Mercola Natural Health Blog

What comes in mind when you see a coconut? Do you see visions of a dream getaway to the Bahamas? A trip to Hawaii or Florida?

For Dr. Mercola, the coconut is one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. The coconut is known as the "tree of life" in Asia and the South Pacific Islands because it is a valuable source of food and medicine.

Aside from the fruit, other parts of the tree are used to make furniture, musical instruments and other useful items.

Fresh coconut juice is one of the richest sources of electrolytes on earth. It is useful in preventing dehydration. In cases of diarrhea or strenuous exercise, you can take coconut juice instead of Gatorade or sports drinks. In some remote areas of the world, coconut juice is even used intravenously in emergency situations to help hydrate patients who are seriously ill. In addition, coconut meat is rich in fiber and is also a good source of protein.

Coconuts possess many health benefits due to their fiber and nutritional content but coconut oil is what really makes this fruit a remarkable food and medicine.

Dr. Mercola ranks coconut oil as the healthiest oil you can consume. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for its long shelf life and antimicrobial properties, and contains no trans fat.

There is a widespread misconception that coconut oil is a bad oil because it contains saturated fat. But the truth is that not all saturated fats are dangerous.

Dr. Mercola explains that fats are different based on the number of carbon molecules they contain and are categorized as either short-chain, medium-chain or long-chain fatty acids. Close to two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids, which have antimicrobial properties, are easily digested by the body for quick energy, and are beneficial to the immune system.

The saturated fat found in coconut oil does not have a negative effect on cholesterol and is actually health promoting. Coconut oil is in fact so nutritious that it has been used in baby formulas and is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, athletes, or those who just want to enhance their overall health.

But because of some flawed studies performed in the 1950’s, a powerful anti-saturated fat movement began to brainwash the public. The edible oil industry denounced all saturated fats and aggressively promoted polyunsaturated fats such as canola, soybean, safflower, corn, and other seed and nut oils – the very oils that you should be avoiding! These oils easily become rancid when exposed to oxygen and produce large amounts of damaging free radicals in the body, and can actually cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer and weight gain.

Coconut oil is the only oil stable enough to resist heat-induced damage, making it the best to use for cooking.

Moreover, the benefits of coconut oil extend outside your kitchen. For decades, professional massage therapists have used pure coconut oil to help soothe stressed muscles.

Coconut oil is also ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from free radicals and improve its appearance with its anti-aging properties.

Physiologist and biochemist Dr. Ray Peat considers coconut oil to be an antioxidant, due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Because of this, Dr. Peat believes that coconut oil reduces your need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

It’s a no-brainer for you to include coconut oil in your diet. Dr. Mercola recommends the Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. If you want to start using coconut oil, make sure that what you buy passes these requirements: