Many experts revere coconut oil due to its benefits to the body when consumed as a food item or applied directly to skin. Others view it as an “dangerous poison” that increases the risk of heart disease, and triggers the development of “bad cholesterol” and allergic reactions. The truth, as with all things lies somewhere in the vicinity.
What exactly is right?
The quality of oil is evident by its color. It must be white and not the color changing. Another sign of quality is its reaction to heat. A high-quality oil will rapidly solidify in the room at any temperature due to its high content of saturated fats.
The most effective and most effective coconut oil is made in the country of origin: Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Traditionally, farmers prepared coconut oil through drying white coconut chips in order to rid them of moisture. The raw material that was natural was then heated on a tray , and transferred to a press to squeeze out the tiny drops from vegetable oil.
Today, manufacturers produce it in a much simpler manner that is, the chips are made using a modern press that allows it to be done with the temperature of the raw material that is not more than 40°C. The oil that is squeezed is left to rest for a couple of days to allow the sediments to are released, and the oil is put into containers.
Coconut oil is hot-pressed or cold-pressed refined, refined or unrefined.
Hot-pressing
Like other vegetable oils, coconut oil can be described as a manufactured product because it doesn’t exist in its purest form in the natural world. It has to be extracted from coconuts and, therefore, technically, all oils are not able to be 100% natural.
But, they differ in the way they process. One of them is the hot pressing method as described earlier. It is still often utilized because of its ease of use and cost-effective equipment.
It is then dried out in specially-designed ovens or under the sun. After drying, the oil extracted through the process of press or chemical treatments. This process is less delicate as the majority of the beneficial components are evaporated.
It is possible to identify an item that has been hot-pressed by the name Coconut Oil without specifying on the packaging. It could also be a way to identify coconut oil, made from refined and unrefined coconut oil. You can find more about these kinds below.
Cold Pressing
This technique is less secure and lets you save the properties that are useful however, manufacturers employ less frequently, and there are a variety of reasons. It is possible to obtain not more than 10% of coconut oil. Therefore, the availability of costly cold-pressing presses of today will not relieve the producer from the need to maintain the hot-pressing line. This means that the process is more costly.
Coconut pulp that is fresh can be crushed, and oil is squeezed through the normal press, when it is cold-pressed. Each of the 1,000 coconuts of which weighs about 1.5 kg, produce around 170 kg of coconut pulp of which just 70 liters of coconut oil cold-pressed extracted.
You can distinguish between what is listed as Virgin and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil on the label.
Refined oil
It is usually produced through pressing hot. It is then heated and water, different acids and sodium hydroxide is added to it, that separates all phospholipids minerals, metals, salts and free fats. These are scented with coconut. They also give the oil a white-yellowish hue.
This results in an item with no unpleasant odor that can be more durable to store and is a clearer color. It is much easier to move, doesn’t get clumpy, and is able to handle temperatures that fluctuate well. For retailers, it’s an excellent product.
However, the valuable compounds that remain after hot-pressing turn out to be smaller, as the refining process eliminates all amino acids minerals, salts and amino acids.
This oil isn’t appropriate for cosmetic use however, it is used to fry meat and vegetables. It is among only a few oil that do not alter its properties when heated and does not create carcinogens.
You can identify that the oil is refined through its Refined and RBD label that is on the package.
Unrefined oil
It is a product that has not been subjected to the refinement process. It is, of course, often referred to as cold-pressed blend.
It keeps not just the distinct scent and sweetness from coconut but also all of its beneficial qualities. It is also a great ingredient for cooking, but due to its smell, it can alter the flavor of vegetables and meat and the best application can be make it in the preparation of desserts that are sweet such as cakes or pancakes.
It’s also great for desserts that don’t need baking because it thickens and sets well. Unrefined sugar can be added to smoothies, coffee or fruit smoothies in place of milk and cream, or even used to coat toast.
Coconut oil has many benefits.
Because of its abundance of beneficial compounds Due to its high content of beneficial substances, coconut oil is recommended for treating curly and split curls, damaged or dry skin, especially for the neck and face. It can also help fight wrinkles on the face and can help fight bacterial infections. It can help boost digestion and brain functioning. It’s also essential to fight plaque and tooth decay, and also helps manage excess weight and having a positive impact on metabolism.
