VIRGIN COCONUT OIL AND
LACTATING MOTHERS
Human
milk fat has a unique fatty
acid composition. It is
approximately 45 to 50
percent saturated, about 35
percent monounsaturated and
15 to 20 percent
polyunsaturated. Of the
saturated fatty acids made
in the mammary gland, up to
18 percent can be the
antimicrobial fatty acids
lauric acid and capric acid.
These antimicrobial fatty
acids give the infant
protection against viruses
such as
HIV
and
herpes,
bacteria such as
chlamydia
and
heliocobater,
and protozoa such a
giardia lamblia.
The levels of these
antimicrobial fatty acids
can be as low as 3 to 4
percent, but as noted below,
when lactating mothers
are fed virgin coconut oil,
the levels of lauric acid
and capric acid increase
significantly in the milk.
This gives an important
added benefit; the milk
supply has increased amounts
of the protective
antimicrobials lauric acid
and capric acid, which will
give even greater protection
to the infant.
What is the mechanism(s) at work? The pregnant female stores fat to be used in
lactation. Any lauric acid
and capric acid in the diet
becomes part of the adipose
stores.
The lactating female uses
the fatty acids from the
adipose stores and from the
current diet for building
the milk fat. Without added
lauric acid from the diet,
the mother’s milk has about
3 percent lauric acid and 1
percent capric acid because
the mammary gland also
manufactures lauric acid and
capric acid to provide the
infant with antimicrobial
benefit. Some mothers
manufacture more than others
and thus have more
protection to offer their
infant.
When lauric acid is in the diet from foods such as the virgin coconut
oil the amount of lauric
acid in the mother’s milk
increases substantially to
levels three times the
original level and nearly
double the amount of capric
acid. This gives the infant even more protection against viruses, bacteria,
and protozoa. In some
countries where coconut is
in the food supply, the
levels of lauric acid and
capric acid in the mother’s
milk can be as high as 21
percent and 6 percent,
respectively
VIRGIN
COCONUT OIL IN DIET
One of the best benefits of
virgin coconut oil lies in
its ability to help
stimulate your metabolism.
Research studies have
demonstrated that replacing
LCFAs with MCFAs results in
both decreased body weight
and reduced fat deposition.
So, by changing the fats in
your diet from the
unsaturated long-chain fatty
acids (LCFAs) found in
vegetable or seed oils to
the medium chain fatty acids
(MCFAs) in virgin coconut
oil, along with following an
exercise plan, you may find
yourself gradually losing
those unnecessary pounds.
The reasons are simple:
1.
The long-chain fats nearly
always go to fat storage,
while the MCFAs are burned
for energy
2.
Since virgin coconut oil
helps to stimulate your
metabolism, you may burn
more calories each day,
helping to accelerate weight
loss (and probably your
activity & energy level)
Virgin coconut oil has often
been compared to
carbohydrates in its ability
to be "burned" for energy.
However, since insulin is
not involved in the process
of digesting the MCFAs in
coconut oil, you won't get
those carb-related spikes in
your blood sugar level. This
is especially good news for
those of you concerned about
maintaining normal blood
sugar levels.
In fact, the ability of
MCFAs to be easily digested,
to help stimulate the
metabolism and be turned
into energy has entered the
sports arena. Several
studies have now shown that
MCFAs enhance physical or
athletic performance.
Research has demonstrated
that, due to its metabolic
effect, virgin coconut oil
increases the activity of
the thyroid. A sluggish
thyroid is one of the reason
why some people are unable
to lose weight, no matter
what they do. Besides weight
loss, there are other
advantages to boosting your
metabolic rate. The healing
process accelerates. Cell
regeneration increases to
replace old cells, and your
immune system functions
better overall.
VIRGIN
COCONUT OIL and YOUR SKIN
Virgin coconut oil is ideal
for skin care. It helps
protect your skin from the
aging effects of free
radicals, and can help
improve the appearance of
skin with its anti-aging
benefits.
Physiologist and biochemist
Ray Peat, Ph.D., considers
virgin coconut oil to be an
antioxidant, due to its
stability and resistance to
oxidation and free radical
formation, and also because
it reduces our need for the
antioxidant protection of
vitamin E. Many other
experts believe virgin
coconut oil may help restore
more youthful-looking skin.
When virgin coconut oil is
absorbed into the skin and
connective tissues, it helps
to reduce the appearance of
fine lines and wrinkles by
helping to keep connective
tissues strong and supple.
Virgin
coconut oil will not only
bring temporary benefits to
the skin, but it will aid in
restoring your skin's
youthful appearance. The
virgin coconut oil will aid
in exfoliating the outer
layer of dead skin cells,
making the skin smoother. It
also penetrates into the
deeper layers of the skin
to
strengthen the underlying
tissues.
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