Why is Coconut Oil Good For You and Its Uses

open coconut

Coconut oil is good for you.  It is more easily digested by the body than other vegetable oils.  It has good fatty acids and vitamins, like Vitamin E, Choline and Vitamin K (which is good for healthy bones and is a vitamin needed to make your blood clot - a good thing).

Why is Coconut oil good for you?

Coconut oil has medium chain fatty acids (MCFA’s).  These fatty acids are more water soluble and more easily digested by the body than the long chain fatty acids (LCFA’s) found in other vegetable oils.  This is because they don‘t require bile to break them down, enter the bloodstream quicker and go to the liver faster where they are used as an immediate source of energy.  Also, less MCFA’s are converted into fat than LCFA’s.



What is a Medium Chain Fatty Acid and a Medium Chain Triglyceride?

Fats in food are composed of fat molecules called fatty acids, which are grouped in a structure call a triglyceride which has 3 fatty acids linked with a glycerol carbon atom.

Triglycerides and fatty acids are both classified as saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Plus they have a further classification on whether the fatty acid chain of carbon atoms are short, medium or long.

So there are short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and short chain triglycerides (SCT), medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and medium chain triglycerides (MCT), and long chain fatty acids (LCFA) and long chain triglycerides (LCT).

Properties of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is a solid at room temperature (around 74° F,  23° C), and a liquid at higher temperatures.

Fat Composition of Coconut Oil

(all percentages are approximate)

Saturated fatty acids (around 92%):

• 50% lauric acid, a MCFA, which has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties.   Lauric acid transforms into monolaurin in the body, which helps build your immune system.


• around 7% capric acid which may help balance insulin levels.


• Other saturated fatty acids include: 17% myristic acid, 8% palmitic  7% caprylic, , acid, 2.5% stearic, and .5 % caproic

Monounsaturated fatty acids:

• 6% Oleic acid

Polyunsaturated fatty acids:

• 2% Linoleic acid

Are Saturated fats good for you?

In a nutshell (sorry for the pun), YES they are.
They provide essential functions for the body such as:

• Contain the building blocks for cell membranes


• Carry important fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, D, E and K


• Help you feel full after a meal


• Absorption of calcium into bone


• Protect the liver from alcohol and medications


• Maintain the surfactants in your lungs (a substance that helps you expand your lungs)


• Supports the saturated fat content of the brain


• Supports the saturated fatty acids found in white blood cells

For more information see : Mercola.com - 7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat

Grades of Coconut Oil:

Virgin or Extra Virgin (can be Organic as well) Coconut Oil

My affiliate link - great price for a pack of 2

Chemicals and high heat are not used in the process of making Virgin Coconut Oil.
There are 2 processes that can be used.

(1) They use dried coconut meat which is pressed with a mechanical press. No heat is involved.  This can also be called expeller pressed.

(2) Wet-milling - oil is extracted from  fresh coconut milk (which is meat that is blended with water).

Depending on the manufacturer it can be labeled Virgin or Extra Virgin - there is no industry standard or distinction between the two.

• This coconut oil has retained its beneficial  properties of vitamins and MCT’s - so it is very healthy for you.


• It has a nice coconut smell and coconut taste.


• It has a long shelf life of around 2 years (up to 5 years) because it does not go rancid easily. UPDATE (9/19/2011)- my Virgin Organic coconut oil went rancid after 1 1/2 years but my EXTRA VIRGIN Organic Coconut Oil is still going strong!

Fractionated Coconut Oil (sometimes referred to as MCT Oil)

This is coconut oil that has the few long chain fatty acids (LCFA’s) removed.  It only has the MCT’s remaining. Made by using steam and pressure hydrolysis of coconut oil into glycerol and free fatty acids. The fatty acids are then fractionated into the long and medium chain acids before medium acids are recombined with the glycerol to create MCT oil.  This is good for cooking but mostly used for making soaps and creams.  It is also used for medical preparations.

• This oil retains its vitamins and MCT’s.


• No coconut taste and no coconut smell.


• Very stable and long shelf life of at least 2 years.


• It will not become rancid.

For more information on Fractionated Coconut oil see: Live Strong.com - What is Fractionated Coconut Oil



Refined Coconut Oil

Extracted from smoked, kiln or sun-dried coconut meat called “copra”.  The meat is then crushed to extract the oil.  The drying process is not usually sanitary, so the oil is refined, bleached and deodorized (called “RBD“).  Chemical solvents which can include hexane can be used.  There is no coconut taste and no coconut smell in this type of oil.Heat is used.

• This oil has lost its vitamins and MCT’s in the refining process.


• There is no coconut smell and no coconut taste.


• It has a shelf life of around 1 1/2 years.

Organic Coconut Oil (but not virgin or extra virgin):

This oil can be called organic provided the solvents, fertilizers and pesticides used are of organic origin.  However it can be made from “copra” and refined.

• All the vitamins and MCT’s have been removed because of the refining process.


• There is no coconut smell and no coconut taste.

Hydrogenated Coconut Oil

A chemical process which can use hexane that can prolong shelf life.  The process forces hydrogen gas into the oil with high pressure which converts the MFCA’s into trans fatty acids - and trans fatty acids are bad for your health - they raise levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

• This oil has no vitamins and no MCT’s.


• There is no coconut smell and no coconut taste.

Uses of Coconut Oil

(1) Cooking with Coconut Oil:

(a) Cooking with Virgin or Extra Virgin (Organic) Coconut Oil

• Excellent to cook with.


• The MCFA’s are resistant to heat and heat induced damage -  no oxidative damage is done so antioxidants stay in tact and no dangerous chemicals are produced (which can even happen to Extra Virgin Olive Oil on high heat).


• No trans-fats are created.


• Smoke point is 350°F to 450°F (or 180° C to 230° C).

However, there is a coconut flavor in this oil.  If you want to cook without the coconut flavor, I recommend fractionated coconut oil - no flavor, but the vitamins and MCT’s remain intact.

(b) Cooking with MCT or Fractionated Coconut Oil

• Still has MCFA’s which are resistant to heat.


• No trans-fats created.


• No coconut flavor, vitamins and MCT’s remain intact.


• Note: I have NOT tried cooking with this yet.

(c) Cooking with Organic Coconut Oil

• No MCFA’s or vitamins remain.


• No coconut flavor, no trans fats created.


• Higher smoke point of 450°F (or 230° C).

For more information see: Mercola.com - Coconut Oil

See my Coconut Rum Ball recipe

(2) Face and Body Lotion

(see my article HOW TO USE COCONUT OIL AS A BODY CREAM)

• Light and easily absorbed into the skin.


• It helps reduce wrinkles


• Penetrates the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues.


• Antioxidant properties help in preventing premature aging.


• Helps treat psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.

See my Coconut Lip Balm Recipe

(3) Immune System Support: (*see disclaimer below)

• It is anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.


• It can be taken internally to boost your immune system and prevent colds:  Take 3 to 4 tablespoons spaced out during the day.  You should build up to that amount as you can experience a “die-off” detoxification effect (symptoms of which can be diarrhea, headaches, nausea).


• It is used in food preparations for people who have digestive disorders and trouble digesting fats.


• It is used in infant formula to prevent malnutrition - its easily absorbed so it helps the body conserve energy.


• The absorption of calcium and magnesium increase with the intake of coconut oil.


• This may help people who are concerned with osteoporosis by improving their mineral absorption.

(4) Health Support: (*see disclaimer below)

• Unlike other fats, MCFA’s don’t create sticky platelets in the bloodstream which can cause blood clots.   Instead, MCFA’s are burned up immediately after consumption, making coconut oil healthier for you.

(5) Weight loss: (*see disclaimer below)

• The MCFA’s in coconut oil are converted to energy rather than converted to fat.  It also stimulates the metabolism - thus burning more calories.

For more information on health benefits of coconut oil see:

• Organic Facts - Health Benefits of Coconut Oil


• Family Education - Are All Fats Created Equal?


• Coconut Oil Cure - Virgin Coconut Oil


• Coconut Research Center - Coconut

*Disclaimer: I do not provide medical advise or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine.   The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA.  Consult your doctor before following anything you have read on this website.    See my full medical disclaimer under Terms of Use.