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Coconut oil

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture

   Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, is a vegetable 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.

Physical properties

   Coconut oil is a fat consisting of about 90% saturated fat. The oil
   contains predominantly triglycerides 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.

   Unrefined coconut oil melts at 20-25 °C and smokes at 170 °C (350 °F).,
   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 vegetable oils, coconut oil is slow to
   oxidize and thus resistant to rancidity.

Types of oil available

Unrefined oil

   Otherwise known as raw oil, this is oil that has been obtained simply
   through mechanical pressing and without further treatment apart from
   (possibly) filtration. Raw oil retains the compounds that provide its
   distinctive taste and smell. For marketing purposes, raw oil may also
   be called "extra virgin".

   Raw oil is extracted by crushing and pressing copra. Traditionally, the
   oil was obtained by grating or grinding copra, then boiling it in
   water.

Refined oil

   Various treatments can be given to the raw oil to produce different
   products each with their own characteristics and hence applications.
   Refined oil is virtually tasteless and odourless.

Hydrogenated oil

   Hydrogenated coconut oil may either be fully or partially hydrogenated.

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
   "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.

Research on health effects

   During the 1980's, The American Heart Association issued statements
   indicating that coconut oil's high saturated fat content was
   detrimental to cardiovascular health and promoted heart disease . 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 . The study
   found the following:

     “...three hours after eating the coconut oil meal, the lining of the
     arteries was hindered from expanding to increase blood flow. After
     six hours, the anti-inflammatory qualities of the good cholesterol
     were reduced.

     “...the safflower oil meal seemed to improve those anti-inflammatory
     qualities. Also, fewer inflammatory agents were found in the
     arteries than before the meal.”

   The above study involved only 14 subjects, and it is unclear how the
   coconut oil used for the study was processed. The conclusion that
   coconut oil is unhealthy is consistent with prior concerns raised by
   the AHA.

   The study has been criticised as misleading. The participants in the
   study consumed refined coconut oil, which is regarded by some as
   dangerous because of the added chemicals to make the oil colorless and
   odorless. In contrast to the study done by the AHA, a more recent
   modern study [ ] showed coconut oil reducing LDL and improving HDL.

   Furthermore, a study done by the Lazaro Hospital showed that coconut
   oil reduced the viral load on HIV patients. 15 participants were
   involved in the study and 7 of them showed substantial improvement
   after consuming coconut oil daily for six months. [ ] However, the
   study could have produced better results if the participants consumed
   more coconut oil.

   Participants in the study who consumed more coconut oil lowered their
   viral loads quicker than those who consumed less coconut oil.
   Furthermore, there have been instances where people have consumed as
   much as 1 cup of coconut oil a day and have lowered their viral loads
   to undetectable amounts.[ ]

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.

   In Malaysia, coconut oil is used for making Nasi Lemak.

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 .

   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.

   In India and Sri Lanka, coconut oil is commonly used for styling hair,
   and cooling or soothing the head (stress relief).

As a fuel

Traditional use

   Coconut oil is used in oil lamps.

In diesel engines

   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 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 and India while research is being carried
   out in the islands of the Pacific .

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 convenient 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.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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