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 People in the Philippines could look up on a street corner in rural areas and see a coconut tree with its fruits dangling from the top. We would commonly remember the delicious fresh juice of the coconut and the tender white flesh on the inside of the coconut. This is one of the most common fruits in the Philippines that definitely serves as a cool refreshment or dessert for any occasion.
Not only can we get the meat and juice from the coconut, but we can also get a variety of other edibles from it. We can ferment it and get coconut-based liquors, for one thing, but a very popular coconut product today is virgin coconut oil.
Virgin coconut oil may have become popular only recently, but Filipinos have been using them for thousands of years. It is a natural healthy oil that helps remedy some ailments, and helps maintain an overall well-balanced bodily system.
Virgin coconut oil is a very powerful antioxidant. According to studies, it helps reduce the occurrence of cancer in its consumers. It also prevents faster ageing, while other oils (unsaturated fats) can actually increase ageing. Research states that it also fights stress and infertility. Coconut oil is made of saturated fats, which help reduce cholesterol and prevent obesity. In research on cows, feeding even a tiny amount of unsaturated fats to cows makes them unhealthy and obese, but feeding them coconut oil (saturated fats) helps make them leaner. Finally, coconut oil supports strong brain development. In research on mice, pregnant mice fed coconut oil produced smarter offspring compared to those fed unsaturated fats.
Coconuts are so abundant here in the Philippines. This is why we have been using them for centuries. They are a natural food source, and are very healthy as well, so instead of using normal cooking oils, you can prefer to use virgin coconut oil. |
