For some time coconut oil was marketed as hazardous to your health and it was believed to block the arteries leading to heart disease. Well, on the contrary, coconut oil actually fights heart disease by helping you maintain your oral health. That’s right! Oral health does affect your heart health and overall health, so controlling plaque build-up, fighting tooth decay, and avoiding gum disease will help to keep you healthy for the rest of your life. But you do not have to do all this alone; coconut oil to the rescue!

Coconut Oil? Don’t you mean Coconut Water?

Actually, no. With all the recent discoveries of the benefits of coconut water, it is understandable to think that drinking coconut water would offer the most assistance in your mouth. However, it is coconut oil that has been linked to fighting the bacterium, Streptococcus mutans, which causes tooth decay.

What makes Coconut Oil so special?

Although coconut serves as a superfood by offering a plethora of nutritional and medicinal aids, it is coconut oil that is most effective against bacteria and other pathogens that invade your body, challenge your immune system, and cause disease. As a matter of fact, coconut oil fights a rather broad range of pathogens. This is especially useful since a number of bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics.

Coconut Oil works from the inside out

Coconut oil does the majority of its work on the inside. It prevents different strains of bacteria along with the yeast, Candida albicans, from growing. It also kills viruses and inhibits the growth of several parasites. All of this makes coconut oil invaluable to dental health—even in low concentrations. Coconut oil also:

• Improves digestion and nutrient absorption
• Increases metabolic rate and stabilises body weight
• Balances blood sugar and insulin levels
• Reduces inflammation in muscles and joints
• Regulates thyroid function
• Fights cancer in the breast, colon, and GI tract
• Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease
• Eases symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
• Strengthens the liver and pancreas
• Minimises symptoms of menopause

Try out Coconut Oil on your exterior!

In addition to improving your internal health, coconut oil is excellent as a topical aid. Here are some other uses for coconut oil:

• As a conditioner for flaky scalp, frizz, and split ends
• As a toothpaste when mixed with baking soda
• As a skin moisturiser
• As a face cream to reduce bags, puffiness, and wrinkles
• As a burn or itch ointment
• As makeup remover
• As a massage oil

Make sure to ‘Ask a Naturopath’ any questions you may have about coconut oil as well as how you can best incorporate this wonderful agent into your daily life.