What is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?
Coconut is truly a great food variety that comes in the most unadulterated form and most of us just love this nut for both its sweet water inside and the kernel or the meat that is a source of food mainly in the coastal belt where it grows abundantly.
Coconut and its products offer several health benefits and the extra virgin coconut oil is a very popular product of this awesome nut and here we shall look into details of how this is made and for what it is used.
How extra virgin coconut oil is made
For making extra virgin coconut oil first the fresh coconuts are harvested and the coconut meat is removed and shredded. This is then compressed to extract coconut milk which is fermented for a couple of days. During the fermentation process the water and the oil get separated and water since lighter settles at the top and the heavier oil settles at the bottom. In general the water is heated to let it evaporated leaving oil behind as a residue, which is nothing but your extra virgin coconut oil.
Identifying good quality extra virgin coconut oil
Extra virgin coconut oil retains the lovely taste of coconuts and the smell of fresh coconuts. This oil when in a solid state should melt when taken in your hand due to your body heat; if not you know you have an inferior type of oil.
This product further has a long shelf life of almost two years and retains the nutritional value also for a long time.
Goodness of extra virgin coconut oil
The lauric acid, a unique medium chain fatty acids, contained in extra virgin coconut oil is what makes it to be considered as good food.
Lauric acid which is the main fat found in coconut oil is the same that is found in human breast milk which is considered so very essential for the body to function in a healthy manner.
These medium chain fatty acids are digested easily and do not get stored in the body in the form of fat but as energy.
Health benefits of extra virgin coconut oil
Several health benefits are associated with extra virgin coconut oil and some of the most common ones are given here for your reference.
Taken regularly extra virgin coconut oil is expected to show reduced cholesterol levels
It helps to improve your intestinal tract and control blood sugar levels, and offers good immunity support.
It is also known to improve digestion allowing nutrients to be absorbed properly and further helps to support a healthy metabolic function.
How to use extra virgin coconut oil?
Organic extra virgin coconut oil has no side effects however you have to introduce it little by little into your body. Though it causes no harm one reaction it could cause in some is diarrhea.
The recommended dose is 3.5 tablespoons spread out through the day but if it is the first time you are trying it out then it is better to go much slowly.
You could slowly replace other oils with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for cooking and frying or add to smoothies or even dissolve some in your beverage, coffee or tea.
It gives you a lot of energy; do you know extra virgin coconut oil is known to be a miracle food that is even better than olive oil?
