Early this week or late last week, Rebecca and I purchased a bottle of local pressed coconut oil at the market. I have intentions of infusing various plant fragrances into the oil, and I hope to get some more in the next day or so to facilitate those experiments. Shortly after getting the oil, I decided to fry up some onions, tomatoes, green peppers and garlic to begin to make a soup or stew or something with beans, rice and leftover chicken meat. I decided to use the coconut oil in frying these things, but first I poured a small amount into a glass and drank it to get an idea of the flavor it might add. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I decided to fry the vegetables using shortening instead of the coconut oil as I felt it would be wasteful to use the coconut oil in this way.
Again without much thinking about it, about every day I would drink a little bit of the coconut oil. Also, since arriving here, I have had difficulty with my hair. I never did like shampoo but always used bar soap to wash my hair. I do not know if it is the difference in humidity, sunlight, or the difference in the very hard water or the soap, but washing my hair with bar soap leaves my hair very stiff dry, and I can't comb it. Those of you who are friends and relatives on my side of the family may be surprised that I do actually know how to use a hair comb and from time to time do comb my hair. But not here. It was impossible to comb my hair, and I was beginning to accept that I would end up with some sort of white-boy version of dreadlocks.
With my newly acquired bottle of coconut oil in hand, I recalled that most if not all of the local people both Creole and Spanish put oil in their hair. I have always had the idea that oil should be washed out of hair, but I put about a quarter of a teaspoon of coconut oil into my hands and rubbed it into my hair after a shower. I can comb my hair now. Somehow the oil makes the hair softer and easier to comb, without leaving my hair greasy. The people here have good reasons to put oil in their hair. The rest of the family does not need this, but they are using shampoo not bar soap.
Well enough, my mother is perhaps happy that I am actually combing my hair on a regular basis, but in addition to this new hair oil thing, I was drinking coconut oil. Today after pouring about a quarter of a cup of my now diminishing oil, Rebecca expressed concern that it is not at all healthy to be drinking oil. Keep in mind, I have been drinking the oil without giving much thought to it. Rebecca's concern made me stop and think, is it safe to actually drink coconut oil? Slightly shocked that I hadn't considered this at all, I decided to look up the health effects of coconut oil. There is some controversy, but I found enough information that I am not inclined to stop drinking the oil. Apparently, some people with laboratories and test equipment and educations feel that coconut oil is good for you. I am not suggesting that anyone else start drinking coconut oil. What I am suggesting is that there is another way of knowing, a different way of learning, and that I recently had a taste of that. It has always amazed me that people have been able to figure out the health effects of the plants around them apparently without an understanding of either basic chemistry or biology. For instance hundreds of years ago people would take the plant foxglove for "dropsy" or chest pains. Now in modern times it is discovered that there is digitalis in foxglove and digitalis is sometimes used to treat angina. Simple enough, but how did those people hundreds of years ago figure that out? I think I know how.
Some references about coconut oil:
The coconut is called the tree of life for it has been providing us, humans, food and drink, materials for housing, fuel and many industrial uses. And its medicinal uses are many and varied. The latest medical potential of products of the coconut first identified by Jon Kabara and others in the 70s, is the anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity of its medium chain fatty acids, particularly lauric acid (C12:0) in its monoglyceride form (monolaurin or ML).
COCONUT OIL IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
Let’s begin with the basics. Coconuts have been consumed for thousands of years, and are regarded by many civilizations as a primary source of food. Interestingly enough, said civilizations exhibit health patterns and life expectancies that continue to bewilder health professionals. But why? Some would like you to believe that this is because their diets lack fast and processed foods, are high in fresh fish and vegetables and are rarely served through a window. Ok, so these are all very good points. Still, there is simply no mistaking the blatant connection between consumption of coconuts and the drastically low disease rates among the natives who eat them daily.Here’s what we know. Unadulterated virgin coconut oil contains a number of beneficial medium chain triglycerides (MCT), including Lauric acid, Myristic acid, Capric acid, Oleic acid and Linoleic acid. And just so there’s no confusion, yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat. But because of its unique “medium chain” molecular structure, you need not worry about packing on the pounds.1 MCT’s are unlike other unsaturated fats in that they provide many of the crucial metabolic constituents needed to burn fat, maintain healthy body weight, boost energy and immune system function, regulate thyroid activity, fight fatigue and absorb vital nutrients.2,3,4 And among all of the pro-health compounds inherent to coconut oil, Lauric acid is clearly the most promising and significant.
Coconut Oil: A New Hope for Health in the 21st Century
Coconut oil has a unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. The health and nutritional benefits that can be derived from consuming coconut oil have been recognized in many parts of the world for centuries. Although the advantage of regular consumption of coconut oil has been underappreciated by the consumer and producer alike for the recent two or three decades, its unique benefits should be compelling for the health minded consumer of today. A review of the diet/heart disease literature relevant to coconut oil clearly indicates that coconut oil is at worst neutral with respect to atherogenicity of fats and oils and, in fact, is likely to be a beneficial oil for prevention and treatment of some heart disease. Additionally, coconut oil provides a source of antimicrobial lipid for individuals with compromised immune systems and is a nonpromoting fat with respect to chemical carcinogenesis.
Health and Nutritional Benefits from Coconut Oil: An Important Functional Food for the 21st Century
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