The certified organic coconut oil that you purchase from an organic food store or online is a food, not a medicine. Foods should not have side effects, unless you are allergic to them. However, allergies to coconuts and their oil is considered rare. You can test out if you're allergic to coconut oil in two ways: as a food allergy (when consumed) or as a contact allergy (when applied to the skin).

If you are allergic to tree nuts, this doesn't necessarily mean you will be allergic to organic coconut oil. Your chances of having an allergy are higher when touching the coconut oil versus eating it. Either way, you want to simply start out slowly when consuming or test out on a small section on your skin to see if you have any sort of reaction, which will occur the next day.

If you are allergic to it, the symptoms you will likely experience when consumed include: itching, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and swelling. When applied to the skin, the symptoms include: itchy skin and rash which will develop in a day or two. Again, it is considered rare to have allergic reactions to coconuts and their oil.

A lot of people believe that because the word "nut" is in coconut, then it's considered a nut allergy. This is not true. In fact, studies on people who have nut allergies proved to show that they were not allergic to the coconut or its oil. The coconut is considered a fruit and seed, not a nut, so most people with nut allergies are generally fine with coconuts.

When taken in the right dose, organic coconut oil is safe to use. Here is a table of the recommended dosage per day one can consume based on your weight:

If you weigh:

• Over 100 lbs.: You may consume up to 2 1/2 tbsp. per day
• Over 125 lbs.: You may consume up to 3 tbsp. per day
• Over 150 lbs.: You may conume up to 3 1/2 tbsp. per day
• Over 175 lbs.: You may consume up to 4 tbsp. per day

Of course there will be precautions and warnings for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or those with high cholesterol. However, all these concerns have yet to be proven in scientific research. The only concern is when used in larger amounts, not when used in normal amounts found in the diet. You've heard the saying, "too much of anything is not good for you"?

As for those with high cholesterol, organic coconut oil is used as a means for weight loss and healthy cholesterol. Again, there is contradictory evidence showing it may increase a person's total cholesterol. However, it does increase the HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and has no effect on the LDL, the bad cholesterol. This is actually better for your cholesterol ratio than the total number, which is what counts as being important.

So, when consumed in healthy amounts, this miracle oil is very healthy for you. There are no side effects of coconut oil because it is a food, not a medicine. If you need to know if you're indeed allergic to it, simply test it out on your skin. If you break out or develop a rash in the next day, you have your answer. As for the cautions and concerns, simply consume the recommended dosage for your overall health and for the many health benefits of coconut oil.