What is VCO? By Eko SB Setyawan

VCO is now getting global reputation as the healthiest and versatile oil in the world. Indonesia is one of the best sources of virgin coconut oil and it''s popularity in the country is legendary. Virgin Coconut Oil can only be achieved by using fresh coconut meat or what is called non-copra. Chemicals and high heating are not used in further refining, since the natural, pure coconut oil is very stable with a shelf life of several years.

Virgin coconut oil and regular coconut oil is rich in Lauric Acid, an essential fatty acid that is only found in high concentrations in mother''s milk. When taken internally, Lauric Acid turns into a compound known as Monolaurin. It is this compound that is believed to fight viral pathogens that protects the body from bacteria, viruses and infections from parasites. Coconut oil also causes the metabolic rate to increase, hence helps reduce weight and is safe and beneficial for diabetics.

For many years, coconut oil has been discredited (specially in the west) because of it''s high saturated fat content. But recent studies have shown that not all saturated fats are the same. The medium chain triglycerides of which virgin coconut oil is classified, does not elevate LDL (the bad cholesterol) in our body compared to other polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as canola and sunflower oil which is widely produced in the west.

How made VCO
There are currently two main processes of manufacturing Virgin Coconut Oil:
1. Quick drying of fresh coconut meat which is then used to press out the oil. Using this method, the coconut meat is quick dried, and the oil is then pressed out via mechanical means.
2. Wet-milling. With this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. "Coconut milk" is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge.

Difference between Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) and Regular (RBD) Coconut Oil
RBD stands for Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized. Ordinary coconut oil usually comes from copra - coconut meat that is dried by either smoke, kiln or placing under the sun. Because the process itself is not sanitized, the oil must be further refined. To get more oil from copra, chemicals are usually used. RBD process is required to make the oil clear, odor free and tasteless. This procedure also removes the anti-oxidant and other properties of the oil. Some coconut oils are also hydrogenated which increases the serum cholesterol levels and thus is bad for the heart. While virgin coconut oil, being pure, unadulterated and unhydrogenated retains it''s pleasant coconut taste, smell and all the health benefits of coconut oil. So,one of the main differences between Virgin Coconut oil and refined coconut oils is the scent and taste. All Virgin Coconut Oils retain the fresh scent and taste of coconuts, whereas the copra-based refined coconut oils have a bland taste due to the refining process. Some grades of refined copra-based oils are also now sold that have a coconut flavor, but are usually bitter and have a burnt taste to it. They are a form of "crude coconut oil" that has not undergone all of the deodorizing process, and they have a shorter shelf-life.

Benefits of VCO
● A boost to the body''s immune system
● A good source of saturated medium chain triglycerides
● VCO helps regulate blood sugar
● Lowers the viral load of AIDS patients.
● Has anti-viral & anti-microbial properties
● Helps hepatitis C, herpes patients
● Helps maintain healthy thyroid function
● Maintain LDL & HDL cholesterol levels
● Heals & nourishes the skin, hair & scalp

Author : Eko SB Setyawan, eko.sb.setyawan@gmail.com

Virgin Coconut Oil for Best Food Supplement By Eko SB Setyawan

Indonesia is state broadly plantation of coconut of nomer one in world. Coconut benefit for health in fact have been recognized by society since ahead. General issue in Indonesia in this time is technology processing of coconut mostly still traditional so that only can as local commodity, non international trade. Many experts in Indonesia which have introduced various technology processing of coconut in Indonesia, but because by most society still is costly, so that they tend to to sell intact coconut without processing. Though many commodities from coconut have good market in international market, one of them virgin coconut oil or of VCO. Even though there are some entrepreneurs which have can make VCO with quality of goodness by following existing process standard.

Pamour coconut oil have time to be gloomy after west media report on immeasurable lacking of coconut oil one of them because fatty acid content of high saturated fat enough. Finally they suggest to consume vegetable oil, palm oil, or corn oil. From various research is nowadays known by this is trade politics which do not fair.

Fact prove, United States where its resident consuming many vegetable oil, number occurence of high heart sickness enough. Its meaning, opinion that vegetable oil more is peaceful compared to palm oil start to be questioned .

Meanwhile research into conducted by Weston A Price expert dr of nutrition of United States show coconut oil consumption do not at moment's notice result heart sickness. Research done in island of Pukapuka, New Zealand find that very low heart sickness case there, though most its resident consume coconut oil in number very big, around 60% from totalizeing consumed calorie.
Various Benefit of VCO

In fact, research of circumstantial klinis about benefit of VCO not yet too much, so that medically benefit of VCO not yet can be justified. Nevertheless there is expert feeling benefit of VCO this for the food of supplement so that improve body endurance from various disease.
VCO has fatty acid content of high lauric. Lauric acid represent saturated fatty acid related to or referred as also with medium of chain fatty acid ( MCFA). Fatty acid of this fat is very easy permeated by body, do not be piled up first as fat like fatty acid related to length.
Some erudite research find immeasurablely of benefit of VCO to health and medication of disease. VCO believed can overcome immeasurablely of health problem, like disease of digestive channel and disease of degeneratif. According to international standard, VCO will give its if in this virgin coconut oil consist in lauric acid minimum counted 25%. Field fact, obstetrical of lauric acid produced in Indonesia most of all residing in at range above 40%.
With its content of medium chain fatty acid (MCFA), VCO also have ability prevent some the following disease type:
1. Killing various virus causing mononucleosis , influenza, hepatitis, and herpes
2. Killing various bacterium type cause of disease of pneumonia, earache, holey tooth, poisoned of food, ureter infection, and meningitis.
3. Killing yeast and mushroom which can cause candia disease, jock itch, athetes foot and rash because sweat
4. Assisting to assuage symptoms and lessen attributed to health risk of melitus diabetes
5. Lessening related to trouble of digestive difficulty symptom and cystic fibrosis
6. Assisting to protect body of attack of osteoporosis
7. Assuaging attributed to symptom of chorn's disease, ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcer
8. Assisting to protect body of bosom cancer attack and colon cancer
9. Degrading hypertension cholesterol rate.
10. Assisting in prevention of ill heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis.
11. Protecting body of dangerous free radical which improve disease of degeneratif.
12. Assisting to prevent hypertension.
13. Assuaging symptom benign prostatic hyperplasia
14. Assisting to prevent disease of lever.
15. Assisting to prevent disease of lever.

Result of research dr Condrado Dayrit from Philippine indicate that lauric acid and capic acid which consist in in VCO can kill virus. In body, lauric acid turned into monolaurin while capric acid turn into monocaprin. This compound is including compound of monogliserida having the character of as antivirus, antibakteri, and antibiotic of antiprotozoa. This Monocaprin which used by suplemen have brand of Capricidin to fight virus of HIV.

Various information about benefit of VCO have reveal new expectation about matter which can be useful for the health of human being. Nevertheless till now still not yet been known surely mechanism constitutoing various benefit of VCO. Its Meaning, need advanced research about benefit of VCO before ensured that this compound is true be of benefit to health. So far research of benefit of VCO to medication of new disease only research early and is untested of klinis. Its benefit newly limited to improving body stamina, loo like functional food suplemen and not yet been categorized as drug. Producer claim expressing VCO can heal immeasurablely of disease in fact tend to to mislead. More than anything else for the patient of certain disease like diabetes. All patient of diabetes better take counsel with doctor before consuming VCO.

Process of VCO to Yield Foodgrade Organic VCO

There are some process of VCO which have been publicized. All owning insuffiency and benefit of process.VCO can applicate to the food product hence reference which we can hold that process use hygienic and does not destroy the content of VCO. About standard, we relate at standard which have been made by Asian Pasific Coconut Community ( APCC) and of Philiphine National Standards ( PNS) with code of PNS /BAFPS no. 22:2004. Both these organisation have made standard of VCO quality of VCO, inspected from product and also its process.

According to Asian Pasific Coconut Community ( APCC), process of VCO does not pay attention process with warm-up or not. All important matter that is VCO yielded from fresh coconut and have matured and also result of oil obtained does not change. Thereby, yielded coconut oil by traditional and high rise warm-up still can category as VCO. But Philiphine National Standards ( PNS), giving more detail standard again, among others VCO do not be yielded through chemical process of refining, deodorizing, and bleaching ( RDB). Basically VCO does not be rancid easy to because of high fatty acid its content so that oxidation process does not easy happened. But, with low quality VCO, rancidity process will walks earlierly. This matter because of influence of oxygen, water rate, and microbe to decompose fatty acid content residing in in VCO and become other component.

Physically, the color of VCO has to be clear, like crystal. This matter designate that VCO does not mixed by other dirt materials. If VCO has high water content, usually there will be white sediment or Iump. Existence of this water will quicken process of rancidity. Besides, that sediment or Iump represent blondo which does not be filtered altogether. Contamination like that will have an effect on to VCO quality.
Indonesia is country of coconut, because representing state broadly coconut plantation numer one in the world. Coconut raw material of course very abundant here, but for the making of VCO only used old matured coconut.The reason is more oil can be obtained, including high lauric acid content.Quality factor have to be paid attention, general issue about quality factor of VCO is the existence of high water content of product of VCO. Oil which more aqueous will hydrolysis and easy rancid so that improper to consume. For consumer of VCO like you is important to pay attention of this problem .

One of the VCO process which popular enough in Indonesia is popularized by Dr. Bambang Setiadji from Chemistry Department, Mathematics and Natural Science Faculty, Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta. His method wet process and have some benefit for example : 1. Its clear colour of crystal because [do] not experience of process of refining, and bleaching of deodorizing 2. Medium chain fatty acid content and its antioxidant do not experience of denaturation so that its good as health food supplement While lacking this method is :1. Requiring VCO as feed in process making of VCO 2. yielded rendemen a little to be compared to the other way. If the other yield 1100 cc from 10 coconut item, but in this way only yielding 1000 cc VCO. While 100 cc remain followed in blondo.Process of with this method is started from get the fresh fruit of coconut kernel, then rasping. Added water to scar coconut and pressed so that yielded coconut milk.Coconut milk then hushed around one hour, and will apart become two part of between rich shares of oil called kanil or krim and the other part poor oil.The bottom part with poor oil content then separated and trown away. Kanil or krim the given by VCO which have become as starter with composition 1:3 volume, then swirled to flatten and hushed during 10 hour. Will seen three layers, top layer is VCO, then middle layer is blondo and the bottom is water.VCO later take as main product and blondo as side product.

Other method which also popular enough is dry process. Dry process is making of VCO without using water so the oil extraction done mechanically.Dry process have some benefit without water adeed, minimum water contain at the product, and quicker process time. Lacking of this process is required mechanic equiments which quite a lot and costly. At dry process of coconut kernel pared then grated, coconut rasp dried until water content about 5% then pressing in press hydraulic machine or expeller. At this process do not be yielded blondo as side product. In mass production when amount of blondo many and demand of this product is a little hence that thing become separate problem. The use of blondo is to biscuit or ripe flavour addition.
Most coconut plantation in Indonesia is people coconut plantation or more than 95% and in this time taken care with extensifikation and seldom use inorganic manure like Urea, TSP, KCl etc. Coconut crop in Indonesia is organic coconut, only not yet been conducted sertification by professional. Tree coconut sertfication and process by independent institute, and so that by got organic sertification will increase price of coconut product.

Author : Eko SB Setyawan, eko.sb.setyawan@gmail.com