Coconut Oil Tips

Many people are getting the message about the healing properties of coconut oil. It is truly a marvelous food for so many reasons. I have done two stories on coconut oil that have both aired on "The 700 Club." The first one aired in January 2012 and the second one aired in January 2013.

If you haven't seen them, or would like to view them again, you may watch them here and here.

Those stories both point out that coconut oil has helped reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's Disease, and is thought to reverse symptoms of other neurological disorders as well. Furthermore, it appears to prevent, in some cases, the onset of these conditions. It also has been shown to help people with insulin problems, such as diabetics, and could even help in cases of autism and epilepsy.

If those aren't reasons enough to take coconut oil, this last one applies to all of us: it prevents against colds and viruses.

Coconut oil is a natural antibacterial and effectively kills the harmful bacteria in our bodies, thus strengthening our immune system. But it gets even better than that. According to Dr. Mary Enig the lauric acid in coconut oil destroys viruses such as HIV, herpes, and influenza.

Many people have questions about what brand of coconut oil they should be taking and how much of it they should take. Still others wonder how to take it, since it's a solid at room temperature.

Allow me to address these concerns.

First of all, you must, must must NEVER EAT HYDROGENATED OILS OF ANY KIND, including coconut oil. Hydrogenated oils are the same thing as trans fats, which are some of the deadliest substances you can put in your body.

Trans fats are man-made, which is to say, God never intended us to eat them. They are manufactured by infusing a nice regular oil, coconut oil, for instance, with hydrogen....hence the term, "hydrogenated." The end result is a molecule that has properties similar to plastic and wreaks havoc on your cells, leading to heart disease, cancer, and decreased immune function.

So stay away from hydrogenated coconut oil. If you are ever in doubt about whether a product contains a trans fat, simply look at the list of ingredients. If you see the word, "hydrogenated," put it back. Fortunately, I have not seen hydrogenated coconut at all, but I have heard it's out there.

So when you choose the coconut oil you want, look at the list of ingredients. A good list includes just one ingredient, either coconut or coconut oil.

But beyond that, how does one choose which brand of coconut oil is best?

Dr. Mary Newport, a Tampa physician whose husband Steve experienced tremendous results with coconut oil, and who authored the book, "Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure?" (a great read, by the way) says, "What I usually tell people is that for thosee on a fixed income, (the Lou Ana brand that you can purchase at Wal-Mart in the cooking oil aisle) if this is the only brand they can afford, that the ketone effect should be the same as with organic, unrefined coconut oil."

However, she went on to say, "If they can afford the more expensive oil, it is less processed and may contain more beneficial nutrients."

Dr. Newport further added that people who are not experiencing the desired results after taking the more refined coconut oils that they should try the unrefined.

Recently I and some of my associates here at CBN have tried a variety of coconut oil products from Tropical Traditions. These are superb, high-quality products that I would highly recommend.

They are even shipped in glass containers in order to eliminate the corrosive effects the coconut oil may have on the plastic containers. The man who runs Tropical Traditions is a committed follower of Jesus Christ and operates the company with the utmost integrity.

Many people wonder how much coconut oil one should take each day. This varies, depending on your need. In general, however,  two tablespoons a day is a good place to start, one in the morning and one at night. Remember, some cultures, such as people who live in India or the Philippines, eat a lot more than that.

Some have asked whether taking coconut oil capsules is a good idea. Not really, simply because the amount contained in a capsule is so small you'd have to take so many each day it would not be cost-effective.

So once you buy your coconut oil, how do you take it? It's solid at room temperature. Some people simply eat it as is, just straight out of the jar. Others, such as myself, melt it in the microwave for about 25 seconds, just enough to drink it, but not too much that it's actually hot.

Although some oils are not as potent when they've been exposed to heat, this is not the case with coconut oil, according to Dr. Beverly Teter, a lipid biochemist at The University of Maryland.

In addition to eating the coconut "straight," whether in solid or liquid form, you could also add it to food. Many people reportedly put it in their morning oatmeal and evening meal.

The good news - no - the great news is that if any of the above mentioned means to take coconut oil seem a bit too cumbersome, there is a alternative. It's a fantastic product called "Fuel For Thought."

It comes in pre-measured, individual servings of one-ounce each. It's liquid, and tastes great! It tastes like a vanilla milkshake! Just one in the morning and one at night...no muss, no fuss.

Fuel For Thought is a God-send for people who live alone, are care-givers, or who simply don't want to bother with the inconvenience of taking coconut oil the traditional way. Fuel For Thought is of the absolute, highest quality. In fact, Fuel For Thought is what is being used to study the effects of coconut oil on humans with Alzheimer's at the prestigious Byrd Alzheimer Institute. The company who makes Fuel For Thought is also producing an identical-looking and identical-tasting placebo for the study.

So whatever your reason for taking coconut oil, from brain health to virus control, there are many choices about the type to purchase and the way to take it.