Much has been documented about the health benefits of coconut oil. The problem lies is in the mainstream medical establishments disagreement with these claims. Knowing the reason behind the mainstream opinion helps to understand why something that scientifically has been proven helpful would be regarded in a negative light. With the growing economy behind health foods, it's important to understand what processes the oil goes through before it reaches the consumer, so you're choosing the best coconut oil for health benefits.

Coconut oil comes from the tropics, and the largest production is out of the Philippians. There the coconut has a prominent place in cuisine preparation and for this reason, Thailand has the lowest cancer rate out of fifty countries monitored by the National Cancer Institute. The coconut is 60 percent fat, with 92 percent of that saturated. It contains the beneficial lauric acid, an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial fatty acid. Studies are now utilizing coconut oil to treat AIDS, gastrointestinal diseases, HIV, and obesity.

Much of the establishment disagrees with the claims made about coconut oil. The reason for this is because the business and money that revolves around health food. The food processing industry is the largest and most powerful manufacturing industry in the country. Many government agencies including the FDA are lead by former board members of these food processing corporations. Top universities such as Harvard are given grants from the food processing industry, slanting the research to show only the facts the agencies want to show. This all works to hurt the independent producer and help profitable vegetable oil and food processing industries.

Coconut oil is quite beneficial, and can protect you from numerous impoverishing diseases. This comes with the caveat that you pick the right type of oil. Food processing is big business, and coconut oil has been subjected to the influence of this industry as well. Oil is processed several ways including hydrogenation, refining, bleaching, deodorizing, and the extraction process. Without going into too much detail, hydrogenation, bleaching, and deodorizing are all harmful processes that denature the beneficial components of the oil, modify it on an elemental level, and mask off flavors and colors. Avoid all oils that have gone through these processes. The best oil you can purchase will be unrefined and expeller-expressed. Stone pressed is also great as long as it's under low temperatures.

The benefits of including coconut oil in your diet far outstrip any propaganda big business would have you believe about it. Many well known medical doctors like Dr. Oz and Brownstein are now coming out in support of coconut oil and it's many uses, not only for health. You must get a high quality oil if you want to see the health effects outlined in this article, as their are products that would be bad for you. Take advantage of your health and look to mother nature to provide solutions!