Ultimate Guide: 21 Benefits of Coconut Oil for Weight Loss

There are so many coconut oil uses that no one is surprised it’s one of the best-selling items in natural health and conventional supermarkets today. Coconut oil has been used to treat and prevent illnesses for thousands of years. Knowing how to use coconut oil for weight loss is even more valuable. There is obviously good reason that coconut oil is one of the best-selling items in natural health today.

Top 21 Coconut Oil Uses for Everyday Wellness

Culinary skills, body care, and medicinal benefits seem almost never-ending, and the list of coconut oil uses keeps on growing. It’s one of our most often used carrier oils.

Coconut’s lipid profile is the key to its almost “magical” benefits. Coconut oil consists of three of the rarest fatty acids in nature: lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid. Known as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), research has linked a multitude of health benefits to these easily digestible fats. As stated by NYU Langone’s Medical Center, medium-chain triglycerides may be especially advantageous for: (1)

• AIDS Patients – It helps those who are unable to digest fats to gain much-needed weight.
• Diabetics – It improves insulin sensitivity and promotes weight loss.
• Overweight/Obese Individuals – It improves body composition (ratio of fat to lean tissue).
• Athletes – It enhances high-intensity exercise and endurance activities.

You see, coconut is believed to be nature’s best source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Ultimately, of all the fats that we eat, MCFAs give us the best source of energy because they are easy on our metabolism. They improve our metabolic system and help us lose weight.

Compared to low chain fatty acids (LCFA), MCFAs are:

• Processed by the liver and immediately used as energy rather than stored as fat
• Smaller in circumference, so they permeate our cells and provide quick energy
• Easier to digest

Likewise, reliable sources claim that MCFAs can prevent muscle breakdown in critically ill patients such as cancer victims and it can help children with certain types of seizures. (2)

There are so many ways to use coconut oil in your natural health plan. By looking over this “Top 21” list, you’ll discover some great ways that you can start using it today. (3, 4)

1. Cooking – One of the best high-heat cooking oils.
2. Coffee Creamer – Tasty and healthy replacement for dairy cream.
3. Nutritional Supplement – Rich in lauric acid, coconut oil has been used a natural cure for hundreds of ailments
4. Weight Loss – Can boost your metabolism.
5. Heart Health – Contains a balanced mix of LDLs and HDLs.
6. Mental Function – Known by some natural health experts to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Balance Hormones – Healthy thyroid hormones and adrenal glands are supported by the healthy fats in coconut oil.
8. Healthy Digestion – Helps destroy bad bacterial and promotes probiotic growth
9. Booster – Just 1 teaspoon daily can do wonders for energy levels.
10. Pulling – Detoxifies the oral cavity and helps prevent tooth decay.
11. Fighter – A powerful antimicrobial, it can help with athlete’s foot, yeast infections, and much more. For some added oomph, add some pure tea tree or melaleuca essential oils.
12. Body Lotion – Moisturizes without leaving a greasy residue, especially when you add essential oils.
13. Rashes and Burns – Mixed with lavender and melaleuca, it is great for rashes, scraps, and cuts. It’s also very effective for eczema and psoriasis.
14. Diaper Cream – Perfect for the most sensitive skin. Just add a little lavender essential oil for a nice calming, healing touch. (If you need a stronger diaper care try our homemade diaper rash salve.)
15. Eye Makeup Remover – Simply apply and wash your face afterward.
16. Stretch Mark Prevention – Especially for pregnant ladies around the abdomen!
17. Sun Block – It’s a natural SPF 4.
18. Shaving Cream & Lotion – Mix with some lavender, especially helpful for dry, sensitive skin.
19. Wrinkles & Cellulite Solution – Add some grapefruit essential oil to tighten up problem areas.
20. Anti-Itch – Great with lavender, melaleuca, and eucalyptus oils to soothe bug bites and itchy skin. Try using fractionated coconut oil in the anti-itch roll-on for kids remedy.
21. Bug Repellent – Mix with some citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus, and orange essential oils to replace your bug spray.

Coconut Oil Tips to Lose Excess Pounds & More Uses

Coconut oil has been used to treat and prevent illnesses for thousands of years. Ayurvedic medicine in India used coconut oil because it worked, even though they did not know why it worked so well. Research has proven that this amazing fruit has medium-chain fatty acids including caprylic acid and capric acid.

Note, you need to be careful you’re not loading up on coconut oil and other fats if you consume a lot of carbs – especially processed refined grains and snacks. This is what gets people in trouble. Again, out of moderation, and calorie overload.

When consumed properly, people have experienced wonderful benefits in preventing and treating the following health conditions:

• Obesity and weight gain
• Type two diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Oral health disorders
• Symptoms of cystic fibrosis and malabsorption syndrome
• Symptoms of skin disorders such as burns, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, and psoriasis
• Symptoms of enlarged prostate (prostatic hyperplasia)
• Symptoms of gallbladder disease and pancreatitis
• Symptoms of digestive issues such as Crohn’s disease, stomach ulcers, and ulcerative colitis
• Epileptic seizures
• Liver disease
• Memory and brain dysfunction
• Immune dysfunction
• Cancer
• Chronic inflammation
• Bladder and kidney infections
• Heart disease, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis
• Alzheimer’s and dementia

When consumed in the context of a well-balanced diet (i.e. not high-carb/low-fat, nor low-carb/high-fat), coconut oil can be used in a large variety of beneficial ways in your natural health plan.

Guidelines for Eating Coconut Oil for Weight Loss

The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health reported in 1985 that a single injection of capric acid resulted in eating less and losing weight. This was proven in male rats, and it became well-known that capric and caprylic acids were beneficial to the human body.

It may not seem to make sense that eating more fat leads to greater weight loss, however, it is very logical. It’s important to understand that MCFAs control many physiological processes. For example, the study above showed that capric acid has great thyroid, bradycardic, and hypothermic effects. The MCFAs found that coconut oil can speed up the metabolism and help the body use calories in a more efficient way.

The Obesity Research Journal from Boston University shows that MCFAs break down fat (intracellular lipolysis) in rats treated with caprylic acid. It was proven that fat breakdown occurred at such a great speed that it was similar to starvation. Don’t think of starvation in this sense as a negative occurrence, but as a positive way that the body utilizes energy to enhance your metabolism.

Researchers who conducted this study said, “Such changes could contribute, in part, to weight loss in animals and humans associated with dietary medium-chain FAs.”

In layman’s terms, this research suggests that if you want to enjoy a healthy, balanced weight and burn excess fat, be sure to consume MCFA-rich foods such as coconut oil.

The key is to eat it in culinary doses – meaning consume the amount that you would normally do in your everyday cooking: a teaspoon in your coffee, spread some on your toast, add a tablespoon to cook your stir-fry, etc.

Don’t fall into the trap of “supplementing” with a spoonful throughout the day or in capsules or anything.

I have found that swapping out butter for coconut oil in 75% of the recipes that I make is a great way to naturally (and tastefully) incorporate coconut oil in my diet without having to think twice.