Coconut Oil Protects From Colds and Flu

Coconut oil has been considered by many as the latest “superfood” because of its various health benefits. There has been plenty of research conducted into the uses of this oil, which comes from the meat of the coconut. Some have claimed that it assists with digestion, moisturizes skin, diminishes intestinal disorders, and even helps reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and cures acute osteoarthritis.

Nevertheless, some studies show that coconut oil may help protect against colds and flu. In this article, we look into the benefits of coconut oil, and the research supporting the idea that it can help improve your health in a variety of ways.

Before we go any further. I will say this over and over in this article. Please, please, please consult with your doctor BEFORE adding anything to your health regimen.

Now let’s dig deep into each of the “claims” that have been made about potential Coconut Oil health benefits.

Helps Avoid Premature Birth

We’ve already seen the link between Oil Pulling and plaque.  And, plaque can lead to gingivitis.  And, gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease.

We found this article on WebMD that reads:

One recent study showed that women with
periodontal disease who completed periodontal treatment
before the 35th week were less likely than those who
did not get treatment to deliver their babies early.

Unfortunately, WebMD did not give a link to their source.  But, with a little more digging, we found this study that backs up this claim.  This study not only describes a benefit for helping to avoid premature birth, but it also says that oral care can lead to avoiding low birth weight babies.

The study points to bacteria as the culprit:

Research suggests that the bacteria that cause
inflammation in the gums can actually get into the
bloodstream and target the fetus.

You can look at the references in this study to see the details.  But, with references like this, it makes sense that Oil Pulling can be an effective treatment for this claim. Of course, always consult with your doctor before trying Coconut Oil.

CLAIM RESULT: Fact

Eliminates Asthma

you gave me asthma
“you gave me asthma” by merri (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Flickr.com

We see several claims that Oil Pulling can eliminate Asthma.  But, is that relationship really in that direction?

Do the things that Oil Pulling might help, like plaque, gingivitis, and periodontal disease cause asthma?

Or, are people with asthma more likely to have plaque, gingivitis, and/or periodontal disease?

In this study, we see that there is a correlation between bronchial asthma and gingivitis.

But, this study is really just warning people with asthma to monitor their teeth better.

Not having people with gingivitis to monitor for asthma.

The implication with this study is that the gingivitis is the risk factor for those with asthma.  Not the other way around:

Several oral health conditions are documented among asthmatic patients,
such as an increased rate of caries development and reduced salivary
flow; an increased prevalence of oral mucosal changes, like oropharyngeal
candidiasis and gingivitis; and orofacial abnormalities.

And, this makes sense.  A person with asthma will likely breath through their mouth more.  This might result in a dry mouth.

Dry mouth then in turn reduces the ability to wash away bacteria.  This in turn makes it easier for plaque-causing bacteria to multiply, which can result in gingivitis.

On the non-scientific side, we found instances where people believe that their asthma was cured by doing Oil Pulling.

CLAIM RESULT: Anectodal

Clears up Bronchitis and Congestion

For Bronchitis we found several places where people claimed to have been cured of Bronchitis by Oil Pulling.  Or, helped with Bronchitis.

Even the website WebMD talks about it a little:

Apply topically. Don’t put essential oils directly on your skin. Instead,
dilute them first with another oil like jojoba or coconut oil. You can put the
mixture in a roller bottle to make it easier to use.

In this article, this person uses it on her children to help with chest congestion.  

I use essential oils for cough/chest congestion, either diffused or rub on chest with some coconut oil. Eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, lavender are all good ones. I do nasal rinses for nasal congestion and sleep with a humidifier on.

As a parent, I have also used a humidifier.

Another trick is to go to your smallest bathroom, close the door, and turn the shower head and run hot water while you sit outside of the shower as the mirror fogs up. Using the shower head seems to do better than just running the faucet down low. The goal here is to have you and/or your child breath in the extra humid air. After about 15 minutes of breathing extremely humid air, typically a congested chest is improved.

OF COURSE, use YOUR judgement if you have a child in distress. This isn’t a cure all. And, if your child is truly in distress, call 911 FIRST and then start the shower while waiting for help to arrive. And, don’t leave your child to open the door while there is very hot water near!!

We couldn’t really find any scientific studies to back up any of these success stories.

CLAIM RESULT: Anectodal

Reduces Allergies

The Coconut Merchant website has an article that describes how Coconut Oil can all but cure Hay Fever.

The article says:

All you need to do is apply a little coconut oil around the
edges of your nostrils which will trap most of the
pollen before you breathe it in.

The folks at The Indian Express have a slightly different take. They say in this article:

Coconut oil does wonders when down with seasonal
allergy as the lauric acid present in coconut has anti-fungal, anti-allergic, and immunity-boosting benefits.

So, their take is that it is the lauric acid that does the trick.

When I went to look for sources to back this up, I found this study that discussed both the consumption of Coconut Oil and the use of Coconut Oil as a skin agent of protection. This study talks about a lot of various studies that have been performed and the conclusions state:

Various aspects of immune response, like epithelial lining, inflammatory
and allergies, are impacted positively with coconut oil intake.

This research specifically identifies lauric acid as one of the key ingredients typically found in Coconut Oil that specifically helps the body fight allergic reactions.

CLAIM RESULT: Fact

Reverses Tooth Decay

The following study was performed to test the ability of Oil Pulling to affect the presence of certain bacteria and/or fungus strains.

The results showed the following:

It was found that coconut oil exhibited antimicrobial activity
against S. mutans and C. albicans. Sesame oil had antibacterial
activity against S. mutans whereas sunflower oil had antifungal
activity against C. albicans. However, L. casei was
found to be resistant to all tested oils.

So, what exactly does that mean?

Well, we had to do some more research to find out what each of these tested oral microorganisms do.  And, we found this:

  • Streptococcus mutans:  is a facultatively anaerobic, gram-positive coccus (round bacterium) commonly found in the human oral cavity and is a significant contributor to tooth decay (from Wikipedia).
  • Candida Albicans: an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and gas (from The Candida Diet).
  • Lactobacillus casei: is a species of genus Lactobacillus found in the human intestine and mouth (from Wikipedia).

So, to prevent tooth decay, you can go with Coconut Oil, or Seseme Seed Oil.  But, Sunflower Oil won’t help you with tooth decay.

CLAIM RESULT: Fact

Prevents Heart Disease

Coming soon as our research continues…

Reduces Inflammation

Coming soon as our research continues…

Treats Throat Dryness (or thrush)

Coming soon as our research continues…

Heals Cracked Lips

Coming soon as our research continues…

Boosts Your Autoimmune System

Coming soon as our research continues…

Treats Acne

Coming soon as our research continues…

Balances Hormones

Coming soon as our research continues…

Wipes Out Candida

Coming soon as our research continues…

Assists with Digestion

Coming soon as our research continues…

Scales Down Cellulite

Coming soon as our research continues…

Lessens Wrinkles and Age Spots

Coming soon as our research continues…

Balances Blood Sugar

Coming soon as our research continues…

Reverses the Effects of Alzheimer’s

Coming soon as our research continues…

Increases HDL and Lowers LDL Cholesterol

Coming soon as our research continues…

Cures Thrombosis

Coming soon as our research continues…

Treats Ulcers

Coming soon as our research continues…

Diminishes Intestinal Disorders

Coming soon as our research continues…

Heals Encephalitis

Coming soon as our research continues…

Chronic Blood Disease

Coming soon as our research continues…

Reverses Nerve Diseases

Coming soon as our research continues…

Remedies Sleeplessness

Coming soon as our research continues…

Cures Acute Osteoarthritis

Coming soon as our research continues…

Provides a Potential Reduced Risk of Oral Cancer

Coming soon as our research continues…

Increases Energy

Coming soon as our research continues…

Conclusions

Wow!! Just Wow!!

That is quite a list of maladies where Coconut Oil can be possibly be added to your doctor’s diagnosis.

WARNING!!!

Please make sure you are not treating this article as any sort of doctor’s advice.

ALWAYS

…talk to your doctor first to make sure Coconut Oil won’t interfere with other medications you might be taking or other treatments you are following.

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