Benefits Of Coconut Oil

Coconut is a tropical fruit, yes a fruit. It can be found in tropical areas like Hawaii, Samoa Island, Tahiti, and the East coast of Africa and in Nigeria, it is found in places like Badagry because of the beaches there.

There used to be misconceptions about coconut oil being fatty oil- the oil is unhealthy for consumption but in actual fact, it is a multipurpose oil and is better than the usual vegetable oil.

The fruit itself has a lot of health benefits, although some people have reported allergy to ingesting and applying coconut oil. The fruit is an antimicrobial (kills microorganisms or stops their growth), anti-carcinogenic(inhibits or stops the growth of cancer), antioxidant (compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals and chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms) and an anti-inflammatory ( reduces inflammation or swelling). It contains vitamin A,D,E and K.

Coconut oil is multi-purpose oil and can be used for different reasons. It can be used for cooking because as we all know; the normal vegetable oil is now frowned upon because of the unhealthy properties that cause inflammation, so vegetable oils can be replaced with coconut oil. There are also Nigerian food and snacks that can be prepared with coconut like;

· Couscous, an African beverage or diet prepared by parboiling the couscous and groundnut paste together and the adding grated coconut to the mixture. Sugar and milk can be added if desired. The beverage is sumptuous and is enjoyed mostly by people in the northern part of Nigeria.

· Coconut rice, which is prepared by using the coconut milk as broth just like the meat broth I used for jollof rice.

· Coconut is also a rich form of plant milk. Most people are now shunning dairy products, some are allergic to it, some are vegans and others just want to maintain healthier lifestyles. So you can replace your diary milk with coconut milk. The milk is made by grating, the blending and then sieved.

Coconut is also very essential in beauty products like makeup, skincare or hair products. For the hair,

*It moisturises your hair and reduces breakage.

*Protects your hair from protein loss and damage when wet

* Protects your hair from environmental damage like wind, sun and smoke.

*One other benefit of coconut oil is the benefits it gives to the skin because

· It serves as a moisturizer,

· Smoothens the skin

· Reduces wrinkles and fine lines

Reduces and prevents fungal infection on skin and many more

The oil can be made at home or just gotten from a nearby store to save time. It can either be cold pressed or heated. Statistics have shown that cold pressed coconut oil has more effect than the heated one. For a cold pressed coconut;

I. Grate the coconuts and blend to give a smoother texture.

II. Sieve the milk and transfer to a jar, preferably a transparent one

III. Store in the fridge for 24 hours or more. By the next day the milk would have gotten up and the residue would have been down.

IV. Scoop out the oil on top and transfer to another jar. The residue can be heated again to squeeze out more oil but it will not smell as fresh as the cold pressed.

There are so many health benefits of coconut oil on the skin however, some have reported allergy on the face. While it is perfect for some people’s face some others have complained that the agent causes acne so you might just have to be careful before using it on your skin.

One of the amazing things about coconut oil is that no part of it goes to waste. The chaff derived from sieving the milk might not be discarded. It can be reused and eaten. Here is how;

I. Dry the chaff under the sun and remove when it becomes crusty.

II. Heat a frying pan on fire.

III. Add half teaspoon of your cold-pressed coconut oil and allow to heat.

IV. Add a spoon of sugar to it and leave till melted.

V. Add the chaff to the mixture and stir till properly mixed. Your coconut snack is ready.

Lastly, the barks of coconut can be used in traditional settings where the instrument of cooking is fire woods

I hope you get the coconut fruit more involved in your life.