This week's PRODUCT LOVE: Carrington Farms Organic Coconut Oil
It isn't just the big bottle at a reasonable price that I love about Carrington Farms cold pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil, I love the consistency and taste. I also love the care that they take in their processing of their products.
Coconut oil itself is rich in medium chain fatty acids, which are very healthy, easy to digest, and do not put strain on the liver and gallbladder. Once thought to raise bad cholesterol, researchers have recently discovered that coconut oil, because it is a medium chain fatty acid, does not raise bad cholesterol at all. Scientists now believe that coconut oil lowers the risk of heart disease.
There are three types of fatty acids: short chain (SCFA), medium chain (MCFA), and long chain fatty acids (LCFA). Most oils, fats and processed foods contain LCFA.
Coconut oil, because of its caprylic and lauric acids, has also been researched and found to be anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, and even anti-viral. It can be used by knowledgeable practitioners in therapeutic doses to treat certain conditions of the gut.
I use it in a practice called oil pulling to whiten my teeth and help keep the gums and mouth healthy.
In cooking, coconut oil has a very high smoke point. That means that it is safe to use at high temperatures.