Coconut Oil


Coconut Oil - Directory & Reference Resources

Coconut oil-From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article or section may need a complete rewrite.

Reason: the info in this article is poorly compiled

Please discuss this issue on the talk page.

Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is a tropical oil extracted from copra (the dried inner flesh of coconuts) with many applications. Coconut oil constitutes seven percent of the total export income of the Philippines, the world's largest exporter of the product.

Coconut oil was developed as a commercial product by merchants in the South Seas and South Asia in the 1860s.

Contents

1 Physical properties

2 Chemical properties

3 Types of oil available

3.1 Unrefined coconut oil

3.2 Refined oil

3.2.1 Hydrogenated oil

3.2.2 Fractionated oil

4 Effects on health

5 Applications

5.1 Cooking

5.2 Manufacturing

5.3 Cosmetics and skin treatments

5.4 As a fuel

5.4.1 Traditional use

5.4.2 In diesel engines

6 Availability to consumers

7 References

8 See also

9 External links

 Physical properties

Coconut oil is a fat consisting of about 90% saturated fat. The oil contains predominantly medium chain triglycerides,[1] with 86.5% saturated fatty acids, 5.8% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 1.8% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Of the saturated fatty acids, coconut oil is primarily 44.6% lauric acid, 16.8% myristic acid and 8.2% palmitic acid, although it contains seven different saturated fatty acids in total. Its only monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid while its only polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.[2]

Unrefined coconut oil melts at 20-25 °C and smokes at 170 °C (350 °F).[3], while refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F).

Coconut oil has a long shelf life compared to other oils, lasting up to two years due to its resilience to high temperatures. Coconut oil is best stored in solid form - i.e. at temperatures lower than 24.5 °C (76°F) in order to extend shelf life. However, unlike most oils, coconut oil will not be damaged by warmer temperatures.

 Chemical properties

Among the most stable of all oils, coconut oil is slow to oxidize and thus resistant to rancidity.

 Types of oil available

 Unrefined coconut oil

Otherwise known as "Virgin" (or sometimes "Extra Virgin") coconut oil, this is coconut oil that is derived from fresh coconuts, not copra, and has not undergone the RBD (refined, bleached, deodorized) process that refined coconut oil derived from copra goes through.

Almost all of the "unrefined" coconut oils on the market being marketed as "Virgin" are produced one of two ways:

1. Quick drying of fresh coconut meat which is then used to press out the oil. Using this method, the coconut meat is quick dried, and the oil is then pressed out via mechanical means.

2. Wet-milling. With this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. "Coconut milk" is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge.[4]

Unlike olive oil, there is no world or governing body that sets a standard definition or set of guidelines to classify coconut oil as "virgin." Unrefined coconut oil made from fresh coconuts retains the scent and taste of coconut oil, unlike refined coconut oil which has been steam deodorized.

 Refined oil

Refined coconut oil is referred to in the coconut industry as RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) coconut oil. The starting point is "copra", the dried coconut meat. Copra can be made by smoke drying, sun drying, or kiln drying. The unrefined coconut oil extracted from copra (called "crude coconut oil") is not suitable for consumption and must be refined.[5]

 Hydrogenated oil

Hydrogenated coconut oil may either be fully or partially hydrogenated. This happens mostly in tropical climates, since the natural melting point of coconut oil is about 76 degrees F, and already naturally a solid in most colder climates.

 Fractionated oil

Fractionated coconut oil" is a fraction of the whole oil, in which most of the long-chain triglycerides are removed so that only saturated fats remain. It may also referred to as "caprylic/capric triglyceride" or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil because mostly the medium-chain triglycerides caprylic and capric acid) are left in the oil.

Because it is completely saturated, fractionated oil is even more heat stable than other forms of coconut oil and has a nearly indefinite shelf life.

 Effects on health

 The neutrality of this section is disputed.

Please see the discussion on the talk page.

There is widespread misunderstanding about coconut oil.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] During the 1980s, the American Heart Association issued statements indicating that coconut oil's high saturated fat content was detrimental to cardiovascular health and promoted heart disease.[11] [12] The American Soybean Association in the 1980s also claimed that coconut oil is a saturated fat and can cause heart attacks.[13] These claims appear to have been unfounded. [14] [15] [16] [17]

A research study at the Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia used coconut oil and safflower oil (high in polyunsaturated fat) in two otherwise identical meals for the study's participants.[18] The study found the following: "Consumption of a saturated fat reduces the anti-inflammatory potential of HDL and impairs arterial endothelial function. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory activity of HDL improves after consumption of polyunsaturated fat." Because endothelial dysfunction is a key early event in atherogenesis, coconut oil may be associated with atherogenesis.

Epidemiological studies have been performed on tropical cultures that get a majority of their caloric intake from coconut oil. The most popular study was conducted in the early 1980s on the Polynesian islands of Pukapuka and Tokelau - two cultures relatively untouched by western food at the time. Both cultures had an high intake of saturated fat, with one of the island's population consuming 63% of their caloric intake from coconut. The people were found to be very healthy, and the authors of the study concluded: "Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations."[19] However, these results may not necessarily be applicable to other populations.

Whereas consumption of most fats typically results in storage in the human body (as fat tissue), the fatty acids in coconut oil are broken down and are used primarily for energy production, seldom being stored as fat tissue.[20][21] It has been discovered that these fatty acids do not have a negative effect on blood cholesterol; in fact, they help protect against heart disease.[22]

 Applications

 Cooking

Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking, especially when frying, and it has a high smoke point temperature which makes it good for this purpose. In communities where coconut oil is widely used in cooking, the refined oil is the one most commonly used.

Coconut oil is often used in making a curry.

 Manufacturing

Coconut oil is used in volume quantities for making margarine, soap and cosmetics.

Hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated coconut oil is often used in non-dairy creamers, and snack foods.

Fractionated coconut oil is also used in the manufacture of essences, massage oils and cosmetics

 Cosmetics and skin treatments

Coconut oil is excellent as a skin moisturiser. A study shows that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective and safe as mineral oil when used as a moisturiser, with absence of adverse reactions.[23]

Coconut oil can also help in healing Keratosis pilaris by moisturising the affected area. The coconut oil should be applied in the shower, and may cause the KP bumps to disappear.[citation needed]

In India and Sri Lanka, coconut oil is commonly used for styling hair, and cooling or soothing the head (stress relief). People of coastal districts of Karnataka and Kerala bathe in warm water after applying coconut oil all over the body and leaving it as is for an hour. It is suggested by elders that this ritual must be done at least once in a week, to keep body, skin, and hair healthy.

 As a fuel

 Traditional use

Coconut oil is used in oil lamps.

 In diesel engines

See also Vegetable oil used as fuel.

Coconut oil has been tested for use as a feedstock for biodiesel to be used as a diesel engine fuel. In this manner it can be applied to power generation and transport using diesel engines.

Coconut oil is blended to make biodiesel but can also be used straight, without blending. However, only blends with 10% or less of coconut oil can be safely used in unmodified engines. The oil needs to meet the Weihenstephan standard[24] for pure vegetable oil used as a fuel since otherwise moderate to severe damage from coking and clogging will occur in an unmodified engine . Stationary engines that are continuously loaded (>70%) may possibly be used without engine modifications but there is divergent opinion about this.

The physical constraints of using raw coconut oil in a diesel engine are formed by:

higher viscosity of coconut oil (up to 10 times as high as diesel), leading to altered spray pattern of injected fuel, additional stress on injection pump

minimum combustion chamber temperature of 500 °C to avoid polymerisation of the fuel, leading to clogged injectors, sticking piston rings and lubrication oil deterioration

solidification point between 22-25 °C requires an additional fuel tank heater in temperate climates.

Raw coconut oil can be used as a fuel for generating electricity by remote communities that have an abundant supply of coconuts and milling capacity, provided diesel engines are adapted.

Coconut oil is currently used as a fuel for transport and electricity generation in the Philippines[citation needed] and India[citation needed] while research is being carried out in the islands of the Pacific.[25] In the 1990s Bougainville conflict, islanders cut off from supplies due to a blockade used it to fuel their vehicles.[26]

 Availability to consumers

While coconut oil is widely available in some countries, it can be hard to find in others. In the UK it is not generally available in big supermarkets, but can be easily obtained from smaller convenience stores at very cheap prices (from £1 to £2 for 500ml). Some people are unaware of this and resort to buying it online or from health food shops, which generally charge a lot more (from £5 to £20 for 500ml). Some sellers explain their prices by saying that their product is not refined (eg. "extra virgin"). However, as saturated fats do not contain any double bonds, they are highly heat stable, and as coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, the quality of the oil itself is not affected very much by the processing. Interestingly enough, some sellers even advertise their product as being both "made without heat processing" and as being heat stable. The main difference between these two oils is the amount of extra nutrients that may remain in the unrefined oil, and the taste which in the refined oil is nearly non-existent.

 References

^ http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c208C.html

^ Nutrient analysis of coconut oil - USDA

^ Cooking For Engineers - Kitchen Notes: Smoke Points of Various Fats

^ http://www.coconutoil.com/coconut_oil_production.htm

^ http://www.coconutoil.com/coconut_oil_production.htm

^ Origins Of The Anti-Saturated Fat Agenda, "Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century, Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N.

^ Kurup PA, Rajmohan T. Consumption of coconut oil and coconut kernel and the incidence of atherosclerosis. Coconut and Coconut Oil in Human Nutrition, Proceedings. Symposium on Coconut and Coconut Oil in Human Nutrition. 27 March 1994. Coconut Development Board, Kochi, India, pp 35-59 (1995)

^ "Coconut Oil – Ideal Fat next only to Mother’s Milk", Hegde, BM, Journal, Indian Academy of Clinical Medicine 2006; 7(1): 16-9

^ Coconut Oil.

^ Good Fat, Bad Fat.

^ http://www.newstarget.com/001587.html

^ http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/28/coconut_health.htm

^ The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D, p 9 (2004)

^ Ravnslkov, U., "The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease," Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 51, 443-460 (1998)

^ Taubes, G. "Nutrition: The soft science of dietary fat," Science Magazine 292,2536-2545 (2001)

^ National Research Council, Diet and Health. Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. National Academy Press, Washington DC, (1989)

^ The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D, pp. 34-48 (2004)

^ Nicholls SJ, Lundman P, Harmer JA, Cutri B, Griffiths KA, et al, Consumption of Saturated Fat Impairs the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of High-Density Lipoproteins and Endothelial FunctionJ Am Coll Cardiol, 2006; 48:715-720, doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2006.04.080 (Published online 21 July 2006). PMID 16904539.

^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7270479&dopt=Abstract

^ The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. (2004)

^ http://www.newstarget.com/009701.html/ Hypothyroidism and Virgin Coconut Oil (press release)

^ Dr. D. P. Athukorale, South Asia Research Institute for Policy and Development, "Coconut Oil: Latest Weapon Against Heart Disease", November 29, 2004

^ Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis Dermatitis 2004 Sep;15(3):109-16

^ Weihenstephan vegetable oil fuel standard (German Rapeseed Fuel Standard)

^ Coconut Oil for Power Generation by EPC in Samoa - Jan Cloin

^ The coconut revolution - a documentary film.

 See also

Coconut

Copha, a vegetable shortening which is popular in Australia made of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil

See resources for the A-Z of plant oils > A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

 

See a list of all plant oils starting with C - Cajuput Oil, Calendula Oil, Camphorwood Oil, Canola Oil, Caraway Oil, Cardamom Oil, Capsicum Oleoresin, Carrot Oil, Cassia Oil, Castor Oil, Catmint Oil, Cayenne Pepper Oil, Cedar Oil, Celery Oil, Centella Oil, Chamomile Oil, Chaste Tree Oil, Chickweed Oil, Chives Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Citronella Oil, Citrus Oil, Clary-sage Oil, Clove Oil, Coconut Oil, Comfrey Oil, Coriander Oil, Corn Oil, Copra Oil, Cotton Seed Oil, Cranberry Oil, Cypress Oil, Cubeb Oil, Cumin Oil 

 

Main Sections @ PlantOils.in

 

 

PlantOils.in provides directory and web links resources for sourcing, e-commerce, buying and selling of plant oils, vegetable oils, essential oil, fixed oils & edible oil, oleoresins, oleoresin extract, oilseeds and related plant-derived products such as oil meals/oilmeals and oilcake, bio-fuel & bio-diesel. It is intended to be useful for plant-based oils and plant extracts research and information for buyers, sellers, manufacturers, traders, suppliers, producers, exporters and importers of plant oils and related bio-products, derivatives such as biofuels & biodiesel. It will make an effort to provide plant oils production and uses related research, data, product info, link on producers and distributors – both wholesale and retail - details on plant oil, vegetable oil companies & businesses, wholesalers & retailers, online, ecommerce & esourcing trade & market resources, data, bio-fuels business and market statistics such as price, prices, demand-supply for buyer, seller, company, manufacturer, trader, distributor, wholesaler, retailer, supplier, exporter, importer and producer.

Other Web Resources of Interest

Credits & Copyright: This page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article

Coconut oil

You are at the Coconut Oil section of PlantOils.in

Geo Reference

GeoDig – Get Local!

Have you checked out the GeoDig directories for over 30 countries? GeoDig provides useful local and regional web resources for over 200 cities around the world. See the list of cities and countries for which GeoDig provides locality-specific web resources.

North America

USA - Alabama (AL) > Birmingham; Alaska; Arkansas (AR) > Little Rock; Arizona (AZ) > Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson; California (CA) > Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield; Colorado, CO > Denver; Connecticut, CT > Hartford; District of Columbia, DC > Washington DC; Delaware (DE) > Wilmington; Florida > Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville; Georgia > Atlanta; Hawaii > Honolulu; Idaho; Illinois > Chicago; Indiana > Indianapolis; Iowa; Kansas (KS); Kentucky (KY) > Louisville; Louisiana (LA) > New Orleans, Baton Rouge; Maine; Maryland (MD) > Baltimore; Massachusetts > Boston, Springfield; Michigan > Detroit, Grand Rapids; Minnesota > Minneapolis-St. Paul; Mississippi (MS); Missouri (MO) > Kansas City, St. Louis; Montana; Nebraska (NE) > Omaha; Nevada (NV) > Las Vegas; New Hampshire; New Jersey (NJ) > Jersey City, Newark; New Mexico (NM) > Albuquerque; New York > New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse; North Carolina (NC) > Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro; North Dakota; Ohio> Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, Dayton; Oklahoma (OK) > Oklahoma City, Tulsa; Oregon > Portland; Pennsylvania > Philadelphia, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, ; Rhode Island (RI) > Providence; South Carolina (SC) > Greenville; South Dakota; Tennessee (TN) > Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville; Texas > Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin, McAllen; Utah (UT) > Salt Lake City; Vermont; Virginia (VA) > Norfolk, Richmond; Washington > Seattle; West Virginia; Wisconsin (WI) > Milwaukee; Wyoming

Canada - Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London

You are at the Coconut Oil section of PlantOils.in

Europe - UK - London, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leicester; France - Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Bordeaux; Germany - Frankfurt (Frankfurt am Main), Munich (München), Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne (Köln), Essen, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Bremen, Duisburg, Hannover, Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Dresden, Leipzig; Italy - Milan (Milano), Rome (Roma), Napoli (Naples), Torino (Turin), Palermo, Bologna, Firenze (Florence), Genova (Genoa); Spain - Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Malaga, Murcia, Las Palmas, Bilbao; Scandinavia - Finland - Helsinki (Helsingin), Espoo, Tampere (Tampereen), Vantaa, Turku, Oulu, Sweden - Stockholm, Goteborg (Göteborg), Malmo (Malmö), Uppsala, Vasteras (Västerås), Denmark - Copenhagen (Københavns), Aarhus (Århus), Odense, Aalborg (Ålborg), Norway - Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim; Benelux - Belgium - Brussels (Brussel), Antwerp (Antwerpen), Ghent (Gent, Gand), Charleroi, Liège (Liege), Netherlands - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Tilburg, ‘s-Gravenhage (sGravenhage), Groningen, Luxembourg - Luxembourg City; Portugal – Lisbon; Greece – Athens; Hungary – Budapest; Poland – Warsaw; Switzerland - Zürich (Zurich), Geneva (Geneve, Genève), Basel, Bern (Berne), Lausanne; Austria - Linz, Vienna (Wien), Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck; Ireland – Dublin

Asia - India - Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore; China & Hong Kong - Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Harbin, Xian; Japan - Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka, Kawasaki, Hiroshima; South Korea - Seoul, Pusa, Taegu, Incheon, Taejeon, Taiwan - Taipei; Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur; Singapore; Russia - Moscow, St Petersburg

Middle East - Turkey - Istanbul, Israel - Tel Aviv

Oceania - Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide

Africa - South Africa - Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban

You are at the Coconut Oil section of PlantOils.in