Coconut oil is definitely one of the healthiest oils on the planet, with a myriad of health benefits and uses. Over 1,500 studies have confirmed its miraculous medicinal properties, which are mostly due to its unique content.
Namely, it contains healthy fats known as medium-chain fatty acids, which have lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid.
All of these fatty acids are extremely healthy, and about 62 percent of the oils in coconut are made up of them, and 91 percent of the fat is healthy saturated fat.
They are much better than long-chain fatty acids, as they have potent antimicrobial and antifungal properties, help the easier cell permeability for energy, are digested much easier, and aren’t stored as fat but converted as energy instead.
This oil treats kidneys infections, alleviates inflammation energizes the body, prevents heart disease and hypertension, strengthens the immune system, treats Alzheimer`s disease, protects the liver, helps digestion, helps weight loss, relieves skin issues, and treats cancer.
Coconut oil is also an excellent natural beauty product, and it can be used as body oil, itch relief, body scrub, makeup removal oil, lip balm, lice remedy, shaving cream, breath freshener, under eye cream, stretch mark cream, massage oil, night cream, dandruff treatment, and deodorant.
Yet, in order to reap all these benefits, you should always choose the right type of coconut oil. It can be of two major types: virgin and refined.
This is all you need to know about these coconut oil types:
How Is Coconut Oil Made?
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The extraction process
In order to produce an oil, you need to extract or remove the oil of the plant from the roughage. In order to do this, the seed, nut, legume, or grain has to undergo a specific process that separates the roughage from the oily areas. The worst process, without a doubt, is the solvent extraction method which uses hexane, a hazardous chemical. While it is quite effective, recovering about 99% of the oil, the hexane has to be removed by heating the oil to a high temperature, which changes the flavor profile.
The most common methods used for producing coconut oil are either expeller-pressed and cold-pressed. These techniques of extracting the oil from the dry or fresh coconut can be found in both the unrefined and refined varieties.
Expeller pressing is a technique that’s been used since ancient times. It’s a chemical-free process that uses mechanics and expeller pressing in order to squeeze the oily material in a press that operates mechanically. An expeller is basically a large screw that’s tightened until it crushes the nut and causes the oil to run. Mechanical pressing can create high temperatures, especially when squeezing hard nuts, and usually occurs when working with automatic machinery in high volume. The issue with high temperatures, as mentioned, is that they can change the flavor of the oil. As this process yields only 65 to 70% of the oil, many companies try to extract the remainder by using a chemical solvent.
Cold-pressed coconut oil is produced in a heat-controlled environment, and is supposed to be processed at temperatures that don’t exceed 120 degrees, resulting in a high quality oil. By comparison, expeller-pressed coconut oil may be processed at around 210 degrees, whereas refined coconut oils tend to be processed at upwards of 400 degrees, degrading the quality of the oil. There are exceptions to these rules, however, particularly in the U.S. While there are some companies that go to great efforts to ensure temperatures stay under 120 degrees (sometimes even below 90 degrees), the term “cold pressed” isn’t regulated in the U.S. like it is in Europe, so it could technically mean anything under 400 degrees.
Provided the company has kept temperatures under 120 degrees, the result is cold press oils with the greatest amount of flavor, aroma and nutrition.
Refined vs. Unrefined
We touched a bit on refined coconut oil, so you probably already have an idea that it’s not the best type of oil to buy, as it’s processed at upwards of 400 degrees, which degrades the quality of the oil, and is often deodorized and bleached. The oil comes from dried coconut meat, sometimes called “copra.” Copra is a term defined by the industry, generally used in the Philippines to refer to the dried coconut that was removed from the coconut shell, but which by itself is inedible and needs to be further refined to produce coconut oil. Coconut oil that comes from copra needs to be purified with bleaching clays as contaminants rise during the drying process. The high temperatures are then used to deodorize the oil in order to remove its distinct odor and flavor, which is why refined coconut oil is usually both tasteless and odorless. Sodium hydroxide may also be added to prolong the oil’s shelf life. And, in order to obtain the most oil from the coconut meat, some brands use chemical solvents.
As the oil is refined, it can typically withstand slightly higher cooking temperatures before reaching its smoke point. This is why some people choose a refined coconut oil, despite its significantly lessened nutritional benefits. Most coconut oils on the grocery store shelf, unless otherwise labelled, are refined coconut oils, and they may even be partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated, which creates synthetic trans-fats, one of the worst things you can do for your health. Trans fat has been scientifically found to increase LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, while lowering HDL, or “good” cholesterol. It can also cause type 2 diabetes, a higher risk of heart disease and major clogging of the arteries.
If you don’t see the word “unrefined” on the label, just “coconut oil,” it’s likely refined. Many companies have imported copra from the Philippines, refining it into non-edible uses, such as in detergents and cleaning products. As coconut oil has become so popular in recent years, some manufacturers in the U.S. have begun to package this type of oil as an edible oil, as it’s cheaper, but it’s also likely to have been mass produced using solvent extracts and it’s hard to say whether or not there are any remaining solvents in the finished product.
Unrefined coconut oil
Unrefined coconut oil is often referred to as “virgin” coconut oil. Technically, coconut oil by nature is refined, because oil, of course, doesn’t grow on a tree, coconuts do. All coconut oils need to be extracted from the coconut which means the only truly unrefined coconut oil would come by directly consuming the oil while it’s still in the meat from a coconut that was just picked fresh off the tree.
Still, “unrefined” or virgin coconut oil is a good choice. The oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat rather than dried. The fresh meat undergoes either a quick drying or wet milling process. Quick drying is most commonly used, quickly drying the meat while the oil is mechanically expressed. When wet milling is used, that means the coconut milk is expressed from the fresh meat before being boiled, fermented or separated from the milk by way of enzymes or centrifuge. As it’s such a fast process, the oil that results doesn’t need any additives, or require bleaching. It also isn’t exposed to high heat levels like refined coconut oil is, and it keeps its distinct coconut flavor and odor. The least refined coconut oil is referred to as virgin coconut oil, a term coined in conjunction with the oil when they first became popular some 15 years ago in order to designed coconut oils that were the least refined.
Virgin vs. extra-virgin coconut oil
As mentioned, “virgin” coconut oil is unrefined coconut oil. But what’s the difference between virgin and extra-virgin coconut oil? Virtually nothing. You’re probably familiar with these terms thanks to olive oil, so extra-virgin sounds pretty legit, right? Wrong. Unlike olive oil, where the difference between virgin and extra virgin is the amount of fatty acids, there are no regulations governing the purity of coconut oil. The terms generally mean the same thing, one is not better than the other. The only way to really tell that you’ve got a properly pressed, unrefined oil is to use your nose – if it has a sweet coconut smell as if you’ve just cracked open a fresh coconut, it probably is.
Glass vs. plastic container
Always buy coconut oil that comes in a sealed glass jar. Glass doesn’t transfer that plastic taste into the oil, and it also helps to lock in the nutrients. Oils that are sold in plastic are typically mass-produced and lower quality. While buying your coconut oil in a big plastic jug may be a good idea economically, it’s not so good for your health. Plus, it’s likely to have an odd taste, and the high level of lauric acid that’s in the oil tends to destroy the plastic over time, leeching it into the oil itself.
Organic vs. non-organic
As with all foods, if the oil is labelled certified organic, meaning it has the USDA Organic label, that means the the coconuts used to produce the oil were grown without the use of pesticides. Coconut oil comes from the flesh of the coconut, which means that it’s safely enclosed behind a tough shell. Pesticides that are in the soil where the coconut tree is will be taken up by the roots, but as coconuts are so far from the roots, experts are of the opinion that it’s unlikely these chemicals will reach them. As they grow so high up, they’re never sprayed with pesticides either. There are hundreds of pesticides that can be potentially used on coconuts, depending on the environment they’re grown in, however, one study analyzed samples of coconut water and was unable to detect any of the 11 pesticides that were tested for, despite using two established methods of detection. As coconut water comes from the flesh of the coconut, it provides an idea as to the amount, if any, of pesticides present in non-organic coconut oil. Because there are no genetically modified coconuts, there are no concerns about GMOs in the oil either. Although there is little evidence to suggest that organic coconut oil has more health benefits than the non-organic kind, the simple fact that processing is more gentle and there are no pesticides, chemical or additives in the finished product means that more people choose the organic type.
If you’d rather play it safe when it comes to you and your family’s health, go organic, but keep in mind that there are some brands that claim to use coconuts grown in more remote locations without pesticides, but don’t go through the organic certification process due to the cost and red tape. Organic certification is quite costly, and consumers that limit themselves only to certified organic coconut oils, may be missing out on some of the best coconut oils available that haven’t gone through that pricey organic certification process.This is where reading labels and doing a little research could save you money without compromising your food standards.
Fair Trade certification, while not affecting the quality of the oil, may also be something you want to take into consideration. Remember that the cheapest products are often the result of unfair wages and treatment of those who are on the front lines of production, as well as ruthless processing approaches and environmental degradation. Supporting fair trade coconut products is a great way to become part of the solution, instead of the problem. Unfortunately, there are few Fair Trade certified coconut oil products available, but if you can find one and afford the slightly higher cost, all the better.
Now we know what to look for when buying coconut oil, which brands can be trusted?
Which Brand Of Coconut Oil Is Best?
There really isn’t just one particular brand of coconut oil you should look for. The main thing is to look for virgin or extra virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil that’s contained in a glass jar.
These brands all meet this criteria and then some:
Thrive Market Organic, Ethically-Sourced Virgin Coconut Oil
This wonderful coconut oil meets all of the criteria set in the article above – but on top of that you can claim a free tub and have it shipped straight to your door. We have teamed up with Thrive Market and are delighted to offer all Natural Living Ideas readers a free jar of coconut oil – just cover the $1.95 shipping cost.
Thrive Market is a relatively new venture that is a kind of Costco meets Whole Foods combo. If you regularly buy wholesome, healthy foods and natural, organic products, then you will love it and save a fortune. Prices are typically 25-50% off regular retail prices.
Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Fresh Pressed White Kernel Virgin Coconut Oil
Aunt Patty’s Fair Trade, Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
Aunt Patty’s, based in the Pacific Northwest, is a brand under GloryBee Foods that was named after Pat Turanski, co-founder of GloryBee foods. “Cooking and baking with natural ingredients has always been one of Pat’s passions,” the company notes, “and all products were carefully selected for their flavor as well as their beneficial health properties.”
The oil is made from dried, ground coconut meat, then cold-pressed to produce a rich, aromatic oil for use in stir-fries, baking as well as for moisturizing hair and skin. This Non-GMO Project Verified oil and is highly rated on Amazon for both consumption and beauty use.
Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil, Unrefined
Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut Country Living Organic Coconut Oil Extra Virgin, Unrefined Cold-Pressed
Coconut Country Living coconut oil can be used as both a cooking and baking oil, or personal care product to benefit your hair and skin. A 16.91-ounce jar sells on this page on Amazon, and it even comes with a free ebook: Coconut Oil Secrets for Health & Beauty.
Anjou Coconut Oil, Organic Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Unrefined
