April 2, 2008 - Benefits of coconut oil

The discussion of coconuts prompted Carol to delve into the world or curries! She just emailed me today to tell me about a tofu coconut curry she made. Coconut, in my opinion, is an acquired taste. When I was young I always disliked the coconut flakes. They were too sweet and too flakey. I guess growing up in Indiana doesn't allow for exposure to the topical fruits as much as living in Santa Cruz or Mexico. I have gradually grown to really enjoy the many flavors and aspects of coconuts. I guess it first started with having Thai food. The curries and quite popular and really provided a wonderful way to try the coconut milk. On one of my trips to Thailand I was then exposed to fresh young coconut. Delicious! As a Naturopathic doctor I have learned about the benefits of coconut oil. It has an anti-viral and anti-bacterial action and helps to regulate the lipids in the body, just to name a few. I like to recommend it to my patients for their cooking needs. It is a great alternative to olive oil and has a nutty flavor. You do need to be careful not to heat it to the point of smoking which is an indication of the oil breaking down. In the body, this will result in oxidizing rather than having beneficial effects. Another good option is to use coconut oil in place of butter. Melted over steamed vegetables is delicious. Therapeutic doses have been determined to be 3.5 tablespoons per day. One final thing about coconut oil. To really reap the benefits, it is important to purchase the unrefined, virgin and preferably organic brands. to learn more about coconut oil visit this website: http://www.coconutoil.com/mary_enig.htm
I hope this has prompted some of you to look into the benefits of coconut oil.