Coconut oil has long been held to be a useful supplement to aid in digestion. This is one of the key reasons it is the primary ingredient in many curry sources – and why curry goes down so well.
As we have seen in previous chapters coconut oil has strong anti-microbial benefits which when ingested help you to fight off nasty bacteria and bolster your immune system.
Many digestive problems are caused by the presence of microbes in the food we eat. We have a natural set of microbes in our stomach acid that aid digestion but these often react negatively with certain enzymes found in other foods.
This means that the key way virgin coconut oil can help our digestion is by curing indigestion.
Indigestion is primarily caused by acid in your stomach irritating the stomach lining and the top of your small intestine. The most common process that causes it is known as acid reflux. This is most commonly caused by bad diet and obesity as well as stomach ulcers and other stomach infections.
The saturated fats in coconut oil, especially Lauric acid and Capric acid, aid your stomach, and digestive track, in neutralising micro bacteria. These fats help remove parasitic bacteria and fungi keeping your digestive tract and stomach at its optimal performance.
Whilst these benefits are great if you have indigestion they also help the clean and healthy running of the rest of your body too. Coconut oil is rich in vitamins and minerals itself but the fatty acids within it actually encourage the absorption of most other vitamins and minerals into your body.
This is because the enzymes that are released when the fatty acid chains break down act as a catalyst for the absorption of other vitamins and minerals.
But before you go guzzling gallons of coconut oil be aware that this would have a negative impact on your overall health. Whilst coconut oil is a great way to cure indigestion and is beneficial to your digestive system in general, over-use of coconut oil can have negative consequences. This is because whilst the saturated fats in virgin coconut oil are not unhealthy in small doses large amounts will be equivalent to eating lots of unhealthy meat and dairy products. So it is best to use coconut oil in cooking without pouring the entire bottle over every meal.
More tomorrow!
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