By Vaibhav Singh –
Coconut Oil a boon for Psoriasis patients!
Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales on the upper layer of the body. Generally the patches appear on elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet, but they can also show up on other parts of your body too. Some people who have psoriasis also get a form of arthritis called psoriatic arthritis.
Cause of Psoriasis
The immune system deficiency to act against the foreign particles causes this skin disease, psoriasis. In a process called cell turnover, skin cells that grow deep in to the surface, causes irritation. Normally, this takes a month, but during psoriasis, it happens in just a few days because cells rise too fast. It’s hard to diagnose it, as it looks like other skin diseases. This disease can last for a longer time or even for a lifetime.
Assumed triggers of psoriasis include-
1 Family history of psoriasis.
2 Stress or anxiety.
3 Reaction to certain drugs.
4 Certain infections such as strep throat.
5 Drinking alcohol.
Prevention from psoriasis-
This skin disease, psoriasis can be controlled too much extent by the use of “coconut oil “. The use of coconut oil boosts the immune system, then decreases all inflammations and finally kills off any dreadful bacteria, microbes and fungus prevailing inside the body. The pure form of coconut oil is made up of saturated fats, rich in Lauric acid. This saturated fat is differentiated based on the molecular structure of the coconut oil. So as a result, coconut oil helps metabolic syndrome as it reduces insulin resistance, increases HDLs (good fats) and lowers LDLs (bad fats). Importantly, these fats are metabolized by the body and used as energy instead of being stored as fat.
What is a virgin coconut oil?
Virgin coconut oil is the pure raw form of oil extracted from the coconut and is considered to be one of the healthiest oils in the world. It is a dietary food which gives you instant energy and helps in weight loss. Despite of being a saturated fat, there are various health benefits of virgin coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is less beneficial than virgin (pure) coconut oil for your skin.
Is this oil Healthy??
Yes, it is.
There is a conception that “fats” are not good to eat because they add tons of calories to your body and makes you overweight and less energetic. Regardless of being a saturated fat, coconut oil is not a bad fat at all!! It’s because coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid and the unhealthy saturated fats are long chain fatty acids. Medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are also known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Similarly, long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are known as long chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in butter, cheese, various seed oils etc. . Now a day’s we get processed foods highlighting “zero trans fat” on their packaging.
Benefits of virgin coconut oil-
1 Virgin coconut oil is a natural immunity booster
2 Virgin coconut oil reduces inflammation
3 Virgin Coconut oil helps in weight loss
4 Virgin coconut oil helps in relieving constipation
5 Virgin coconut oil helps in Candida (yeast infection)
6 Virgin coconut oil accelerates body metabolism
7 Virgin Coconut oil for leaky gut syndrome
8 Virgin Coconut oil helps in digestion
9 Virgin Coconut oil has excellent antimicrobial, antibacterial properties
Usage of coconut oil for psoriasis
To see the effects of virgin coconut oil over psoriasis either consume it orally or apply it directly over the affected area.
1. Consuming it as a whole – Take one teaspoonful of virgin coconut oil twice a day, in the morning before breakfast and at night before sleep. You should not eat or drink anything before and after taking it for at least 1 hour to get the best benefits.
2. As an alternative to cooking oil/butter– Most of the vegetable oil (soybean, sunflower, corn, peanut) used for cooking is unstable at higher temperatures and get converted into oxidized fats which can cause inflammation and mutation in cells.
3. External application of coconut oil over the affected part: Normally, it is advised to apply coconut oil on your skin after taking bath/shower and properly massage it to make sure it is well absorbed by the body. Coconut oil is absorbed by the body readily. It is one of the best remedy for scalp psoriasis.
Other benefits of coconut oil apart from treating psoriasis
• Make the body defiant to bacteria and viruses
• It helps in controlling insulin in the body which is beneficial to diabetes and metabolism issues
• Coconut oil can help reduce cholesterol due to the lauric acid contained in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that positively helps the ratio of good to bad cholesterol levels
• Helps reduce levels of abdominal fat. You burn energy more efficiently when consuming medium chain triglycerides (MCTs)
• Coconut oil can actually function as sunscreen blocking approx 20% of the suns UV rays
• The fatty acids in coconut oil can aid brain function and are used to treat epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Conclusion
Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid having ample of health benefits. It is a powerful body moisturizer. It is anti bacterial and anti fungal in nature. It can help you to fix the problem of leaky gut syndrome to re-strengthen your body immunity. Many people have claimed to get relieved of their psoriasis symptoms by drinking coconut water and applying coconut oil on skin. All the health benefits of virgin coconut oil for psoriasis can be availed by using it on a regular basis for a longer period of time.
