I’m often talking about coconut oil around here.  I use it for baking. I use it on our skin. My favorite lotion bar is made from coconut oil. I highly encourage eating coconut oil and letting coconut oil help heal your system!

Today I’d like to answer a couple of frequently asked Coconut Oil questions…

Why is coconut oil good for you?

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat…something we’re told today to stay away from. My research has taught me to disagree with this. I’m not afraid of saturated fats. Please read this well written and well researched article, which explains saturated fats and coconut oil way better than I ever could!

Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good For You

Coconut oil is a stable fat, which means that it doesn’t go rancid easily like unsaturated fats do. (Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few hours of being produced. This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.)  Those living in tropical climates, consuming large amounts of coconut oil have low rates of heart desease, cancer and colon problems. Coconut Oil can actually help you lose weight and fight infections. It is anti-fungal. It has the ability to keep your thyroid healthy.

Where can you buy Coconut Oil?

I’ve not seen high quality coconut oil in my local grocery stores, but I live in a fairly small town without a lot of options. I have seen coconut oil at Wal-mart…and it works if I’m desperate…but it is far from great in my opinion.

I always buy my coconut oil online, as this is where I find the best prices. High quality coconut oil may seem expensive, but I consider coconut oil to be a healing, whole food…therefore the cost is worth it!

A good price for high quality virgin coconut oil, according to what I have found, is around $14/quart. I love it (of course) if I can find it for less than that! I watch for it to go on sale and compare prices at any of the following:

~ Tropical Traditions (watch for sales on both their Virgin Coconut Oil or their Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil.)

~ Vitacost – get $10 off your first $30 order!

~ Mountain Rose Herbs (Can be bought by the gallon here, helping this purchase to be very cost effective. Since Coconut Oil keeps for a long time…purchasing a gallon bucket is a great idea to help cut the cost!)

~ Amazon (Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil seems to be the best price at Amazon.)

~ Food Co-ops – If you’re a part of a health food co-op, you’ll likely be able to buy coconut oil through them.

What if I don’t like the taste of coconuts? Does coconut have a strong coconut flavor?

There are two types of coconut oil and both are good for you. One tastes like coconuts, and the other doesn’t!

Virgin (unrefined) Coconut Oil has a strong coconut flavor. It is processed in such a way that helps it keep the coconuty taste. I love Virgin Coconut Oil for baking.

Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil doesn’t have a flavor at all! It is processed differently, taking away any flavor, but keeping the nutrients intact. I’ve almost always found this variety of coconut oil to be less expensive. In fact, Mountain Rose Herbs has Virgin Coconut Oil for only $24/gallon + shipping…making it around $9/quart!!!!

How do I measure Coconut Oil for a recipe?

I addressed this question in my recent post:  How to Adapt a Recipe to Make it Healthier. I encourage you to read this post, and read through the comments as many of you shared easy ways to measure coconut oil. I pretty much just “eyeball it” when I measure! :)

What other Coconut Oil questions do you have? Do you like the coconut flavor, or do you prefer your coconut oil to be flavorless?

This post was originally published March 15, 2011.