Chances are you’ve heard of coconut oil and its amazing uses for your skin and hair, but the benefits don’t end there. While the popular oil has hundreds of beneficial uses, the best use of this magical cure-all is for weight loss. Incorporating just two spoonfuls into your daily diet will reap some seriously unbelievable benefits.
- Boosts Metabolism
Don’t let the fact that coconut oil is a fat scare you. Yes, it’s a fat, but it’s a good fat! Coconut oil is made up almost entirely of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are fatty acids that metabolize quicker than longer chain fats. They’re easier to digest and increase energy expenditure by as much as 5%.
- Decreases Appetite
Unlike fad diets that leave you hungry and unsatisfied, a diet rich in MCTs helps you to feel fuller longer. MCTs are digested straight to the liver and become either instant energy or ketone bodies, which are molecules from fatty acids known to effectively reduce appetite.
- Reduces Abdominal Fat
While incorporating coconut oil into your daily diet will not guarantee dramatic weight loss, those who do will notice a significant reduction in abdominal fat, another fantastic benefit of MCTs. And really, isn’t the abdomen everyone’s trouble spot, anyway?
- Heals and Detoxes
Coconut oil doesn’t just help you look great, it helps you feel great, too. It helps to improve the overall health of the digestive and immune systems, thanks to its main MCT, Lauric acid. This rare fatty acid fights bacteria, viruses, fungi, and boosts HDL cholesterol levels.
- Reduces the Appearance of Cellulite
The majority of women (80-95%) have cellulite. Many spend hundreds of dollars on cosmetic surgeries and skin-firming creams, but there is a more effective, inexpensive solution: coconut oil. Massaging coconut oil into your skin with a dry brush 10 minutes daily will exfoliate, break up fatty deposits, and encourage healthier, more nourished skin to grow.
While weight loss is always best achieved through healthy diet and exercise, coconut oil will give you that extra push you need to shed some serious pounds.