What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil (or copra oil) is obtained from the fruits of the homonymous plant (botanical name Cocos nucifera ), typical of tropical coasts.
The seeds of these fruits (the famous coconuts ), suitably deprived of the outermost fibrous envelope and of the woody wrapping that surrounds them, are white, fleshy and tasty. Their almond, more or less dried and called copra, is the raw material for the preparation of the oil, since it contains about 65% of fat.
Property
Nutritional properties of coconut oil
Due to the high saturated fat content of coconut oil, the competent bodies * suggest to avoid or consume it limitedly.
Coconut oil contains a significant dose of lauric acid, a saturated fat that increases total blood cholesterol levels (both LDL and HDL). Although in some cases it may improve the ratio of blood lipoproteins, the possibility that persistent consumption of coconut oil increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases cannot be excluded.
Since most saturated fats in coconut oil are lauric acid, this can be considered preferable over partially or totally hydrogenated, or animal-like products.
Also due to its high fat and therefore calories content, regular use of coconut oil in food preparation can promote weight gain.
However, the acidic profile of coconut oil is distinguished by its richness in saturated medium-chain fatty acids, such as caprinic, caprylic, capric and lauric itself; these nutrients represent a highly available source of energy, since they are easier to absorb and oxidize than long-chain cousins.
Although rich in these saturated fatty acids, some say that coconut oil should not adversely affect blood cholesterol levels, precisely because it is low in saturated long-chain fatty acids, such as palmitic acid, and is rich in MCT (supplements for sports based on medium chain fatty acids are generally prepared starting from coconut oil).
The reduced palmitic acid content is offset by a similar amount of oleic acid and a small percentage of linoleic acid.
In the kitchen
Coconut oil is widely used in the food industry, as a frying oil, in the preparation of bakery products and as a base for vegetable butters and margarines.
Coconut Oil online
On Amazon, you can buy extra virgin Coconut Oil in the extra-large 1 Liter format, 100% unrefined, unbleached and with organic certification. Produced only with fresh coconuts (not dried cover), it smells of fresh coconut even though it is not deodorized. Thanks to its high temperature resistance, it can be used both for cooking or frying as an alternative to traditional vegetable oils, and for preparing sweets. It can also be used as a cosmetic in the treatment of skin and hair, as well as a natural massage oil.
For sale online
Alternatively, 100% pure and native extra virgin coconut oil is available, not refined and extracted from coconut pulp. Being cold pressed at low temperatures, it retains all the nutritional properties, which include the richness in medium chain fatty acids (MCT) to increase energy as well as a high content of lauric acid. Free of sugars, Carbohydrates and GMOs, it can be used both in the kitchen, for every type of cooking, and for cosmetic use, as a moisturizing body cream, a natural make-up remover for the face or a hair treatment.
For sale online
To learn more: Recipes with Coconut Oil »
Production
Coconut oil is produced by pressing the copra and subsequent refining, obtaining quality oils gradually lower, also in relation to the raw material used.
Coconut oil can be extracted through "dry" or "wet" processing.
Dry coconut oil production
Dry processing requires that the coconut pulp is extracted from the shell, using a heat source such as fire, sunlight or an oven. The oily pulp thus obtained is then pressed or treated with solvents, extracting the coconut oil from the fibrous protein portion (intended for feeding the animals to ruminants).
Production of wet coconut oil
The wet process exploits the raw coconut rather than the dry copra, obtaining an emulsion of oil and water. The most problematic phase is the separation of the emulsion to recover the oil; this was done by subjecting it to boiling, to the detriment of the color of the product and the cost of the process. Modern techniques instead use centrifuges and pre-treatments, including cold, heat, acids, salts, enzymes, electrolysis, shock waves, steam distillation or combinations of them.
Despite everything, the wet processing is however less effective than the dry one and the yield is 10-15% lower (also taking into account deterioration and pests in dry processing). Wet processes also require equipment and energy investments that involve higher costs.
The right harvest of coconuts (age 2 - 20 months) makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of the oil extraction process. The unripe ones are more difficult to work and have a lower yield.
Conventional processes use hexane as a solvent to extract up to 10% more oil than just mills and extractors. The oil is then refined to remove free fatty acids and reduce susceptibility to rancidity. Other processes to increase conservation are the use of raw material with a moisture content of less than 6%, maintaining the moisture content of the oil below 0.2%, heating the oil to 130-150 ° C (266 - 302 ° F) and adding salt or citric acid.
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) can be produced from fresh coconut milk, pulp or residues. To produce it from the fresh pulp it is necessary to grind it wet, dry it and use a screw press to extract the oil. The VCO can also be extracted from freshly grated and dried pulp with a moisture content of 10-12%, then using a manual press to extract the oil. To use coconut milk instead, it is necessary to grate the pulp and mix it with water, then extract the oil at a later time. The milk can also be left to ferment for 36-48 hours, after which the oil is removed and the mixture is heated to remove the remaining oil. A third option involves the use of a centrifuge to separate the oil from other liquids. Coconut oil can also be extracted from the dry residue in the production of coconut milk.
One thousand ripe coconuts (approximate weight of 1, 440 kg) produce about 170 kg of copra from which about 70 liters of coconut oil can be extracted.
Refined coconut oil
The refined, bleached and deodorized oil (RBD) is obtained by hydraulic pressing of the heated copra; this guarantees to get all the oil present, equal to more than 60% of the dry weight of the coconut. "Raw" coconut oil is not suitable for consumption because it contains contaminants and must be further refined.
Another method for extracting coconut oil involves the enzymatic action of alpha-amylases, polygalacturonases and proteases on the diluted coconut pulp.
Unlike virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or aroma and is used for cooking, for industrial food processing and for cosmetic, industrial and pharmaceutical purposes.
Hydrogenated coconut oil
Refined coconut oil can be further processed into partially or completely hydrogenated oil to increase its melting point. Since virgin coconut and RBD oils melt at 24 ° C, the foods that contain them tend to exude with warm temperatures. That is why, in warmer areas, it is desirable to use hydrogenated coconut oil. The melting point of hydrogenated coconut oil is 36-40 ° C (97-104 ° F).
With the hydrogenation process, unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids) are combined in a hydrogen catalytic process to make them saturated.
Coconut oil contains only 6% of monounsaturated fats and 2% of polyunsaturated acids. In the partial hydrogenation process, some of these are transformed into trans fatty acids (lipids with a negative effect on the body).
Fractionated coconut oil
The fractionated coconut oil consists in the separation of the fatty acids that compose it to be able to use them specifically. Lauric acid (chain of 12 carbon atoms) is often removed due to its value in industrial and medical uses.
The fractionation of coconut oil can also isolate caprylic and capric acid (medium chain), used mainly for medical purposes, for special diets and in cosmetics.
Features
What are the characteristics of coconut oil?
It is distinguished by the rather abrupt fusion, which occurs around 24 ° C, while its solidification point is around 15-20 ° C; consequently, it appears as an oil in warmer climates and as a butter in the colder ones. In the market there is also hydrogenated coconut oil, with a higher melting point, which remains solid even at temperatures slightly above 30 ° C.
The conservation of coconut oil is remarkable; it is estimated that unrefined coconut oil can withstand rancidity for 6 months at a temperature of 24 ° C (75 ° F) without suffering any oxidative damage.
Cosmetics
Coconut oil in cosmetics
Applied to the body in the form of creams and ointments, coconut oil carries out its soothing and emollient action, giving elasticity and tone to dry skin; it is therefore used in cosmetology for the preparation of fatty milks and soaps (it has a good foaming power).
In fact, coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid with 12 carbon atoms that is converted to monolein in the human body; this substance exhibits marked antiviral, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antifungal properties. Coconut oil, lauric acid, or the single monolaurin, are therefore widely used in cosmetic preparations in which the presence of natural substances with antiseptic action is required.
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