This extra virgin coconut oil is from the Banaban range. Coconut oil is an ingredient that has been part of the diet of the inhabitants of the Pacific region for thousands of years. It was also used for therapeutic purposes. Coconut oil was always considered an essential component for life.

It has many health benefits:

• Promotes energy metabolism
  
• Helps reduce tension states
  
• Slimming properties
  
• Helps keep blood cholesterol levels in healthy ranges
  
• Strengthens the immune system
  
• Facilitates digestion
  
• Helps maintain normal levels of fluids and electrolytes and it is useful for treating kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes
  
• Strengthens the bone structure
  
• Improves capillary health
  
• Improves skin appearance
  

The properties of coconut oil are mainly due to their content of medium-chain fatty acids (lauric, capric and caprylic acids) that confer the ability to be a substance useful for treating bacterial and fungal infections and excess of free radicals that is generated in aging.

From a naturopathic perspective, coconut oil is considered a natural component of great value.
Coconut oil was considered as a hypercholesterolemic fat. However, it was found that the increase in blood cholesterol level is not due to the intake of one type of fat but the entire food intake in the daily diet.

Scientific research has proven the benefits of coconut oil. It has been confirmed to be antimicrobial and antiviral. For this reason, has been used in the treatment of immunocompromised patients. According to a study conducted in the Philippines, the effect of coconut oil is based on the reduction of viral load in the blood of these patients.

While saturated fats can increase the liver production of cholesterol, coconut oil has a type of fat that helps prevent cardiovascular disease. The fat contained in coconut oil is not equal to that found in meat and having a different chemical structure. This fat is very similar to that found in breast milk and is associated with numerous health benefits (antibacterial, antifungal and strengthening the immune system). Currently, these fatty acids are used in the food industry to fortify infant formula, dairy products and beverages and food for athletes.

Coconut oil can be considered a nutraceutical. This means that its properties go beyond its supply of nutrients and energy. Its high content of lauric acid is the main reason for its many health benefits.

Although coconut oil has been used by Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, its health properties have been recently proven by scientists.

Lauric acid found in coconut oil is not absorbed in the same way that other fats, it is easier to digest and when it get into the blood is carried to the liver where it is oxidized more efficiently than other fats . For this reason, it is an excellent adjunct to diet to lose weight.

The medium-chain fats, such as lauric fatty acid help energy metabolism becomes more efficient, favouring oxidation of nutrients and the use thereof by the cells. Consequently, coconut oil is useful in patients with metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism and in those who can not lose weight despite eating a balanced and low-calorie diet.

The coconut oil quantity required to obtain health benefits is 3-4 tablespoons per day. It is important to obtain unrefined and non-hydrogenated coconut oil. Hydrogenation is a process that is done to make a more stable fat. This procedure changes the chemical structure of the oil and trans fats are formed, which increase cardiovascular risk and promotes inflammation.