Virgin Coconut Oil is world’s healthiest oil

Submitted by TemoL on Fri, 19/02/2010 - 9:43am

Tuesday 16th February 2010, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands - Pacific Islanders have used coconut for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well being and everyday “The Tree of Life” in contributes in hundreds of different ways to towards the sustenance of life.

Abandoning recent unhealthy lifestyles adopted by many urban Pacific Islanders and reverting to wholesome natural local foods such as coconut can help reduce the incidence of several devastating non-communicable diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

To encourage communities to re-evaluate locally available resources which have major export market potential, the European Union funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project is organising a media conference to raise awareness on the health benefits and potential of virgin coconut oil.

The FACT project is implemented by the Land Resource Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) with the goal of increasing agricultural and forestry trade within the region and exports from it by ensuring a consistent and quality supply.

According to Dr Epeli Nailatikau of Strauss Herb Company Fiji Limited, virgin coconut oil contains mainly medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and some short-chain fatty acids, which has a different effect on the body than the typical long-chain fatty acids (in both form saturated and unsaturated), prevalent profusely in meat and vegetable oils.

“These same medium-chain fatty acids play a crucial role in cleansing the body from toxins.”

“Coconut oil is heralded as a natural health food, and a coconut oil detox simply speeds up healing results by thoroughly flushing the entire body of toxins in a short time,” said Dr Nailatikau.

“Blood cholesterol levels remain normal with the intake of virgin coconut oil and the body’s immune system is also boosted.”

Dr Nailatikau also added that the chemical composition of virgin coconut oil is very stable hence it can be kept for almost a year without losing its quality.

Apart from its eating qualities, the other medicinal benefits of VCO outweigh any disadvantage it may have.
VCO can be identified by its colourless appearance and is processed with low or without any heat application while normal coconut oil is golden in colour and produced with high heat application.

For about 3960 years of the of the past 4000 years of the documented historical use of the fruits of the coconut palm as a food and a pharmaceutical, the news has all been good. It was seen as a sustainable resource providing materials that influenced every aspect of the lives of Pacific communities.

Studies have shown that virgin coconut oil has numerous health benefits. If you're not using virgin coconut oil for your daily cooking and body care needs you're missing out on one of nature's most amazing health products.

For further information please contact Vinesh Prasad on telephone (679)3370733 or (679) 9938746, email Vineshp@spc.int or LRD Help Desk on email lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.