Coconut Oil for the Immune System

That time of year crept up on us again. You know what I am talking about. The time when “achoo,” “hack, hack, hack,” and “sniffle, snarf, snort” become background noise in our daily lives.

With cooler weather comes the onslaught of germs. Cold, flues, and other viruses are out in full force. No matter how many times you wash your hands, it seems like some little buggy will invade your body, leaving all kinds of miserable side effects in its wake.

What’s a body to do?

It is hard to know what immune boosting remedies to take. There are gobs of them marketed to us this time of year. There are tinctures, pills, lozenges, powders, beverages, teas, and the list goes on.

In all honestly, a lot of the immune boosters on the market are cleverly marketed. They are overpriced and offer no real benefits other than peace of mind. However, there is one surefire immune booster that should be in everyone’s cabinet!

Coconut Oil for the Immune System

I’m sure you aren’t surprised to see that coconut oil is a stellar immune booster. Just one of it 333 Uses, coconut oil is a powerhouse of goodness ready to wage war against any germy invader.

How does coconut oil work for the immune system?

Coconut oil is unique among all fats and oils because of its high concentration of powerful immune boosting medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Important MCFAs present in coconut oil are lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid.

Coconut oil by itself cannot destroy disease-causing organisms. To activate antimicrobial properties, it needs to be digested first. When it’s MCFAs are digested, they are broken down into monoglycerides and free fatty acids.

The MCFA’s monoglyceride forms (monolaurin, monocaprylin, and monocaprin) hinder microbes from terrorizing the immune system. Individually, these fatty acids attack microbes differently. Some may be effective at killing a particular organism that cause fungus infections but is less effective in killing other microbes. However, their united activity will provide your body with a very powerful shield against illness. Monolaurin (monoglyceride form of lauric acid) is considered to have the best antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial effect.

How can you make coconut oil work for your immune system?

Human breast milk contains high levels of lauric acid that protects the nursing child from catching all kinds of illnesses. If one were to extrapolate the content of lauric acid in breast milk received by a baby to an average adult, an estimated intake of approximately 24 grams of coconut oil per day may provide protective levels for an adult. This is the equivalent of 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil.

Easier said than done right? First, there are a lot of coconut oils on the market and it is difficult to know which ones are the best. It can also be a tad troublesome to simply take coconut oil off of a spoon. What is a health minded person to do?

Good news! There is a post for that! Check out “How To Consume Coconut Oil” to learn all kinds of ways to sneak it into your diet!

Here’s to your health! Your coconut health!