The coconut tree belongs to the palm tree family (Arecaceae), which is botanically a drupe, not a nut. Coconut oil is an edible oil produced from the kernel of mature coconuts and it has gained immense popularity in recent years for its innumerable health benefits.

Almost thousands of studies have proven, coconut oil to be one of the healthiest foods. The many uses and healing benefits of coconut oil go beyond people’s expectations, coconut is indeed a true superfood.

The coconut tree is claimed as the ‘lifeline of health’ due to its versatile benefits and uses. However, choosing the right type of oil from the different types available coconut oil brands can be a bit challenging.

Coconut oil is typically available in two varieties -virgin and refined oil. Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is produced by cold-pressing the liquid from the coconut meat, later extracting the oil from milk and water, and has a milky appearance. It is 100% natural, unbleached and cold-pressed. Virgin coconut oil is popular for its pleasant aroma, taste, powerful antioxidants, healthy fatty acids, and essential vitamins to name a few.

Virgin coconut oil is produced from the coconut without heat exposure. It is gaining more popularity across the world in comparison with ordinary coconut oil for its indispensable nutrition and benefits.

Refined coconut oil is refined and processed through heat exposure. It has very little coconut flavor as it is made from dried coconut or copra. The refined coconut oil is called RBD – refined, bleached, and deodorized. During this process of RBD, the oil gets deodorized under extreme heat, gets filtered through clays to bleach the oil and remove impurities. Sodium hydroxide gets added to the final product to ensure longer shelf life.

Though refined coconut oil is less expensive, it is not widely recommended as it loses all its nutrition while processing.

What Is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?

Extra virgin implied to coconut oil is essentially meaningless. However, as many oil experts understand extra virgin to be the best grade of olive oil available, where manufacturers are also labeling coconut oil as extra virgin as well.

Coconut governing authorities only accept virgin grade and don’t recognize extra virgin coconut oil as the real one. There are ideally two types of coconut oil- virgin and refined coconut oil.

Now that coconut oil is considered one of the ‘good fats’ again, here are five health benefits of using its cold-pressed extra virgin variant:

Weight Loss

Thanks to the energy-increasing abilities of extra virgin coconut oil, it helps burn fat, especially in the abdominal region, and reduces appetite. Unlike other fats, the healthy medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) in extra virgin coconut oil are not circulated in the bloodstream.

They’re converted into energy, and as a result, the body doesn’t end up storing fat. Since extra virgin coconut is high in calories, it should be combined with a healthy diet and exercise for maximum weight loss benefits.

Hormones and thyroid function

The MCFAs in extra virgin coconut oil is said to accelerate metabolism, which increases energy and stimulates thyroid function. It also contains lauric acid, which helps balance hormones naturally and increases estrogen levels, especially during menopause.

Candida and yeast infections

Scientific studies have shown that the capric acid and lauric acid in extra virgin coconut oil work as effective treatments for candida Albicans and yeast infections. The oil also contains caprylic acid, which is known for its ability to target harmful bacteria and get rid of excess candida.

Diabetes and insulin resistance

Extra virgin coconut oil controls blood sugar levels as it enhances the secretion of insulin in the body and doesn’t cause an insulin spike. When the cells are insulin resistant, the pancreas keeps pumping out more insulin and creates an excess in the body.

This can be dangerous as insulin resistance is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. The MCFAs in extra virgin coconut oil help reduce the strain on the pancreas by providing an energy source that’s not dependent on blood glucose.

Cholesterol and heart disease

The high amount of lauric acid in extra virgin coconut oil also helps the heart by reducing total cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol. Studies have shown that cooking with the oil can also help maintain healthy triglyceride levels, as long as one also follows a healthy diet and exercise routine.