The Health Benefits of Coconuts & Coconut Oil

July 21, 2007

Coconuts play a unique role in the diets of mankind because they are

the source of important physiologically functional components. These

physiologically functional components are found in the fat part of

whole coconut, in the fat part of desiccated coconut and in the

extracted coconut oil.

Lauric acid, the major fatty acid from the fat of the coconut, has

long been recognised for the unique properties that it lends to nonfood

uses in the soaps and cosmetics industry. More recently, lauric acid

has been recognised for its unique properties in food use, which are

related to its antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions.

Now, capric acid, another of coconut's fatty acids, has been added to

the list of coconut's antimicrobial components. These fatty acids are

found in the largest amounts only in traditional lauric fats,

especially from coconut. Also, recently published research has shown

that natural coconut fat in the diet leads to a normalisation of body

lipids, protects against alcohol damage to the liver and improves the

immune system's anti-inflammatory response.

Clearly, there has been increasing recognition of the

health-supporting functions of the fatty acids found in coconut. Recent

reports from the US Food and Drug Administration about required

labelling of the trans fatty acids will put coconut oil in a more

competitive position and may help its return to use by the baking and

snack-food industry, where it has continued to be recognised for its

functionality. Now it can be recognised for another kind of

functionality: the improvement of the health of mankind.

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