Cold Pressed and Organic Virgin Coconut Oil: Here’s What You Should Know
by Jaywant Chowgule on Feb 02, 2022
Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
Cold-pressed coconut oil is known for its antiviral and antibacterial activity, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits.
The process of cold-pressing is a great method used for extracting the coconut oil while preserving its natural nutrients.
Two reasons why you may choose cold-pressed over regular coconut oil is because of its flavor and antioxidant retention.
How It’s Made?
Cold-pressed coconut oil is made without any heat. The process starts with the meat of mature coconuts being scooped out, shredded and pressed to extract as much milk as possible.
The milk is kept for 24 hours in an undisturbed state after which it separates out into 3 layers: water at the bottom, oil in between and cream on the top.
The oil is removed, which might still appear a little milky, which is why it is left to stand for 2-3 days, after which all residual water evaporates.
The milk is left to stand for 2-3 days, for the residual water to evaporate. After that, the oil is removed.
This way, the oil is extracted at room temperature without the use of any chemical treatments and high temperatures.
In this method, the oil is extracted at room temperature, without the use of any chemical treatments, which is why it is considered better than its counterparts which are extracted at high temperatures.
Unlike regular refined coconut oil, which is made from dried coconut meat and undergoes heating and filtering, cold-pressed coconut oil is expected to have higher levels of antioxidants due to the exclusion of heat.
Health Benefits Of Cold-pressed Coconut Oil
Antioxidant Properties
Since cold-pressed coconut oil is prepared at room temperature without the use of chemical treatments, the inherent antioxidant properties of the coconut are preserved.
This is unlike refined coconut oil which is made by drying the coconut at extremely high temperatures.
This way, cold-pressed coconut oil helps keep healthy cholesterol levels which helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Friendly Fats
Coconut oil naturally contains medium chain fatty acids, which is a type of healthy saturated fat.
This helps remove fat build-up from blood vessels and also helps to keep you fuller for longer, thus reducing your food intake.
Also, these fats do not get stored in the body but are immediately converted into energy that can be used by the body.
Flavour Benefits
Another benefit of cold-pressed coconut oil is its flavour. Since it doesn’t undergo any refining process, it retains much of it’s natural, pure coconut taste.
This makes cold-pressed coconut oil fantastic for baking recipes. This gives the baked goods a nutty and delicate flavour the coconut is known for.
No Additives
If you are someone who is particular about the addition of unnatural ingredients, then cold-pressed coconut oil is the choice for you.
Additives, which are added to remove impurities for refining, are not used when making cold-pressed coconut oil.
This makes it naturally additive free.
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin coconut oil has been gaining popularity across the world compared to ordinary coconut oil for its nutrition and benefits. Unlike refined coconut oil, virgin oil is made without the exposure from heat. This preserves all of the coconut’s natural qualities.
How It’s Made
The main difference between regular and virgin coconut oil lies in its making and extraction.
The virgin oil is extracted from coconut milk from fresh coconuts. It then undergoes processes such as fermentation, churning (centrifugal separation), refrigeration and the enzyme actions after this oil is parted from moisture.
The use of heat is not allowed in the extraction of virgin oil. It is therefore important to take care while selecting the kernel and raw ingredient coconut milk should not be exposed to heat or sunlight throughout the complete process.
Another way virgin coconut oil is made is directly by cold compression of fresh dried coconut meat called micro expelling.
The virgin coconut oil obtained through the cold compression method is considered to be better than that extracted by the fermentation method.
This is due to the fact that fermentation has high moisture content and can get spoiled faster.
Health Benefits of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin coconut oil is known for its unique taste and smell which is heaped with a whopping amount of essential fatty acids and antioxidants.
It has long been considered to be a host of medicinal and therapeutic properties.
Promotes Healthy Cholesterol and Heart Health
Coconut oil is known to improve the levels of HDLcholesterol (good cholesterol) which helps in promoting heart health when taken in moderation.
Also, studies show that almost 50% of fats present in coconut oil, known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), are used by the body to make energy and are not involved in the transport of cholesterol.
A diet rich in virgin coconut oil promotes an increase in good cholesterol and a decrease in bad cholesterol which is highly beneficial for heart disease patients.
Improves Dental and Digestive Health
The age old practice of oil pulling is helpful in preventing dental problems such as plaque and halitosis. Also, oil pulling using coconut oil can be very efficient in lowering plaque formation caused due to gingivitis.
The essential fatty acids, such as lauric acid and monolaurin, present in coconut oil possess strong antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
These properties assist in managing various bacteria, fungi and parasites that cause several gut issues.
Ayurvedic Benefits
According to Ayurveda, coconut oil is nourishing by nature and helps in enhancing strength and vitality.
Several herbal medicines are made using coconut oil as the base element, which is chiefly used externally and also internally for healing many health conditions.
External uses include healing of wounds, treating skin woes like eczema, psoriasis.
Nutritional Value
Pretty much all the calories in coconut oil come from fat which, contrary to popular belief, is an essential macronutrient required to perform several bodily functions.
These include: assimilating fat-soluble vitamins, producing hormones, guarding the organs and maintaining the body temperature within the normal range.
In terms of calories, one tablespoon of coconut oil contains 13.5 grams of fat, one gram of fat provides 9 calories, so one tablespoon will provide you about 120 calories.
Sources:
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/refined-vs-unrefined-coconut-oil-2296.html
https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/virgin-coconut-oil-uses-nutrition-and-health-benefits
