Coconut oil used to be thought of as an unhealthy oil to cook with because of its high fat content. In recent years, however, studies have proven that theory wrong over and over. Extra virgin coconut oil, though it is 90% fat, is different from animal fats. It is made up of rare fatty acids that are a combination of ketones, capryllic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. Aside from helping to give you a burst of energy quickly, these also help you to maintain health, and can even restore health in many instances.

Alzheimer’s has affected me personally as my mother was stricken with this horrible illness. I found an amazing article about coconut oil about a man in Florida who was unable to feed himself or draw a simple picture of a clock. His wife, Mary Newport, M.D., knew of an upcoming trial that was using a drug that was derived partially from coconut oil. Her husband was not chosen for this study, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She started giving her husband extra virgin coconut oil twice a day. Miraculously, over the next month, each week his drawing of the clock was better and better, and he came out of his foggy state and began talking, smiling, and even joking. Over the next year the Alzheimer’s symptoms continued to decrease. He recently had an MRI, and it showed that the deterioration of the brain had stopped.

Extra virgin coconut oil helps in many other ways. The combination of healthy fatty acids protects the heart, lowers cholesterol, protects the immune system, fights bacteria, and aids in the absorption of essential minerals and vitamins. The good news for diabetics is that it also improves the secretion of insulin which helps to control blood sugar.

Aside from all of these amazing benefits, extra virgin coconut also has other advantages. It is used in treating acne, can aid in weight loss by boosting the metabolism, it speeds the healing of bruises, it fights tooth decay, and it fights the signs of aging due to its antioxidant properties.

With all of the benefits of extra virgin coconut oil, we should all be using it on a daily basis. It gives a delicious flavor to dishes, as well as drinks such as smoothies and hot chocolate, and is high heat tolerable, meaning you can use it for frying (if you must), or in stir fry’s. You can even take it plain from a spoon. It is recommended that you take one – two teaspoons per day to reap all of the benefits.