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Coconut Oil

I want to know how people utilize coconut oil.

How much to you have per day?

How do you take it? Straight from a spoon? In a smoothie?

What kinds of benefits do you see from having coconut oil on a regular basis?

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Comments

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I use it in nut-based desserts & drinks, or with raw cacao & a sweetener as a chocolate sauce or bar. I don’t eat it every day, but I just read about some of the health benefits, & I want to find more ways to use it, too. Someone suggested using it in a salad dressing in place of olive oil, but I haven’t been brave enough to try that yet – it just seems strange because I associate coconut oil with sweet things. Some people just take it from a spoon.

  • I have the same problem, associate coconut oil with sweet things. I don’t even know all the benefits from it and that is also why I started this, to see what others have found that it helps. My mother-in-law gives coconut oil to her bulldog once a day, 1 tsp to cure skin issues. I hadn’t thought about taking it myself until just lately when someone said they were taking it to help their own skin. I know there have to be other things it helps other than skin, maybe not?

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Yes, it also helps kill bad bacteria but leaves the good alone, and it kills fungi & viruses. In some countries, it is used to treat HIV & AIDS patients. In one study, 60% of the HIV patients who took coconut oil (2-4 Tablespoons per day) showed improvement. It also helps improve digestion & is digested easier than other fats, so often people who can’t digest fats use coconut oil with no problem.

    I put some coconut oil in my pine nut alfredo just now, and it was good.

  • Wow, thanks Angie. I have a friend who was just diagnosed with HIV and I will tell him to start with the coconut oil right away. If there is any chance in helping he should start right away. Alfredo sounds great right now, I’m super hungry! Better go to the store on my way home from work. Until then, water it is.

  • Where to begin? We eat it with dried fruit and cacao nibs as a dessert. We put it in smoothies, and we add it to anything that seems a little dry. The fat is great for your brain!

    Coconut oil with some coconut solids is called Coconut Cream and/or Coconut Butter. It makes excellent candy bits in raw ice cream. Beat some in a food processor, and then add either mint or orange oil. Homogenize frozen bananas in a juicer and then add to the whipped coconut oil/butter. The coconut will clump into delightful little candy-like bits. YUM!!!

    We also use it as a skin moisturizer. It makes a fab. eye cream or all over the face. Got a brush burn or big wipeout scab? Lube it up frequently to prevent dryness and cracking, with the added benefit of anti-microbial properties. Lip balm. Personal lubricant (and it tastes GREAT). There is coconut oil in my soap, hair conditioner and face wash.

    I’d lose my mind without this stuff! Like really, I think my brain would dry up.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Stephanie – I read about a man in the Philippines who had full-blown AIDS and wasn’t expected to live longer than 3 months. He had lots of other infections, hair falling out, skin cracks & oozing sores, etc. His doctor told him to start taking 6 Tablespoons of coconut oil per day and also to rub it all over his skin. Nine months later, he was not only still alive, but his skin had healed, hair grew back, other infections were gone, etc. and he was at a conference to tell people about what coconut oil had done for him. Bruce Fife has written books about coconut oil, and he was at that conference. He said something like: Tony may always have the HIV/AIDS virus in his body, but because of coconut oil, he can have a fairly normal & enjoyable life. I read this in his short book “Virgin Coconut Oil” – he has written others that talk about the scientific studies; this one was more about what coconut oil does and personal stories of people’s experiences with using coconut oil.

  • heartshapedskyheartshapedsky Raw Newbie

    angie- That’s incredible. I love coconut oil. I’ve got to remember to take a spoonful every day!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    angie~ Do you have a reference for the study on HIV & Coconut Oil? It might be useful for StephanieWithOpenEyes and her friend to know if there is a special kind of coconut oil the study used or any other special conditions so the friend has the best chance of reproducing the results.

    Y’all~ It’s a big issue with people reproducing study results to know the specifics of what was used and the conditions in which something is used in a study. Many times a study uses a specific concentration of an active ingredient or a special preparation or variety of a substance. An example of this is when the famous study came out about St. John’s Wart impacting depression. After the study results were publicized, in general terms like St. Johns Wart is good for depression, many people when out to their local stores and bought some St. Johns Wart. Many did not experience the same results as the study and that was because the study used a verifiable concentration of an active ingredient (don’t know what that active ingredient is) that is available in a specific variety of St. Johns Wart. From the publicity about these negative “experiences” many negative things have been passed-on and written about St. Johns Wart. Consequently, unfortunately, many people won’t have access to the benefits of St. Johns Wart and will turn to pharmaceuticals with all their side effects.

    Many of the products available to consumers, regardless of distribution system (mail order, store shelves, etc.) are not tested and manufactured to specifications that ensure consistency of active ingredients or ingredients in general, and not even consistency between bottles or what is on the label. This is a sign of a unreliable manufacturer! This post is simply to educate folks to ask questions when reading about studies/results so one can obtain the same (if not better) results that are reported in studies. There are standards for manufacturing call General Manufacturing Practices (GMP) that have been developed for the supplement/natural products industry that are being phased in for the protection of consumers and so consumers know what they are actually getting. A big shake out of shoddy “natural” products manufactures is happening over the next 5-10 years.

    StephanieWithOpenEyes~ Much healing energy to your friend.

    EDIT: Angie~ Way cool that you posted the references. It took me a bit to write my “expose’” of the natural products industry and I didn’t see your post until I clicked the Save Reply button. :)

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    SWOE- I’ve been refreshing my rawness with a re-read of an original favorite and Gabriel Cousens recommends no more than 2T /day as “it can raise cholesterol levels in some individuals.” Many people put it in their smoothie. I don’t use it much, but the caprylic acid is very good for fighting Candida.

  • chicorychicory Raw Newbie

    I use a bout a tablespoon a day, in my green smoothies, then lick the spoon yum!

  • I bathe my face and neck in it almost every morning!! It’s amazing!

     

  • ungratefulungrateful Raw Newbie

    Delicious with dried fruit, just like candy. It tastes fine off the spoon but it is very rich.

    It isn’t salty or sweet, you can use it with sweet or savory recipes.

    I don’t take more than a tablespoon a day, but it’s easy to eat more than that if you are eating it with figs or raisins, so be careful!

    It’s the only cosmetic I use these days. Excellent skin moisturizer. It’s good for your hair but use it sparingly, it’s hard to get out.

  • achin70achin70 Raw Newbie

    I like Artisana Coconut Butter in my salads or green smoothies with ground flax seed. It’s very tasty, and combining coconut butter/oil with an omega 3 source like ground flax seed increases your conversion rate of medium chain to long chain omega 3’s from 1-3% all the way up to 6-10%, depending on study you cite. :)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    lzhpt-coconut oil only affects cholesteral if it is not the unrefined, virgin, cold pressed version.

    I use coconut oil in my smoothies(at least a tablespoon) as well as a moisturizer for my whole body including face. It’s been magical and I adore it. My skin has never been better and after starting with it in my smoothies my digestive system is functioning far better.

    I have stretch marks on my inner thighs and they have begun to disappear!

  • I put about 1 T. in a dressing (my own) that is about 2 cups total of lemon juice, water, and different oils, along with other ingredients. It is mostly flax and hemp oil, though.

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    TJAB- Gabriel Cousens’ is a renowned raw foodist and would never advise anyone eating refined coconut oil. He is an avid scientitst and would not quote that about raw, organic coconut oil were it not studied at Tree of Life. That was a quote from his book, not from me. I’ll do my best to link it to you.

  • achin70achin70 Raw Newbie

    When I was at Tree of Life recently, Dr. Cousens said more than 3T per day can raise your cholesterol. In his book, “There is a Cure For Diabetes”, he recommends 1-2 T per day, probably in order to play it safe. Now 3T is quite a bit of coconut oil, so most people don’t need to worry!

    The upside is that if you have low cholesterol, which is linked with aggressive behavior, depression and suicide, you can use coconut oil therapeutically to raise your cholesterol levels.

    I haven’t read any original research on this, so I’m not sure if the studies/tests were done with raw or heated coconut oil. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t done with hydrogenated coconut oil, though (research done years ago showed a relationship w/hydrogenated coconut oil and high cholesterol, but the more recent research likely used heated or raw coconut oil). LOL. :)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    lzhpt-so you’re saying to eat the refined coconut oil? That goes against everything I’ve read. Unrefined is how it is inside the coconut meat so it can’t possible be worse for you than refined.

  • Hi everyone, it’s been 22 hours since I’ve visited this thread and WOW I didn’t expect to have so much information shared. Thank you.

    I plan to go to the store tonight and get some. Now I want to try it on my skin as well. Have any of you had a bad reaction to using coconut oil on your skin such as breaking out? Do you use it just like lotion?

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    I was beginning to think I was going crazy as I could not locate that page that I just read yesterday. Sorry for confusion in my last post. Of course I was referring to eating unrefined coconut oil.Also very interesting on the Hemp oil. I just bought some and it tastes bad. Page 294 of There is a Cure for Diabetes “recommended oils include: *cold-pressed flax seed oil, which should be used within 3 weeks from date of pressing as it is highly susceptible to rancidity. *Hemp seed Oil, which should be used within 6 weeks from date of pressing as it is highly susceptible to rancidity. *Cold -pressed sesame, coconut, sunflower and almond oils *Coconut Oil, but no more than 1-2T/day as it has been shown to raise cholesterol when eaten in excess.” Sorry. Didn’t want you to think i was quoting out my behind! :)

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    SWOE: yes. Use it like lotion. I use it in the evening on my face, but it’s too oily for me for daytime use. If you put it all over before work, give yourself a little absorbing time. One day I oiled all my clothing! Hopefully that clears up the oral dosage. It was also recommended to me by my Naturopath at 1T /day for hot flashes. you have a ways to go before that time, but keep that idea in the back of your mind. Still no hot flashes for me.

  • chicorychicory Raw Newbie

    I was using it on my skin, but it gave me cosmetic acne. I still use it around my eyes and on my legs with no ill effects

  • ungratefulungrateful Raw Newbie

    I use it like lotion but I didn’t use that much lotion to begin with. Since I quit using soap I rarely feel like I need any lotion anymore

  • Chicory- That is exactly what I was afraid of, I will probably try it to see how I react but my skin seems to break out easily with ointments but with this being so pure maybe my skin would react better.

  • SueSue Raw Newbie

    I love coconut oil.Sometimes I use so much of it on my face because it smells so good and I can’t stop myself, that it ends up getting in my eyes and everything goes blurry. Then I have to drive to work all squinty-eyed so I can see. Since I discovered this stuff, I pretty much don’t use any other moisturizer. I also use it to make raw chocolate. Good stuff!

  • chicorychicory Raw Newbie

    It was great for the first week and then I just got these teeny tiny sandpaper like bumps everywhere! never had acne like that before

  • lol @ sue —-> ” I use so much of it on my face because it smells so good and I can’t stop myself, that it ends up getting in my eyes and everything goes blurry.”

    Me to. its funny how it makes you squint no matter how much you try to wipe it off..........
  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    I put about a teaspoon of coconut butter in my smoothie each day. i can’t seem to locate coconut oil that is organic or raw.

  • Bitt- I don’t know if you have a Fred Meyer where you live but I bought some there this morning. It is Organic, unrefined, virgin cocomut oil.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    bitt – You can buy it from www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com – their centrifuged coconut oil is organic AND raw (and very yummy)!

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