Fractionated Coconut Oil is produced from copra, which is the dried meat portion of the coconut. The copra is separated from the hull of the coconut by distillers and the oil is then removed after drying and crushing.
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Coconut Oil as a Massage Oil
Fractionated coconut oil typically is less expensive than so other oils – some stockists price it similarly to sweet almond oil and like jojoba oil, it has a long shelf life. Also it tends not to stain massage towels and sheets. Some remedial massage therapists prefer to use it has it has nice glide, is absorbed well by the skin and is not sticky.
Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Numerous health benefits have been claimed to accrue from use of coconut oil. Not all of these claims have been rigorously tested. It is believed that where health benefits have been demonstrated that the benefits of coconut oil are attributable to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid. These are considered to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Lauric acid is converted in the body into monolaurin, which may assist the body’s defence mechanism when fighting viruses and bacteria. Because of the variety of health benefits of coconut oil it has been extensively used in Ayurveda (despite the fact that the actual mechanism had not been known).
Coconut oil is considered to be different from other oils used in Western diets. Most oils are made from seeds like canola, sunflowers, soybeans, etc. These seed oils are mostly made of triglycerides containing long chain fatty acids. In order to be digested by the body the long chain fatty acids need to be emulsified by bile salts. After, the long chain fatty acids are broken down into carbon chains made of fourteen carbon atoms, the standard energy storage for the body – also known as “fat”. All excess carbohydrates in ones diet are also converted into these triglycerides which are bound to HDL and LDL carriers within the blood and then stored as body fat.
Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids. These are digested more easily and used differently by the body than other long chain fatty acids. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are sent straight to the liver where they are converted into energy. Thus when you consume coconut oil, the body uses it immediately for energy production rather than store it as fat.
This source of energy is considered not to be dependent upon the operation of insulin system. Thus, diabetics may be able to utilise this aspect of coconut oil. Also those who are on a low carbohydrate diet may benefit from the energy provided by coconut oil which would otherwise have been obtained from carbohydrates. Similarly coconut oil can be preferred by athletes since coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easy converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries.
Also the medium chain fatty acids in the coconut oil are virtually the same as those founds in the sebum of the skin. For people with dandruff or red spots on their scalp, some people recommend just adding coconut oil to the scalp and leaving it for about 20 minutes before shampooing.
Any information, advice, recommendations, statements or otherwise contained herein, or in any other communication whether oral or in writing, is not intended to replace or to be a substitute for medical advice trained by a trained physician or healthcare practitioner.
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