Benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

For ages, coconut oil has been used to take care of hair and skin. Coconut oil has a special place in the hearts of many. One might wonder what’s the difference between regular coconut oil and virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is made directly from the raw milk of the coconut. In comparison, regular coconut oil is made from pressing the copra (coconut’s dried kernel).

Now, what’s the difference between extra virgin and virgin coconut oil. Technically there’s no difference between them. If you ever see the word ‘extra virgin’ written, it means the presence of only pure virgin coconut oil in it. Let's now take a look at the plethora of benefits that extra virgin coconut oil offers.

Prevents Split Ends and Breaking of Hair

If you are an Asian, especially an Indian, then extra virgin coconut oil benefits for hair are known to you. Since childhood, almost all Indian homes use coconut oil for their hair. Your hair, like your skin, is one of the most exposed parts of the body. And most of us suffer from the problem of split ends and hair brittleness. This happens due to excessive heat, dust, and the use of hairstyling techniques; your hair experiences a lot of damage. So when you apply the extra virgin coconut oil, it forms a layer on your hair and protects it from any kind of harm.

Prevents Greying of Hair and Provides Lustre

People love styling their hair. Be it straightening them or curling them or highlighting the hair, most of us have done it. But the harmful chemicals that are present in the hair colour starts to turn your hair grey fast. And to prevent that we use more chemical mixed shampoos and conditioner's that worsens the condition. So to prevent your hair from greying, coconut oil is the best option. Apart from preventing your hair from turning grey, coconut oil also adds lustre to your hair. Proper massaging of the oil can help your hair to retain the shine it used to have.

Moisturises

One of the uses of extra virgin coconut oil is that it acts as a moisturizer both to your scalp and hair. Especially in winters, our scalps get dried and results in itchiness. This is when coconut oil is needed the most. Instead of applying the plain coconut oil, you can warm it up a bit and then apply it. Not only will it provide you comfort, but it also gives your scalp the right kind of moisturizer.

Enhances Hair Volume

The less your hair breaks, the more volume retains. Coconut oil helps your hair to retain its natural volume and makes sure your hair breaks less. The nutrients and minerals present in coconut oil help increase the volume of the hair.

Reduces Hunger Pangs

Do you feel like munching all day long? Well happens to almost everybody! But these hunger pangs or cravings are not good, as they increase your weight. This is where extra virgin coconut oil steps in. This oil has medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) that are known to reduce hunger pangs. So if you eat foods cooked in extra virgin coconut oil, you will have considerably fewer hunger cravings than others.

Good Cholesterol

We all have seen that there are mainly two different kinds of fats; good and bad. Bad fats induce low-density lipoproteins, whereas good fats help increase high-density lipoproteins required by the body. Coconut oils help your body to get HDL (high-density lipoproteins). HDL helps to increase your metabolism and also keeps away any kind of heart disease. So try to make your food in coconut oil to make your heart a little more healthier!

Reduces Fat

One of the main problems that many people face nowadays is obesity. From young to old, almost everyone has gained extra pounds during the lockdown. So if you are thinking of eliminating oily foods from your plate, then don’t! Because medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) present in coconut oils help to cut out excess fats in the body. So if you include meals cooked with coconut oils, then it will help you lose extra weight. Just add two tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil to your daily meals.

Increases Your Heart Health

Another benefit of coconut oil is that it induces HDL. Which in turn is good for the heart. So if you want to have a healthy heart, you can add a splash of coconut oil while cooking.

Good for Skin

The extra virgin coconut oil helps to improve your circulation of blood. Thus, regular use of coconut oil makes your skin soft, nourished, and supple. Unlike other oils that you can use only during winters, this one can be used throughout the year. Also, one of the unique features of this oil is that it isn’t sticky.

Soothes Skin

From time immemorial, coconut oil has been used to soothe out any kind of skin irritation! Be it eczemas or any other kind of skin problem. The coconut oil acts as a cooling and lubricant, thus stopping you from scratching and getting uncomfortable. It also makes sure that the affected area doesn’t get red. Extra virgin coconut oils have two acids – lauric and capric that work on bacterial and fungal infections. Thus regular use of extra virgin coconut oil on the skin prevents you from getting any kind of fungal/bacterial infections.

These are the benefits that you get out of extra virgin coconut oil. Just make sure whatever you are buying in the name of ‘extra virgin’ is authentic like Coconutty Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and they will have mild coconutty smell of coconut, unlike other refined coconut oils. Share your views in the comments below.