taking it. My sis swears by it. I've read 95% of all the postings. So while I know that you've moved on from the plastic container to the glass I bought the CO in the plastic. I did not know otherwise. Also, it's an off brand because I did not know if I could tolerate it or if would like it. I did not want to spend the money until I was sure.

    Call me weird, but I actually enjoy eating it straight from the jar without any food or beverage. So that's how I've been using it. I've also used it as a topical on my body after my shower today. I have REALLY dry skin in the winter months and this has worked better than my Aqua Phor. VCO has been Phenonmenal for my skin.

    Anyhoo, my question is, is it safe to take along with my Vitamin D supplements? I take D3 50 mcg 2000 IU. I take 2 of those per day. I also take Nature Made Iron supplements daily with Orange Juice. Also 2 per day. So Soon Chai, I am 51 and in very good health. While I'm neither a Vegan nor Vegetarian I've not had meat (pork & beef) in 27 years. Now occasionally I'll have baked chicken (poultry) and sometimes turkey. I've never been a smoker nor drinker. I'm excited about the health benefits but I do not want to continue taking it if it will interfere with or counter act my supplements. Oh, ocassionally I have to take Benadryl for allergies. Is taking it in addition to my other things safe?

    Thanks so much!!

    • Hi Angela, you're not weird. It's perfectly fine for you to eat coconut oil on its own – every man to his taste. As long as you don't get "side effects", you're good to consume it in anyway you prefer.

      Now, answering your question.

      It is absolutely safe to take coconut oil along with your Vitamin D supplements. The MCFAs in coconut oil will power up your cells. This in turn improves the absorption efficiency of cells. Which means, taking coconut oil can help your body absorb vitamin D even better than before.

      Similarly, consuming coconut oil regularly can also improve your iron uptake, just like it does for vitamin D. In fact, for any supplements.

      In a nutshell, coconut oil helps to improve nutrient absorption. It's been well documented in numerous studies that MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) enhance our body's absorption power.

      Which is why MCTs have long been used in hospitals to help malnourished patients who have problems absorbing nutrients. Coconut oil contains 50–64% MCTs, by the way.

  18. Hello Soon Chai,
    My wife has been using this oil on skin and has lost much body fat. She was 90lb and is
    still 90lb after using the CO for three months. But her shoulders, back, buttocks, chest, and thighs
    have lost plenty of fat. Looking very very slim and thin.
    She is patient of IBS, so it's very hard for her to get that fat back.
    Do you have any suggestion?
    Please, thank you!

    • Hi T-Valiant, sorry to have you waiting.

      I don't quite get you. 3 months before she started coconut oil on her skin, she was 90 lbs, right? So, after 3 months of putting coconut oil on her skin she is still 90 lbs now. Am I correct?

      If that's the case, her fat loss has nothing to do with coconut oil. And coconut oil should not effect much fat loss by simply applying to skin, as far as I'm concerned.

      IBS patients usually have weak digestion and poor absorption. Does she eat a lot each time but somehow she just couldn't grow fat? How tall is she?

      Consuming coconut oil (by adding to her food) can help her improve nutrient absorption. Malnourished people have got their conditions improved after taking coconut oil every day. But that's gonna take at least a couple of weeks to get some results.

      • Hello Soon Chai,
        Thank you for your response.
        In fact she can not eat anything except rice and bananas only twice a day. Allopathic medication does not work.
        We have tried many alternative ways but nothing works for stomach ulcer. But we were able to manage 90lb for almost two years with reasonable body fat.
        Until somebody told to apply CO on facial brown spots resulted from malnutrition. Now those spots have become
        lighter and body fat is vanished.. My close observation of 3 months says that CO is behind it.
        Kindly suggest something. Doctors have nothing to do!

        • Hi T-Valiant, no wonder she's underweight. She needs to treat her stomach ulcer first rather than the brown spots on her face.

          Many cases of stomach ulcers stem from the excessive stimulation of gastric acid by H. pylori bacteria. Has she tested for the presence of H. pylori yet?

          If it's confirmed that she got this bacteria, then she can try to mix virgin coconut oil in her rice. I eat like this every time. She can also dip banana in virgin coconut oil too.

          Many people have got great results from taking 1 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil 3 times a day for at least a month after suffering from stomach ulcers due to H. pylori. This is because virgin coconut oil has gotten half its contents filled with lauric acid – the assassin that will kill H. pylori without mercy.

          Apart from that, coconut oil can help her absorb nutrients better.

          In short, she needs to get rid of the stomach ulcer and improve her nutrient absorption. Only then can she be freed from underweight. Once her malnutrition is gone, the brown spots on her face will vanish too.

          What kind of coconut oil is she using on her face currently? If it's fractionated coconut oil that is meant for skin or body care, then don't consume that.

          Try to get a good quality virgin coconut oil. But check with her to see if she would like to try it out. I can only suggest but the ultimate decision lies with her.

  19. Hl Soon, I was just diagnosed with type2 diabetes about a month ago and began taking a pill to help manage my sugar levels, I’ve been reading a lot about VCO and it’s benefits, I had a quadruple spinal fusion about 6 years ago and a knee replacement about a month before spinal fusions, I had to stop working after that and didn’t change the amount I ate nor the type foods I ate and I gained a ton of weight, (lack of activity) I just bought a jar of VCO today after reading your article last night, I pray this works to help me both loose weight and help my diabetes, I have 4 children 2 of which are very young and my 8 year old has autism and is non verbal, I have to be around for him for many many years, I worry about now having diabetes as my father had it and shortly after being diagnosed he passed from causes of it, thank you so very much for the free advice, TALK SOON!!!

    • Hi Alan, for the good of your children and yourself, you really must do something about your diet. Not just adding coconut oil and hope it will help fix your overweight. It doesn't work that way.

      Imagine you continue with what you've always been eating and you simply add coconut oil, you could gain more weight. When you add coconut oil, you must also cut back on certain food. I've got a post that shows you how to burn fat effectively with coconut oil.

      Go devour the information there. And if you have any more question just input your comment there. I will get back to you ASAP. So sorry about the late reply, by the way.

      • I have not read that yet but will today, I have now changed my diet drastically and even with back and knee oroblems am becoming more active, (walking ect..) as I realize my diet needed an overhaul, thank you for all the awesome information.

        • Hi Alan, making over your diet is necessary. But drastic changes might backfire. I've seen way too many cases over the past years making drastic changes to their diet and giving up altogether eventually.

          To make the transition to your diet seamless and help you stick to your "new" diet more easily, you should always make small changes each time you improve your diet. That will make things more sustainable and your life easier.

          Anyway, all the best. 😉

  20. And btw, I'm on Efavirenz/lamivudine/tenofovir treatment. I was researching a lot about the benefits of VCO coz a couple of weeks ago, I noticed I was having oral candidiasis. I was so desperate to look for a cheap way to cure it. Included VCO gradually to my diet and at the same time did 'oil-pulling' - it showed significant result. As a matter of fact, I think the oral thrush were gone in just a few days.

    I guess my concern is if it is okay to continue taking VCO while taking HAART at the same time. I wanna make sure it doesnt make HAART less effective (or anything like that).

    Thanks again!

    • Hi Ford, it's obvious that virgin coconut oil is working fine with your HAART treatment. Otherwise, you would have gotten some severe adverse reactions.

      As a matter of fact, virgin coconut oil helps boost metabolism, lower viral load and expedite healing. So, I don't think it would make HAART less effective. On the contrary, it should complement well with HAART and help you even better to manage your condition.

      So yes, you should continue to take virgin coconut oil since you can feel its positive outcome on you.

      But do remember to monitor its effect as you increase your consumption of virgin coconut oil, just to make sure nothing bad happens and it makes your life better.

  21. For the last month I have been combatting warts on my index finger. They are caused by a virus that penetrates through the damaged skin. I tried essential oils like oregano, lavender and frankincense. It always helped somewhat. Once I tried coconut oil and the growth of warts stopped. Although they appear again in a couple of days but they stop growing.

    • Hi Fero, warts are caused by HPV (Human papillomavirus). Coconut oil is super effective in killing that virus, which is why your growth of warts stopped upon applying coconut oil.

      Appreciate your sharing of experience with the use of coconut oil on warts. Thank you.

  22. Soon,
    After I sent you a question I went back and started to read and when my wife came home I read some of your information to her since I am so impressed with your knowledge and information. I not only have a problem with my doctors but at age 84 with constipation and other issues like BPH I must do something soon. You gave me a good start. Thank you.

    • Hi Rajan, first off, I apologize for such a late response because your message has been wrongly reported as spam when you commented the other day. My admin team had just lifted it as normal after reviewing.

      So now, yes, coconut oil can help with psoriasis. I have it too near the ankles of both my legs (just about 6 months ago psoriasis started off and have no idea what actually caused it). Coconut oil makes my skin soft again.

      How to use coconut oil for psoriasis? Simple, just apply a dab to the affected skin at least twice a day (morning and night). The texture of your skin should improve in less than 7 days.

  23. Hello Doctor.!!! Please I'm 23year old and I'm passing through difficulties of mouth odor and bad breath (Halitosis), for the past of 8years. I have seen a lot of dentistry doctors they've treat gums infection and several drugs were giving to me up to now I didn't recovered. So, what I'm asking sir, can coconut oil cure halitosis?? Because I have take it for the past of 2months didn't recover also. If no, please which way can I follow to cure this sicknesss thanks so much a lot.

    • Hi Umar,

      Bad habits and unhealthy diet can impact the health of your liver and lungs. When you hurt your liver and lungs, bad breath occurs.

      Here are some quick tips you can do to improve your health, thereby getting rid of your bad breath:

      1. Quit smoking and drinking. You should know they're bad for your health. Bad breath is an indicator of sub health. What's more, a mouth reeking of smoke and alcohol will make you more repulsive.

      2. Drink more water. We tend to forget to drink adequate amount of water to hydrate our body. Poor hydration can retard the elimination of toxic substances in our body. Toxins stink. And this reflects in our breath.

      3. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. These plant foods provide tons of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs for optimal health. While increasing their consumption, you should cut back on unhealthy food like meat, fried food and high-sugar stuff.

      Unhealthy food can take down your health. Especially meat, it rots easily and quickly in your gut that in turn, causes smelly gas when you burp.

      4. Sleep early. Go to bed by 11 PM. And try to target at least 7 hours of sleep. Staying up late into the night will take a tough toll on your liver.

      5. Taking coconut oil at least 3 tablespoons per day. This can help improve your liver health and enhance your bowel movement. Frequent bowel movement helps to get rid of toxic waste in your body. Less toxins, less bad breath. Find out how to use coconut oil for health benefits.

      In a nutshell, poor health leads to bad breath.

      Last but not least, don't call me 'doctor'. I'm just a regular guy like you.

  24. Hi Soon Chai,
    I'm so glad to found your website. Recently I was diagnosed with 5 breast cyst and I'm so worried I don't want undergo surgeries. Few days ago I started to eat extra virgin coconut oil one tablespoon in empty stomach and one table spoon before bed. I massage also with coconut oil my breast every night. I had notice one of the cyst maybe 1cm is gone near in my underarm. Please advise, should I take more than 2 tablespoon a day for effectiveness. Your reply much appreciated.

    • Hi Amber, coconut oil can boost your immunity. Therefore, the more you consume, the better your health will be. And probably, the faster your cyst will go away.

      But try not to take coconut oil on an empty stomach. You may not experience any stomach discomfort with one tablespoon yet. But you might get the diarrhea-like symptoms as you increase your intake.

      The best way to ingest coconut oil is to mix it into your food. And spread out the amount over the day. For example, one tablespoon added to your breakfast, then 2 tablespoons at lunch and one tablespoon for dinner. That way you'll have 4 tablespoons of coconut oil in a day.

      Keep in mind that as you eat more coconut oil you should also decrease your consumption of food especially meat and sugar. This helps to prevent the toxins (in the meat) from negating the health-promoting properties of coconut oil. High sugar intake can aggravate the cyst too.

      On top of that, more coconut oil and less of other foods balance up your total calorie intake. Coconut oil can easily make you feel very full when you take a lot. Which is why it's also good for weight loss.

      Also, do continue with your topical massage with coconut oil so that you can combat the cyst from both outside and inside.

  25. Coconut oil is only at most 15% of the MCT correct ? So wouldn’t finding actual MCT fatty acids have much more beneficial benefits than the coconut oil ? I have been using the coconut oil for 11 months and haven’t noted much difference in my health
    It is amazing on my
    Dry skin though

    • Hi Stephanie, coconut oil carries about 50 to 64% MCT, depending on various factors during manufacturing.

      Pure MCT oil usually carries only 2 or 3 types of fatty acids, which may not suffice to boost your immunity and protect your health.

      How much coconut oil are you taking per day? And what else you're consuming as well is just as critical because taking junk food can negate the health benefits of coconut oil.

      • I am now mostly using it for cosmetic purposes , but i'd estimate I ingest and average of about a tablespoon per day .. I add it to my eggs when i scramble them and most mornings blend it with ghee in my coffee

        • Hi Stephanie, 1 tablespoon per day is not enough to provide much health benefits for you.

          Imagine on one hand you're taking the health-promoting coconut oil while on the other hand you're ingesting the chemical-loaded refined food and toxin-laden meat (I suppose you're not on a plant-based diet), how much are you expecting to gain from coconut oil?

          The fact that coconut oil helps your skin has proven its beneficial properties. Unless you increase your coconut oil intake and decrease your junk food intake, you won't gain much out of that mere 1 tablespoon per day.

  26. So how do you test various coconut oils and verify which ones are fake, diluted or impure? Meaning they are labelled organic cold pressed virgin, but really are not.

    • Hi Kurt, you have to smell and taste to find out the real and best organic virgin coconut oil that caters to your needs. it's not easy to tell if it's truly a virgin simply by looking at it. Another good way to ensure you're getting the real deal is to pick a reputable brand.

      I was "conned" once thinking that I was getting an organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil since the label says so. I paid a high price for that but ended up with an odorless coconut oil, which is not typical of virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil should reek of fresh coconut. And you can only know that via smelling and tasting.

      As for whether it's diluted with the lighter fractionated coconut oil and pass it off as virgin coconut oil, you really have to gather enough experience from using and consuming different types of coconut oil. You can't tell as a newbie.