We've previously discussed the value of coconut oil in baking as an excellent substitute for butter. And coconut oil is all the rage for everything health and beauty oriented, but most of those uses are outside the interests of this blog's audience. That's not to totally dismiss coconut oil's value in making lotions and soaps, nor to suggest that it shouldn't be stored for those purposes. Some coconut oil should definitely be stockpiled for caring for our skin. However, making those products is a whole field of study and research unto itself, and there are lots of other people with more experience writing about it, so I'll defer writing of the health and beauty uses of coconut oil to them.
As far as external uses are concerned, coconut oil, in and of itself, is antibacterial and anti-fungal. It promotes healing and is anti-inflammatory and analgesic. So all by itself, it is useful for treating the following:
ear infections--a couple of drops in the ear;
athlete's foot and other skin fungus--rub some into the affected areas;
skin irritations, including chickenpox, shingles, and eczema--apply liberally to affected areas;
bug bites and stings--apply to affected areas;
nosebleeds--rub inside nose to reduce occurrences;
diaper rash--use instead of diaper rash creams;
burns--apply generously to burn and cover with non-adherent dressing;
wounds--apply generously to wound and bandage.While most readers will accept the idea of using coconut oil to treat the first six items on the above list, many are going to dismiss the whole article, and maybe even the whole blog, as quackery upon reading the seventh item, using coconut oil to heal burns. When I was young, my mother used butter on at least one of my kitchen burns, and shortly thereafter we started hearing about the horrors of using butter or other oils to treat a burn. Coconut oil is a good substitute for butter in baking. Coconut oil is nothing like butter when it comes to treating burns. There is solid scientific research backing the use of coconut oil to treat burns; one such address to the article on this research is provided at the end of this post.
In treating and hastening the healing of burns, even partial-thickness burns, coconut oil was spread on the burn and then covered with a non-adherent dressing once a day from the date of the injury until it was completely healed. Coconut oil was also used to treat other wounds. In both instances, it was shown that wounds treated with coconut oil healed much faster than those that did not have coconut oil applied.
Due to coconut oil's antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, it really is the preferred carrier oil for almost everything we are treating when TEOTWAWKI hits. Coconut oil brings an added layer of protection or defense to the table. While coconut oil alone can be used to remedy the following conditions, adding in essential oils ups the game:
hemorrhoids and piles--1 teaspoon coconut oil with 2 drops lavender essential oil;
cold sores--1/4 teaspoon coconut oil with 1 drop oregano essential oil;
thrush--1 teaspoon coconut oil with 2-3 drops peppermint essential oil, swished in the mouth;
wound salve--1 teaspoon coconut oil with two drops each frankincense, lavender, and tea tree oil;
insect repellent--1 tablespoon coconut oil with 2 drops each peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oil.One study showed that coconut oil and anise spray were more effective than permethrin in getting rid of lice. A search on Amazon for anise spray yielded a bunch of hits for fish bait. So I'm not sure what this anise spray is or that I really want it.
Another treatment for lice that uses coconut oil seems much more practical in a grid-down situation.
Rinse hair well with apple cider vinegar and leave the vinegar in to dry. Then work melted coconut oil into the hair, covering every strand of hair from the roots out, and put on a shower cap. Leave the oil in and shower cap on all day. It will take several hours for the coconut oil to suffocate the lice. Comb the hair with a lice comb to remove eggs and lice. Then shampoo as usual.
Internally, beyond the various benefits of cooking and baking with coconut oil, there are a few significant and interesting uses of coconut oil medicinally, and they're of particular importance to preppers.
The first is that coconut oil, as part of a ketogenic diet, has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of seizures in epileptic children. Secondly, it has been shown to improve brain function in Alzheimer's patients. But of most interest to all preppers is research showing that using coconut oil, a fat, actually reduces the number of calories a person desires to consume. Men who ate coconut oil each day as part of their diet, consumed fewer calories each day. That's significant! When we can no longer afford to eat what we want when we want, and when even just a little bit of hunger can lead to irritation, lack of patience, or worse, any substance that is healthy and makes us feel a little fuller or more satisfied will be more than welcome.
So which kind of coconut oil do you want? For external uses, any coconut oil will work. For internal uses, cooking, and baking (for the most nutritional benefit), unrefined coconut oil is best. Cold-pressed and/or "extra-virgin" are preferred with olive oil, but not with coconut oil, at least internally. The heat processing treatment actually boosts the antioxidant properties of coconut oil.
Links to related posts:
Lice
Coconut oil in food storage
For further reading:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17651080 (coconut oil 100% effective against Candida)
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/68/2/226/4648722 (reduces hunger)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9701177 (reduces hunger)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26859528 (part of ketogenic diet to reduce epileptic seizures in children)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15724344 (eczema)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15123336 (Alzheimer's)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058 (abdominal fat loss)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19343362 (lice)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20523108 (healing wounds)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792613/ (burns)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20645831 (analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects)
http://www.midwife.org/ACNM/files/ccLibraryFiles/Filename/000000000656/Perineal%20Massage%20in%20Pregnancy.pdf (perineal massage to prevent tearing and /or need for episiotomy during childbirth--massage with coconut oil starting 6 weeks before due date)
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/18/coconut-oil-uses.aspx
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