Coconut oil, also known as copra oil, is the oil extracted from mature coconut “meat” (or the white flesh you see on the inside when you break a coconut in half). It is a classified as a saturated fat and is edible. One quality of coconut oil is that it is slow to oxidize. This means that it is quite resistant to rancidification and can be kept at room temperature for up to six months without spoiling.
There are several uses for coconut oil. For most of the tropical areas where it is abundant, the oil is used as cooking oil. It is also used as the conditioner and has been found to make hair darker. This is oil is currently enjoying worldwide popularity because of the health movement, the same movement that declared this oil to be unhealthy so many decades ago. Now that all is well, the oil is being recognized by the panacea that it is.
How is it processed?
In general, there are two ways to extract the coconut oil: a dry process and wet process.
The dry process will require for the white flesh of a mature coconut to be harvested and dried. The drying process can either be done by drying under the sun, through fire or even by using a kiln. The resulting product is called “copra” and is pressed or dissolved to release the precious coconut oil.
The wet process uses the fresh meat instead of drying it out to become copra. The proteins in the coconut flesh help create and an emulsion of oil and water. The challenge then in this method is how to separate the oil from water in the emulsion. Traditionally, this would be done by prolonged boiling, but the resulting oil tends to be discolored and smelly. Some manufacturers have now resorted to using centrifuges and chemicals to separate the oil from the water.
What makes coconut oil so healthy?
Despite the fact, that is a highly saturated fat, similar to that of animal fat, coconut oil is incredibly nutritious and good for you. The fatty acids in coconut oil are 90% saturated, this makes it resistant to oxidation in high heats and is perfect for frying. It is also rich in Lauric Acid, a fatty acid that has anti-microbial properties. Despite the fatty acids being mostly saturated, the fatty acid in coconut oil are mainly medium-chain fatty acids. These types of fatty acids are easier to process by the liver and make for a fast, easy and healthy source of energy.
What are some benefits of coconut oil?
Despite being demonized as a possible contributor to cardiovascular disease, researchers are now finding that coconut oil can help alleviate cardiovascular problems. Several studies have shown that not only does the ingestion of refined coconut oil (as compared to corn oil and copra oil) increase the level of HDL (good cholesterol) in the bloodstream it helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
In places that have an abundance of the oil, coconut oil is often used liberally as a moisturizer. It can help condition hair as well as moisturize dry skin. As an added benefit, you’re going to smell AMAZING when you use it.
What causes eyelash loss?
There are several reasons why eyelash loss might happen.
For one, eyelashes come off naturally. All the cells in our bodies go through distinct life cycles in which cells are created and then eventually die off to create newer healthier cells. The cells on your eyelashes are no exception. Every 30-45 lashes naturally fall off to make way for newer eyelashes.
Eyelashes may also fall off due to unnatural conditions such as disease. Thyroid conditions, as well as alopecia, can cause either hair to weaken or the body to attack the cells of the hair follicles, preventing new eyelashes from growing.
How can coconut oil help with eyelash growth?
There are several ways in which coconut oil can help with eyelash growth and aid prevent eyelash loss.
Coconut oil is incredibly moisturizing – this particular property of coconut all could help to avoid eyelash loss by keeping hair and the skin around the hair moisturized. This is will maintain the hair from drying out and becoming brittle.
Coconut oil is incredibly nutritious – coconut oil is extremely nutritious. It contains healthy fatty acids and many essential proteins and may help provide hair with the nutrition it needs, therefore speeding up hair renewal and growth.
Coconut oil could enrich hair follicles – People from the Pacific, where coconuts are abundant, often use coconut oil to make their hairs darker. This suggests that coconut oil can somehow reach into the hair follicle and have beneficial effects. Coconut oil may help keep hair follicles healthy and as a result, keep hair healthy too.
However, in cases where the eyelash loss is caused by underlying disease, all that coconut oil can do is help keep the hair stay moisturized. Preventing any premature eyelash loss.
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AUTHOR BIO
Meighan Sembrano has done her Mass Communication degree. In her free time, she likes to write about health, lifestyle fitness, world news and beauty. She is an author at Consumer Health Digest since 2012. To know more about her, follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.