WHY I LOVE USING COCONUT OIL

Baking: Coconut oil can be substituted 1-for-1 in most baking recipes that call for butter or oil (check out my Maple Granola Muffins and Coconut Granola for some delicious and healthy recipes).

Cooking: My friend Jo got me hooked on cooking eggs in coconut oil. They do taste a little bit like coconut, but that’s a good thing to me.

Body lotion: After the shower, I rub coconut oil all over my body— it feels and smells amazing. I also do this on the kids when their skin is dry (which isn’t too often since we rarely even use soap on them).

Facial moisturizer: I was very scared to put coconut oil on my face. Since moving to Florida I have had issues with acne. So bad, I resorted to Proactive. Well, two months ago I ran out of my face lotion and decided to give coconut oil a try. Sure enough, my face feels good and the acne has subdued. Turns out coconut oil is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial, which explains why my face hasn’t broken out from it!

**Update 9/10/12: I have been adding 2 drops of tea tree essential oil to the dab of coconut oil I put on my face and the results are awesome. My acne has really cleared and my face has evened out (less red areas). I also think it has to do with me drinking more green smoothies, which are a great way to help your skin glow.

Eye makeup remover: On the rare occasion I actually put on makeup, I do use a cotton ball and a little coconut oil to remove it. Works better than anything else, hands down.

Homemade Deodorant

Homemade deodorant: And it actually works!!! This stuff is so good— I highly recommend that you make your own. Here is the easy, peasy recipe.

Hair tamer: I have thick, curly and wild hair— coconut oil helps bring sanity to the situation. After the shower, I use mousse and then smooth some coconut oil on my unruly curls to calm it down.

Deep conditioner for hair: At least once a month, I slather this on the tips of my hair and (even my scalp) and let it soak in for a few hours. Then I brush it through and massage my scalp before I shower. I shampoo it twice through with Yes To, my favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner that is paraben free.

Homemade Toothpaste

Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil (cold pressed):

1. Thyroid-stimulating: Research shows that coconut oil contains a medium-chain fatty acids accelerate that stimulates metabolism, gives you more energy.

2. Get candida in check: Coconut oil has a good quantity of caprylic acid in it which is well known to kill off excess candida by targeting harmful bacteria.

3. Lowers cholesterol: It is rich in lauric acid which protects your heart by reducing total cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.

4. Helps with weight loss: Here is an interesting fact about coconut oil; even though it is a fat, it actually helps with weight loss!  Read more here: Weight Loss With Coconut Oil. The healthy medium chain fatty acids do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats; they are sent directly to the liver and are converted into energy. Thus the body does not store the fat in coconut oil as fat; it uses it to produce energy instead.

5. Helps keep diabetes in check: It does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. Instead it helps control blood sugar by improving the secretion of insulin. Note: This is not a free pass to eat a lot of sugar and other dumb arbs.

6. Reduces heart disease: studies on people in the Pacific Islands found that their total caloric intake included thirty to sixty percent from fully saturated coconut oil. These Pacific Islanders have nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease.

7. Gastrointestinal malabsorption diseases: Combining Vitamin E supplements with coconut oil through the skin proved to be a good alternative for those with gastrointestinal malabsorption diseases. Study in Canada 1999 University of Western Ontario

8. Supports the immune system. It is rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system.

9. Good for the skin: When applied externally it forms a protective antibacterial layer protecting the infected body part.  Also, coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by helping to repair damaged tissue.  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-oil-super-powers-pt-2

10. Nourishing for the brain: Studies show that it improves cognitive function, and stalls, or even reverses, neurodegenerative diseases in their early stages.

11. Ancient medicine:
Coconut oil has been part of Ayurvedic medicine for 5,000 years in India.

12. Speeds Recovery:
People in Panama drink a glass of coconut oil to protect themselves from illness as it is also believed to speed recovery from sickness.

Read about the numerous research studies done on coconut oil: Coconut Oil Research

“Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the anti-viral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria!” according to research by Dr. Mary Enig.

The top 5 coconut producers in the world are Indonesia, Philippines, India, Brazil and Sri Lanka. Because of the high local consumption of coconuts in both India and Brazil, the world’s largest exporters of coconuts and coconut derivatives are Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka, in that order.These export nations primarily focus on manufactured products such as Virgin Coconut Oil (http://export-lanka.com/Virgin-Coconut-Oil/Organic-Virgin-Coconut-Oil-200L-Drum), Desiccated Coconut, Coconut Syrup and Coconut Water (http://export-lanka.com/Other-Coconut-Products/organic-coconut-water).

Country	Coconuts in Tons
Indonesia	183M
Philippines	153M
India	119M
Brazil	2.8M
Sri Lanka	2.5M

 

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, which represents unrefined, cold-pressed, and white kernel extracted coconut oil (details of the manufacturing process is found on the following link – http://export-lanka.com/VirginCoconutOil), could be purchased and imported from any of the exporting nations. Although sensory variations exist between the nations, the specification is largely intact. The color of virgin coconut oil is pure white/crystal clear with no sediments. The taste and odor of virgin coconut oil are fresh and mild, respectively. The nutritional makeup of coconut oil is 95% saturated fats, with 0 transfat.

Since coconut trees are more than twenty feet in height, with a superior in-built filtration system at every foot of the coconut bark, toxins rarely make it up to the coconuts themselves. However, a certified organic estate is also disallowed to have high levels of organic pollutants / toxins on the soil i.e. harmful pesticides and fertilizers are banned from use. Organic certified Virgin Coconut Oil is processed from organic coconuts. Inspection and certification bodies such as Control Union conduct traceability tests in order to verify the authenticity of the organic process and awards an annual scope certificate to the manufacturing company.

The price of Virgin Coconut Oil is determined by both demand and supply. The price may differ based on country and season. Drastic changes in price primarily occur because of weather driven shortages and gluts. Coconut trees require a strong mix of sunlight and rain to produce a bountiful harvest.

Most coconut oils available in the market fall into the following buckets –

1. Testa Coconut oil;
2. Copra Coconut oil;
3. Refined, Bleached, Deodorized Coconut Oil (RBD Coconut Oil);
4. Whole Kernel Coconut Oil;
5. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil;

What distinguishes the above oil categories from each other is the way each one is produced.

Coconut Oil Category	Coconut base/input	Drying temperature	Expelling Temperature	Refined, Bleached and Deodorised
Testa Oil	Coconut testa	High above 70 celcius	High above 50 celcius	NO
Copra Oil	Aged/rotten whole kernel (white coconut kernel and testa)	High above 85 celcius	High above 60 celcius	NO
RBD Coconut Oil	Other coconut oil	N/A	N/A	YES
Whole Kernel Coconut Oil	Fresh whole kernel (white coconut kernel and testa)	60-80 celcius	60-70 celcius	NO
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil	Fresh white coconut kernel	50-60 Celsius (cold-pressed)	45-55 Celsius (cold-pressed)	NO

 

As a result of the variation in the production method, the final output differs in colour, smell, taste, fatty acid %, iodine value and other parameters.

Coconut Oil Category	Colour	Smell	Taste	Nutrients	Free Fatty Acid %
Testa Oil	Yellow	Strong, somewhat acidic	Strong and slightly acidic	Low	>1%
Copra Oil	Pale yellow	Appealing but slightly burnt smell	Appealing but slight burnt milk taste	Low	<1%
RBD Coconut Oil	Yellow to pure white	No smell	No taste	Low	<0.2%
Whole Kernel Coconut Oil	Pale yellow	Appealing but slightly strong smell	Appealing strong milky taste	Good	<1%
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil	Pure white, sediment free	Mild, appealing coconut smell	Mild milky, appealing taste	Best	<0.2%

 

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil leads the space as the best quality coconut oil in the market. However, as a result of its input – fresh coconut white kernel -, and its production method – cold-pressed drying and expelling – the cost of production of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is the highest amongst coconut oils.

Coconut Flour is a trending product, with a compounded global volume growth of more than 30% per annum in the last three years. The demand for the product stems from its gluten-free appeal, aroma, taste and nutritional profile.

Coconut flour is processed entirely from the coconut kernel, rendering it free from any gluten. The coconut flour production process is temperature controlled and strictly uses stainless steel equipment

Nutritional Values per 100g
Energy	388.3kcal
Total Fat	10.8g
Protein	19.80g
Total Carbohydrates	54.10g
Sugar	21.10g
Sodium	39.7mg
Dietary Fiber	36.90g

 

The coconut flour dietary fiber content is almost 9 times that of wheat flour, placing the product in the Super Foods nutritional category. It also consists of high levels of medium chain triglyceride fats, plant based irons and protein.

The alluring aroma and taste of coconut flour have become a key reason for its adoption in the baking industry. Coconut flour based recipes include cookies, pancakes, breads, muffins and other baked goods.

Because of its low glycemic properties, goods baked from coconut flour are less likely to spike blood sugar levels¹. Furthermore, as a result of its high fiber content, it aids with digestion, reducing the likelihood of constipation².

As a result of its delicate processing technique and its limited raw material supply, coconut flour is a premium product on the shelf versus wheat flour. Coconut flour prices are usually upwards of more than three times than that of wheat flour.

1.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-flour#bottom-line
2.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-flour#bottom-line

Coco House was founded in 2018 by Dulara de Alwis and Altaf Jeevunjee, two sustainable farming and nutrition enthusiasts, who believed that all consumers should have access to healthy and ethically sourced food. Our product range currently includes Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Coconut Flour, Coconut Sugar, Coconut Cream, King Coconut Water and Coconut Chips.

As a brand, we pride ourselves on our organic standards, the origin of our ingredients and the sustainability of our value chain.

1. Coco House is organic certified backed by supply chain tracking and lab testing.
2. Coco House sources its coconuts from Sri Lanka’s coconut triangle which is globally recognised for its appealing smell, taste and nutritional profile.
3. Coco House supports sustainable and ethical value chain farming and processing, as supported by above industry pay scales.

Currently, Coco House is available in SILPO Ukraine, select retailers in Cyprus, Amazon USA, and Amazon Japan. We continue to have discussions with other international distributors to bring our products one step closer to you.