Coconut Oil Benefits, Side Effects and Reviews

Broad Benefits

Posted by Robert (Glendale, CA, USA) on 02/27/2008
★★★★★

I have hypothyroidism. It was diagnosed about 14 months ago. But to tell the truth I think I have had it much longer. I started taking EVCO on Jan 15th. My skin cleared up immediately. I do not take my rosacea meds any longer. Until my blood test next month I continue to take my Synthroid. I am hoping one day that I will not have to take it any longer. I take 2 tbsps before meals 3x daily. I tried taking it by itself but I can't stomach it any longer so now I take it with tea 20 min before my meal. I can tell you that I have not been hungry while dieting. I had diarrhea for about one month. Now I don't .Only if I eat something at a fast food place (then I get the runs.) I have only lost 2 lbs. in this time but my clothes fit much better and I look thinner in the mirror and others are telling me I look as if I lost weight. I have more energy and feel better. I can continue my hour yoga class now where as before I could not due to energy exhaustion. I will continue this until I fit into the size pants i want. Then I will try to figure out how to maintain on the oil. My next problem? How to get it with me on the plane when I go to India in April. Cheers

Prostate

Posted by Olivia (Brooklyn, New York) on 02/10/2008
★★★★★

Coconut oil reduced my husband's swollen left testicle about 85 percent in one week of light massage. My husband is terrified of seeing a doctor. There is no negotiating with him. The answer is a resounding no. For the past two months I have been giving him a combination of saw palmetto and pygeum tablets for prostate problems. He had terrible dribbling of urine and waking up many times per night. I gave him two of each tablet twice per day and within three days his bathroom runs were reduced to twice per night from four or five times. After about six weeks was reduced to once per night. I was therefore in shock when one week ago I noticed one testicle was three times its size and hard. He had been hiding it because he was afraid I'd insist on him going to the doctor. He said there was no pain. I was terrified of the thought of testicular cancer but he said he did not care he was not going to the doctor. He is 63 and cannot remember the last time he saw a doctor. Well I prayed and the thought of massaging it with coconut oil came to me. It has been one week since I'd take some oil in my hand and massage lightly from groin to under and around both testicle area. I'd then take another generous helping of oil and cup the swollen testicle in it while praying. The swelling has gone down about 85 percent in one week. I will continue doing so even after all the swelling leaves because I am hoping for a complete cure of the dribbling, which is also much better. I forgot to mention that I also started giving him two ounces of noni juice and two ounces of goji juice per day. I was so scared that I tried everything. I think the coconut oil is key though. I give one juice in the morning and the other at night.

Hair

Posted by Heaven (Berkeley, Ca) on 05/08/2008

How are you using the coconut oil on your hair and how much are you using? Thank you.

Hair

Posted by Bob (Denver, Colorado) on 09/14/2011

Another way to get nice smooth hair is to use a Castile soap such as Dr. Woods instead of regular shampoo. It does not contain the harsh chemicals found in regular shampoo. I use the castile soap with lavender and shea butter and my hair has never been so nice and it smells great.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Toni (Enid, Okla.) on 02/04/2008
★★★★★

I started using VCO 3 weeks ago for hair loss. Well in that time I have seen a dramatic difference in my hair plus my hot flashes are decreasing. Now there are only 2 a week. My energy level has increased, my insomnia is gone and my mood is alot better, also my moisture has increased in my whole body. I can't wait to see what happens in 6 months. I take 3 tbsp. a day.

Hair Loss

Posted by Toni (Enid, Okla) on 02/04/2008
★★★★★

Broad Benefits

Posted by Rick (Branchburg, NJ) on 02/02/2008
★★★★★

Success! I have been using virgin coconut oil for the past 4 months, typically 2-3 Tbs a day. I just received my blood test results. Total Cholesterol 234, HDL 86, LDL 131, Triglycerides 83, Fasting blood glucose 96. While my overall cholesterol did increase from last year's 182, my HDL was much higher than last year's 60. LDL also increased from last year's 102. I am extremely pleased with these results since the all important ratio (Total/HDL) decreased from 3.0 to 2.7. Finally, I have also found it amazing that I have not had a cold or any illness during this time. In the past, I would normally get some kind of sore throat or cold during the winter months. Energy levels are high and I do find that the coconut oil also keeps me regular.

Flu

Posted by Jill (Wisconsin) on 01/31/2008
★★★★★

I have been taking coconut oil , not every day, but maybe 2-3 times a week, and I have not got sick once since I started taking it 4 months ago. I am usually the first one to get a cold or flu in fall and winter, but thanks to coconut oil, I have remained Healthy!

Glands

Posted by CH (PDL, USA) on 07/01/2008

FOR THE LADY WHO ALWAYS FEELS SOMETHING IS STUCK IN HER THROAT: I was reading the part about something stuck in your throat and hard to swallow, I had a problem for about 5 months where I always felt their was something stuck in my throat, I had every test in the books, problem got worse, I finally had a test where they go down your throat and they found a web at the top of my esophagus that had grown across and the tore/removed the web, After my throat got over being sore from that, I no longer had that feeling anymore and could swallow again.

Broad Benefits

Posted by SHEANNA (DOUGLASVILLE, ATLANTA, GA) on 01/25/2008
★★★★★

I HAVE BEEN USING COCONUT OIL FOR 1 MONTH NOW. HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGE YET. HOW LONG SHOULD I BE TAKING THE COCONUT OIL???? I USE IT AS A FACE WASH AND AS A FACE OIL. NOTHING CHANGE YET. I ALSO TAKE 3 TEASPOONS OF COCONUT OIL. 1 TEASPOONS WITH EACH MEAL. I NOTICE THAT IT LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL I HAVE LESS HEADACHES AND FEEL AWOSOME. I HAVE ALSO LOST 20 POUNDS TAKING THE COCONUT OIL.GUESS WHAT I STILL EAT WHAT I WANT 1 TAESPOON BEFORE EACH MEAL. I HAVEN'T CHANGED ANY EATING HABITS ALSO DRINK 6 TO 8 GLASSES OF WATER. I ALSO USE THIS AS A HAIR CARE PRODUCT ON MY SCALP. I HAVE TO BLADSPOTS THAT HAVE BEEN GROWING LIKE CRAZY. I HAVE TRYED EVERYTHING ON MY BALDSPOTS AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL IS A BLESSING IN MY LIFE.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Sharon (Pace, Florida) on 01/21/2008
★★★★★

Since I have been on coconut oil. I have not been sick. I usually get every cold that comes near me. I also have not had any headaches since I have been on coconut oil. I have also used coconut oil to clear up Feline Rhinovirus(feline herpes virus). It was chronic and has not come back since. I have also used coconut oil to treat ringworm on 2 kittens and a hotspot on my dog.

HIV

Posted by Fe (Metro Manila) on 10/22/2017

Is it really true that the coconut oil can cured hiv?. Thank you

Broad Benefits

Posted by Penelope (Ventura, California) on 01/16/2008
★★★★★

Hi my name is Penelope. I live in Ventura California. I started using Coconut oil 4 months ago. I took it with positive effects but noticed my blood pressure was elevated so I stopped taking it to see if my pressure came down. It did 5 points but after resuming it my pressure remained about the same.

Since my mother has a problem with high blood pressure I was curious to see if it had any effect on blood pressure. I would like to share the positive effects I had taking it. I am 68 years old after taking it for 4 days I noticed my skin was better and many wrinkles lessoned. Nice side effect! I am plagued with Psoriasis it did not cure it but it did take away the scaly part and diminish the appearance of it.

However it did remove the black lines under my nails from the Psoriasis and the fungus under my toe nails is all most gone. I have a huge build up of the scales under my toe nails and on the bottom of my feet that were all most gone. In the two weeks I didn't take the oil the scales started to reappear but are now once again lessoning. I had aging spots on my face and hands that are all most gone. My hair shines and has thickened.

I have arthritis and am "all most" pain free. My headaches have all most disappeared and my energy is wonderful. I did notice the two weeks I was not using the oil all these things started to return but I am all most back to where I was. I have been exposed to the flu several times and so far haven't been sick which is a minor miracle since my immune system is bad. A blessed effect is I am losing weight which is wonderful and I am able to exercise and walk because of my pain being all most gone. Oh one other benefit I am sleeping better. Well no cures which is what you were hoping for but definite benefits.

Face

Posted by Linda (York County, Maine ) on 09/22/2010

Hi Dori-don't ever apologize for asking questions! This site is all about sharing and learning..... We take what we need and leave the rest! I use coconut oil to wash my face every night by wetting a washcloth then scooping up about 1/4 teaspoon of solid coconut oil-as soon as it hits your face, it'll liquify; it removes makeup well and leaves my skin very soft... I don't rinse, just allow it to absorb; I have not had a problem with breakouts from using it.... I tend to suffer from adult acne, but this treatment does not aggravate the acne at all.... Try it, I'm willing to bet you'll LOVE it :)

Face

Posted by Eric (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 10/02/2011

So the flare up is a typical result of applying VCO? We just recently (2 days ago) applied VCO on my daughter's eczema on her face, and it has gotten worse. Some threads suggest that this is a good thing, I.E. , worse then better. I am worried of my daughter well being and would like confirmation from those who have experienced this. Thx.

Face

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 11/26/2012

Hi Erin... I am quite surprised at what you say and all the assumptions you have made in your last post:

"Neon, there is no medical evidence to support a "die off" theory at all. I have done soooo much reading and have yet to find an actual medical physician to support this phenomena theory."

I would beg to differ here. Just type 'Jarisch-Herxheimer Effect' in Google search and see how many thousand hits you get. Die-off symptoms do exist and are well-recognised by both modern medicine and also recognised by alternative medicine.

"I believe that people who cut out all sugar and carbs (or most) are denying their brains an essential nutrient that it needs to thrive. "

The misunderstanding here can perhaps be resolved by recognising our natural historic diet and and the truly destructive effects of refined sugars and other processed foods in our diets today.

Up until 10,000 years ago our natural diets consisted of fruits, root vegetables, berries and raw meat. Then we started to eat cultivated crops like wheat and maze. Today our diets consist of heavily processed and refined foods that contain all sorts of pesticides, fungicides, additives etc that are not part of our natural diet. We have been eating agricultural, cultivated crops for thousands of years -- and the truth of it is that our bodies have still not adjusted to this agri-diet yet -- which is why some people still have allergies caused by gluten and lactose. And so what about the fairly recent introduction of so many chemicals and GMO foods into our processed food? Do you think all this proliferation of man-made chemicals in our diets is actually good for us?

There was also a huge difference in sugar intake between the early 1800s and now. Up to the 1850s, very little sugar was eaten -- and usually only in its natural forms such as raw honey. During this time auto-immune diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, obesity, cancer etc were almost unknown. What people are also amazingly ignorant about is that the body doesn't really need sugar at all because the liver and the adrenals can also help to convert proteins and fats into sugar when they are needed for energy -- so you can easily get your energy from just fats and proteins in your diet.

As for the dangers of eating excess sugars and carbohydrates in our diets, here is an interesting Korean 10 year study, involving 1,300,000 participants. Various medical body parameters were tracked in these people over a ten year period. About 20,000 people got various cancers and it was found that, in all cases of cancer death, these cancer sufferers had sugar levels above 110 mgs/decL. In all those that had remission and recovered -- which was about about 3% -- they were all found to have low sugar levels at or below 90 mgs/decL in their blood. From their analysis, the research concluded, "We observed linear trends in mortality with increasing fasting serum glucose level for all cancers combined and for cancers of several sites". See the research here"

JAMA Article on Cancer and Raised Sugar Levels

So when you ask yourself "How did I get my candida" -- the answer and root cause must be because of what we did and what we didn't put into our mouths -- constantly eating unatural refined processed foods, additives, pesticides, fungicides etc or drinking tap water laden with poisons also including chlorine, fluorine, bromine and heavy metals which is also combined with a complete lack of proper nutrients in our diets today.

It's also well-known that candida proliferates and spreads rapidly in the body when sugar is eaten in excess in the diet. Sugar simply feeds candida -- which is why some candida sufferers crave sugary or sweet food. So when you eat excessive sugar and carbohydrates in the diet (which seems to be the Western diet in a nutshell), it really does not really surprise me at all that so many people in the west suffer from candida problems now.

For more honest information and for a better understanding of your candida problem, I would also urge and recommend that you read either Orian Truss's book, Candida: The Missing Diagnosis or William Crook's book on Candida -- The Yeast Connection. Both these authors were practicing medical doctors who specialized in treating and curing candida problems specifically using alternative methods and proper diet as their main tools.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Chrissy (Orlando, Florida) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★

I use coconut oil anytime that I get a sunburn and it works like a charm to relieve the skin and to help prevent peeling. I also know that when people in my family began to cook with it instead of any other oil they had a drop in cholesterol.

How to Take Internally

Posted by KLF (New York, USA) on 01/06/2008
★★★★★

hi- i have been using coconut oil for nearly and year and have had near amazing results- i have recommended it to everyone i know. 2 tips, the first one is i always take it on a full stomach (taking it on an empty stomach caused me to become physically ill on more than one occasion, but since i have been taking it after eating i have been fine). also, for people who cant swallow it, i melt mine first, take a spoonful and chase it down with a small glass of oj. it is the only way i can get it down. but it works!

Broad Benefits

Posted by McFord (Lafayette, LA) on 12/05/2007
★★★★★

I started taking coconut oil capsules i month ago. i have experience a calm sense of energy, fast hair and nail growth and lost 12 lbs. without any additional effort. i only take 2 caplules before breakfast instead of the recommended doasage of 2/before each meal. many friends and family members are astonished of how much my physical appearance has changed. isuffer from ms, ra and fibromyalgia. vco has allowed me to perform my coaching and duties as a pe teacher with less pain. of course i do also take 2 flax seed and fish oil capsule in addition to my multi-vitamin (50 plus) along with my vca daily.

Migraines

Posted by Sandy (Bangalore, India) on 11/29/2007
★★★★★

Dear Earthclinic, Thank you for putting up such a fabulously informative site. I am a daily visitor. After reading some virtues of coconut oil on your site, I decided to drink it daily for weight loss. Well, I began to notice that if I had a couple of teaspoons coconut oil in the morning with my breakfast, then I didnt get acidity the entire day. Also, I didnt get migraines that day. I am quite susceptible to migraines close to my periods. So during those days, I have a couple of teaspoonfuls twice/thrice a day, and dont get migraines that day. In fact, I now carry a small bottle of coconut oil in my purse, and drink some of it if I start feeling a migraine coming on, or if I start feeling nauseous(sign of acidity)--after drinking the oil I burp (because of acid base neutalization and subsequent gas release, I guess), and my acidity/migraine goes off.If I am home, I may drink the coconut oil with some cold milk--helps immensely. If I am out, I drink the coconut oil by itself, and just drink some water on top of it to take the oil taste off my mouth. Ever since I started taking coconut oil (thanks to earthclinic), I have been free of migraines and acidity nausea. My facial skin had open pores previously--the pores have closed now (!!) since drinking coconut oil and skin looks moisturized. Thanks again.

Cheap Coconut Oil Sources

Posted by Katy (Scottsdale, Az) on 04/28/2012

You have to use the real thing buy organic virgin coconut oil it is wonderful, and pure no chemicals! I think the cost is reasonable. Someone gave me two cans of LouAnns that didn't even smell like coconuts something about it seemed so fake I tossed both cans in the trash. I've been using Organic Virgin Coconut oil forever and it is superior. I would never support Walmart in fact they are usually protested if they ever want to come into our neighborhood because they completely destroy communities.

Cheap Coconut Oil Sources

Posted by Denis (Vancouver, Bc) on 01/20/2013

My understanding is that the best source of virgin coconut oil is from Tropical Traditions (Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil) Highly recommended for health benefits. It is hand pressed. The result is that it has the highest level of antioxidants. Great for candida sufferers.

Otherwise Costco carries Nutiva which is great tasting but the container is made of plastic.

Trader Joe's also carries a great coconut oil that is reasonably priced and the container is made of glass.

Amazon.com also carries different brands of coconut at reasonable prices.

Refined Vs. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Posted by Stacey King (Gold Coast, Australia) on 11/19/2007
★★★★★

After reading a lot of the different comments here I think it is really important for people to understand the difference between virgin, extra virgin and the general term of coconut oil and why they give such different results.

WHAT IS COPRA OR COCONUT OIL?
My husband is a Banaban islander from Rabi Island, Fiji and was not only raised on coconut and coconut oil as part of daily life but also cut copra to make a living on his small impoverished island. Copra or dried coconut flesh is what is made into basic COCONUT OIL. It is a completely different form of oil compared to Virgin or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil now on the market.

When he cuts copra he first gathers coconuts that have fallen on the ground, cuts the nut in half and removes the white coconut meat. The coconut meat is then usually dried on a rack over a fire (they call them copra smokers) which helps to dry out the coconut meat and it turns a grey colour and has a rancid smell. The biggest and most abundant amount of wild coconuts are found in remote villages scattered across the Pacific and Asia. Sometime it can take up to 3-4 months before the villagers can get their bags of smoked copra to the big copra mills in town. The mills are usually situated 100's of miles away from these villagers. The copra mills resemble a smaller version of a sugar crushing mill and processing of the copra is similar to that found in the sugar mills. The copra is pressed and because the coconut is very smoky or rancid they use chemicals to bleach and clean the oil. This happens in all the basic edible food oils today in the market place. This is also the reason why this style of COCONUT OIL (Copra) processing became known in the old days as poor man's oil or dirty oil.

But for people in the village they only used freshly processed coconut oil and the premium or special oils that their grandmother's made from freshly squeezed coconuts were put aside and bottled for the special ceremonies in the village. Today this special oil is known as Extra or Virgin Coconut Oil and any comparisons to the processing of olive oil should not be used. The term for Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in the Coconut oil industry today means that this form of coconut oil processing is the most unrefined and most natural form and no artificial filtering or expeller pressing (centrifuge spinning -also known as oil polishing) is used. The oil remains in its most natural form and retains a rich smell and sweet taste of coconut.

Today because of the high demand for Virgin Coconut Oil many unscrupulous manufacturers are getting cheap copra oils and running them through centrifuge spinning machines to clean up the oils and also state they are ORGANIC. While the centrifuges remove the smell and all flavour from the oils the Copra COCONUT OIL is a much thicker oil that will NOT quickly absorb into the skin and does contain TRANS FAT. Accept for a higher level of lauric acid it is very similar to all other trans fat food oils on the market due to the processing. If you put this type of oil on your skin it is just that OIL and will clog the pores of your skin.

WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OR VIRGIN COCONUT OIL
Good quality Extra Virgin or Virgin Coconut Oil should taste and smell like coconut. It should be a very fine oil and will quickly melt in the palm of your hand with body heat. If it does not solidify or melt quickly you know it is a much thicker and inferior oil. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil should be in a natural form and gravity or natural filtering of the oil is used. This type of Virgin Coconut Oil will still retain a level of fine coconut particles and usually a very high level of lauric acid. This type or premium VCO should not contain any microbe activity or foreign matter. If wild forest coconuts are used and are very mature trees they retain a very high lauric acid level and the oil can retain a slight golden colour.

While some of the Virgin Coconut Oils currently on the market are crystal clear in appearance they usually are made from the soft immature coconut flesh before the nut hardens. This type of coconut processing usually makes it easy to remove the coconut flesh and extract the oil with fermentation or boiling off the liquid. Because the coconut is not as mature it usually has lower lauric acid levels and the smell and flavour of the oil is not as strong.

It must be remembered that all coconuts when opened will quickly ferment and unless the moisture is removed properly during processing the oil will sour. Good quality Virgin Coconut Oils should have a shelf life of at lease 2 years without any deteriorate of the oil at all. When cooking with Virgin Coconut Oil the oil will fry at very high temperatures. Good quality Virgin Coconut Oil can be mixed in both hot and cold drinks.

To reap the great benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil make sure you know the difference between VIRGIN COCONUT OIL and Copra (basic COCONUT OIL) found in today's market place and why they should not be confused.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Gabi (Czestochowa, Poland) on 11/14/2007
★★★★★

I am using it internally and externally. I cured stubborn fungus on my elbows. I combine coconut oil and lemon juice. Helps with toe nail fungus to. I am sure my Candida is out of control and I just found here info on CANDIDOL so I am going to try it! Few years now since I stopped using creams and moisturizes after accident with sun block for children. I put tube of sunblock in my purse and it spell over Louie Vito n eyeglasses case. We all know it is made of vinyl. It was 20 hrs when I noticed what happened. Vinyl melted like from the heat! I kept that case.