Frequently Asked Questions: Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
Q. Does your organic coconut oil need to be kept in the fridge?
No, it does not need to be refrigerated. In fact it will become as hard as a brick if you do keep it in the fridge. In tropical climates, the oil is traditionally not refrigerated and is always liquid. In Australia, at least for most of the year, the oil is semi solid. It can be made liquid by standing the container in a pan of warm water - never microwave! The natural antioxidants give it a very long shelf life. Store out of direct sunlight.
Q. What happens when coconut oil is heated?
Coconut oil is not destroyed by heat. The medium chain fatty acids are very resistant to heat and even commercial oils heated to very high temperatures retain their MCFA's. Coconut oil is one of the best and safest oils to use in cooking.
Q. What's the best way to use coconut oil?
There are many ways to use coconut oil and incorporate it into one's diet. Since it is a stable cooking oil, one can simply replace other oils in the diet with Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil. Since it is a solid most of the time at room temperature, it can be a butter or margarine substitute for spreads or for baking. Any recipe calling for butter, margarine, or any other oil can be substituted with Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil. Many people simply eat it by the spoonful. Coconut oil has been used by indigenous populations for centuries as a natural lotion to heal and protect the skin.
Q. Aren’t all coconut products fattening?
Ideal dietary fat intake combines a mixture of 3 main fat groups (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated) as reflected in most dietary guidelines and heart recommendations.
Coconuts contain saturated fats, but these fats are medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Medium chain fatty acids are rapidly digested and used to provide energy in the body, thus reducing the chance of the body storing it as fat.
Q. Isn’t coconut oil high in cholesterol?
Coconut oil is a vegetable oil and therefore contains no cholesterol. Cholesterol is only found
in animal fats and dairy products.
Q Why do some say coconut oil is unhealthy and bad for you?
Since the 1960s, coconut oil has been unfairly labeled as “unhealthy.” The media reported studies of how tropical coconut oils were laden with artery-clogging fats. What wasn’t reported was the fact that the coconut oil used in the studies was hydrogenated – not the pure virgin oil used for centuries as a staple food among traditional cultures. We now know it is hydrogenation – artificially adding a hydrogen molecule to oils in order to make them shelf-stable – that’s the problem, not coconut oil. Hydrogenated soy, corn, and canola oils – loaded with dangerous trans-fats and processed with toxic hexane solvents – are routinely added to packaged foods. Hydrogenation fattened corporate profits and American waistlines, and is now being linked with a number of diseases.
Q. Will heating coconut oil turn it into hydrogenated oil?
Hydrogenation is not caused by heating coconut virgin oil during cooking. It is an industrial process where hydrogen molecules are introduced into the oil to make it solid at room temperature. It chemically alters the oil and creates harmful trans-fatty acids. Cooking with coconut virgin oil does not introduce hydrogen into the oil or hydrogenate it. It is perfectly safe to heat coconut virgin oil for cooking, and it is ideal for deep frying.
Q. How much coconut oil should one ingest daily to receive its health benefits?
The health benefits of coconut virgin oil are mainly from the nutrient value of medium chain fatty
acids (MCFAs). The best comparison in nature as to percentage of MCFAs being consumed in
a diet is human breast milk. To equal the amount of MCFAs a nursing infant would receive in one
day, an adult needs about 3 tablespoons of coconut virgin oil a day according to researchers.
However, for those not used to coconut virgin oil in their diet, it is best to start out with an amount far less than this, say about 1 tablespoon, to see how your body reacts.
Q. Is coconut oil suitable for everyone?
Everyone and anyone can use coconut virgin oil. Coconut virgin oil is NOT a chemical or drug.
It is a FOOD provided by nature that is wholesome and good for everyone.
Q. Are there “side effects” to taking coconut oil?
Coconut virgin oil is a food, not a medication, and therefore it does not have “side effects.” Since individuals vary, there could be adverse reactions, especially if your body is used to a low-fat diet regimen. Since lauric acid supports natural antibacterial and anti-viral function, there could also be “die-off” effects from coconut virgin oil as these organisms are eliminated from the body. The most common reaction is diarrhea. While 3 tablespoons is recommended as the daily intake by some researchers, it is probably best not to start with that amount, or take it all at once. Spread it out over the course of the day, and reduce your intake if there are unwanted effects.
Q. Can you get the same health benefits by eating fresh (or dried) whole coconut?
While whole coconut does contain coconut virgin oil, you would have to eat more by weight to get the equivalent amount of pure coconut virgin oil. Whole coconut comprises of not just oil, but also fibre, protein and natural sugar. If you are trying to restrict sugar from your diet or are allergic to protein, you do have to account for the added sugar and protein in whole coconut as well.
Q. Will taking coconut virgin oil help me lose weight?
We do not market Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil as a weight loss supplement, however it is true that medium chain fatty acids tend to digest quickly, producing energy and stimulating the metabolism. Using coconut virgin oil as an alternative to trans-fat laden hydrogenated oils, along with a healthy diet and exercise plan should help with your weight loss goals.
Q. After applying coconut oil on my skin, why did my skin become very dry and break out into a rash?
Coconut virgin oil has a very powerful cleansing and healing effect on some people. In these people the oil can cause a “healing crisis” or “cleansing crisis”. This is not an adverse reaction or allergy or disease. The oil has strengthened the body to the point that it is expelling large amounts of toxins. Symptoms vary among people. In some people they may experience dry skin, others rashes, others upset stomach, etc. Our recommendation is to keep using the oil. Once the body has expelled the toxins, the person will feel better and the skin will look and be healthier. A healing crisis can last one day or a couple of weeks. This, of course, depends in part on the diet and lifestyle of the person. If a person continues to eat toxic foods, they may have the healing crisis for a long time.
Q. When is a good or best time in the day to take coconut oil as a daily dietary supplement?
The morning is an excellent time because it is the beginning of the day and most people can use a boost of energy at that time. It is recommended that the oil be taken throughout the day, preferably with meals.
Q. It is known that coconut oil has nutritious benefits and immune-boosting properties. Will it be effective for woman going through menopause or those who are on their way to menopause?
Coconut virgin oil has a balancing effect on hormones. Consequently, it can affect menopause/peri-menopause. Many women report that it affects the timing of their periods. Some women
report that it reverses menopause and associated symptoms. It turns the clock back so-to-speak by a few years.
Q. Will eating coconut oil raise my cholesterol?
This concern is understandable as we have been conditioned to believe that all saturated fats raise cholesterol and coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fats. However, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil contains largely medium chain fatty acids instead of the usual long chain fatty acids atypical of saturated fats of animal and dairy origins, thereby demonstrating different characteristics.
As advised by Dr Bruce Fife, naturopath and world renowned Coconut Guru, coconut virgin oil will improve your cholesterol values and reduce your risk of heart disease. The rise in total cholesterol that some people might experience is due mostly to an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol. Their cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol) improves, thus reducing their risk of heart disease.
It is an established fact that the cholesterol ratio is a far more accurate indicator of heart disease risk than total cholesterol. Total cholesterol could be misleading as it lumps together both LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol with no indication of how much is good and bad. You can have high total cholesterol, but if a large percentage of it is made of up HDL, then your risk is low. Likewise with low total cholesterol, if a large part of it is LDL, your risk could still be high - the lower the cholesterol ratio, the better. 5.0mg/dl is considered average risk and 3.2mg/dl or less is considered optimal with lowest heart disease risk.
Since the cholesterol ratio is a far more accurate indicator of heart disease risk, ask for a lipid profile test at your next visit to the doctor to determine this ratio instead of simply having your total cholesterol level checked.
Can you give some tips on how to use coconut oil?
- There are many ways to use coconut oil and incorporate it into one's diet. Since it is a stable cooking oil, you can simply substitute coconut oil other for other oils you may have been using in your diet. (although it is not suitable for cold salad dressings because the liquid oil will become solid when mixed with cold ingredients).
- In semi solid form or when refrigerated, it can be used as a butter or margarine substitute for spreads or for baking. Most recipes calling for butter, margarine, or any other oil can be substituted with coconut oil.
- Many people simply eat it by the spoonful.
- Mixing the oil with hot water and drinking it is becoming more and more popular. Try also mixing it with herbal teas, honey, lemon, apple cider vinegar and other suitable beverages for a great warming drink!
- Blend coconut oil in shakes and smoothies.
- Stir coconut oil into porridge.
- Prick potatoes and other vegetables and roast in coconut oil
- Use coconut oil on rice or pasta.
- Coconut oil is delicious when spread on crackers, Ryvita or bread.
- Coconut oil great for your pets! Add to their food for a nice shiny coat.
- As a hair and scalp conditioner - If you wish, apply to the scalp 20 - 30 minutes before washing or, for best results, leave on overnight (placing a clean towel on your pillow to protect it) and wash out the oil in the morning with a toxin free shampoo.
If you decide that you wish to use this oil as "skin food", you may find it convenient to warm the oil until it liquefies (place it in a bowl of warm water - NEVER microwave) and decant the oil into a bottle with a nozzle. Thereafter keep in a warm place for ease of use.
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