VCO May Help to Live a More Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack about every 34 seconds. A heart attack happens when arteries narrowed by fat, cholesterol or other substances are unable to supply the heart muscle with enough oxygen-rich blood. The American Heart Association (AHA) designates every February as Heart Health Month to call attention to the importance of proper screening and preventive measures. Lately, scientists are discovering that virgin coconut  oil may help them to live a more heart-healthy lifestyle.

Organic Certification For The VCO In Indonesia, Is It Possible?

Although almost all the coconut plantations in Indonesia were never fertilized with chemical fertilizers, but it is difficult to obtain organic certification, why? This is because the location of coconut plantation is generally adjacent to agricultural land use chemical fertilizers and various pesticides that coconut plantation will be exposed to its influence.Location of coconut plantation is quite far from agriculture is likely to be found outside the island of Java, while Java is almost non-existent.

Organic certification that requires for certifying of plantation as raw material sourse and its production processes VCO aspect, will generally be constrained to issue plantation as be described above. Of course this will be very difficult for VCO producers in Indonesia especially in Java who have buyers who require organic certification as above.

Avoid Fermentation To Improve The Quality of VCO

Currently there are many methods for producing VCO. Basically, all methods can be used as long as itis capable of producing a high quality product VCO.  Economic considerations are another factor related to its business activities.

One of parameters of the VCO quality is lauric acid content. High levels of lauric acid come from good raw materials and good manufacturing processes. Good raw material comes from an old coconut fruits that indicated with blackish brown husk  and dark brown shell, thick and hard. The flesh is also much thicker than the young coconut fruits.

While good process is indicated by the maintained important contents in the VCO and remain economically viable. One of the problems in the process of manufacturing  VCO is the fermentation that causes lauric acid content is low. Fermentation is due to non-sterile production process, including raw materials used, the means of production and the environment.

In many cases the traditional industry is difficult to produce quality VCO due to lack of knowledge onhygiene factors and the production process. So as to avoid fermentation, it is necessary to make the production process as sterile as possible. If the process has been performed in sterile and produce VCOwith high lauric acid content, the next process is the usual purification, the lower the moisture content up tothe allowable level (typically <0.1%).

High quality VCO will provide optimum benefit for you. So before you eat them thoroughly first the VCO products, because not all VCO have the same quality.

VIRGIN COCONUT OIL HAILED AS CURE FOR ALZHEIMER’S

The picture taken from here

After previous claims as an antiseptic, AIDS cure, anti-infective, cholesterol-basher, and remedy for various aches and pains, coconut oil is now being hailed as a possible miracle cure for Alzheimer’s.

The American physician, who has been dubbed “Dr. Coconut” for his tireless research into and championing of coconut oil’s healing properties, is back in the country bringing the latest breakthrough in the management of Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. the ongoing 10th Coconut Festival in Mandaluyong City, relating the remarkable recovery of Steve Newport, 58, from five years of progressive dementia after just 35 days of taking virgin coconut oil (VCO).


Fife has written all about it in his book, “Stop Alzheimer’s Now.”

Newport’s case history 


Newport was diagnosed when an MRI scan showed his brain had shrunk, a classic case of Alzheimer’s disease, the progressive, degenerative form of dementia that involves the loss of brain functions and extreme behavioral changes.

Newport’s wife Mary, who is a neonatal doctor at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida, then began a relentless quest to seek a cure that would arrest his deterioration. “It has been a nightmare to watch his decline and I feel helpless to do anything but watch it happen,” said Mary.

In May 2008, Mary stumbled on a company that was enlisting volunteers to test a new drug for dementia-stricken patients. But like all experimental drugs, the company preferred subjects with moderate forms of the disease, based on how they scored in the MMSE (mini-mental state exam), a standard test of mental status used to screen for Alzheimer’s. Newport took the test twice and failed.

He scored too low, shown to be on the border of severe dementia, to qualify as an experimental subject. Mary was devastated.

MCT miracle ingredient 

Possessed of a research background, Mary was able to dig up the results for the new drug called AC-1202 (later known as Axona). She learned from the journal, BMC Neuroscience, that the active ingredient in the drug was MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), an oil that is used to treat epilepsy and also placed in hospital feeding programs for newborns.


Bingo! She knew as a pediatrician that babies needed to develop their brains with the right brain foods and MCT was found in great quantities in VCO, the oil extracted from the fresh meat of coconuts. Intuitively, she started Newport on a feeding program. Instead of using Axona at $100 per month with 1 dose a day, Mary used VCO—at a cost of $10 a month—giving him 2 tablespoons of a mixture of VCO and its pharmaceutical isolate, MCT, with every meal.

Because of the high amounts of saturated fat in this diet, some have expressed concern about how this could affect blood cholesterol levels. According to Fife, Newport’s tests have dispelled this notion and in fact his cholesterol levels have actually improved with the good cholesterol (HDL) going up and the bad cholesterol (LDL) going down.

In 18 months, Newport’s severe dementia was totally arrested. He scored high enough in the MMSE tests to be considered to be in the mild range of Alzheimer’s.

Tale of hope, persistence

Inspired by her husband’s recovery, Dr. Mary Newport travels all over the United States telling her story of hope and persistence. She encourages the medical scientific community to keep on with their research into the use of MCTs as a therapeutic aid in treating Alzheimer’s, as well as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders.

In March 2009, the experimental drug AC-1202 was renamed Axona and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a medical food for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with no therapeutic claims. When Axona finally came out, it caused intestinal distress and diarrhea among some patients. Others reported that the drug’s effects wore out after only a few hours that they still had to take coconut oil to maintain their ketone levels. Ketones are organic compounds that result when body fat is broken down for energy.


Fife explained that drugs become ineffective after some time and coconut oil, converted into ketones, decrease the formation of free radicals that damage the cells. Hence, coconut oil is especially important for those taking medications. “Following the Newport’s’ example, many people with neurologic disorders are now incorporating coconut oil into their diets with good results,” said Fife.

Brain food

He said if any food could be labeled as brain food it would be coconut oil. According to Fife, coconut oil, converted into ketones, acts as a superfuel to the brain and normalizes brain function, stops the erratic signal transmissions that leads to seizures, and improves cognition and memory.

The MCTs in coconut oil are converted into ketones, which act as high-potency fuel for the brain. The ketone MCTs provide energy to the brain and stimulate healing and repair, he said. The chemical structure of the MCTs and fatty acids in coconut oil enable them to pass through the blood-brain barrier, which ordinary food or oil cannot break into, he said.

Revived coco industry


Fife credits his visits to the Philippines as triggering his pursuit of coconut research. He said his first visit in 2004 was an eye opener for him. He was amazed at the warm reception he got from his Philippine audience. “They were thanking me for reviving the coconut industry,” he said.

It was the economic implications for the people that have spurred Fife to continue his research into the health benefits of this tropical food endemic to the country, so much so that the American health community has dubbed him “Dr. Coconut.”

Fife has established a nonprofit organization, Coconut Research Center, to educate the public on the health and nutritional aspects of coconut. He has documented his researches in two books, “Coconut Cures”

(2005) and “Coconut Water” which he has made available online in www.coconutresearchcenter.org.

The author has been active in the coconut industry for 35 years, and is a Director of the Philippine Coconut Authority governing board. (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net)

THAI COCONUT OIL MANUFACTURER RIDES RESURGENCE AMONG HEALTHCONSCIOUS TO STRONG EXPORTS

Mistaken as an unhealthy oil for several decades, coconut oil has fought its way back into the hearts of health-conscious consumers as a nutritious food. The price of coconuts has risen from only a few baht each many years ago to a high of 27 baht per nut earlier this year, as a pest outbreak greatly diminished output.

No business is happier than Tropicana Oil Co, a producer of virgin coconut oil and the winner of this year's Prime Minister's Export Award under the OTOP Export Recognition category.

The company started its cold-pressed 100% coconut oil seven years ago by distributing through health-food shops. The market was small in the beginning but output has skyrocketed to 10,000 litres a month once consumers learned more about the properties of the product.

Tropicana Oil anticipates 60 million baht in sales this year from retailing its oil at 550 baht a litre along with several healthcare products using coconut oil as their main ingredient. The company targets 30% growth next year through expansion in both domestic and overseas markets.

Mr. Suradej Ninek, the Company's Managing Director, recalled that the road to success was a bumpy one as it took consumers a while to learn about the benefits of virgin coconut oil. The production process of many coconut oil crushers a decade ago was not well developed, casting doubt on quality. The first group to latch on to Tropicana Oil's product were health-conscious people over 45 who are educated and have purchasing power. Now a younger market is paying attention to coconut oil for beauty care.


Around 70% of sales are from the domestic market, where half consume it and the other half use it for beauty products. He noted the quality of the company's oil offers an advantage over other producers in Asia-Pacific and it will continue to focus on Russia, China and Japan where it has already established distribution networks. However, it will also expand more in Asean, particularly in Vietnam, in order to reap the benefits of the planned single market.

Tropicana Oil invested in getting its factory in Nakhon Pathom certified to meet Good Manufacturing Practice and HACCP standards. It also aims to achieve ISO 22000 guidelines next year.

"Word of mouth helped us survive in the beginning," said the native of the Tapi River Basin in Surat Thani province where coconut has been grown for centuries. Mr. Suradej is convinced coconuts from his hometown are of better quality than other parts of the country due to the fertile soil and brackish water there, so the company is willing to pay to transport about 100,000 coconuts a month from more than 100 planters on 1,000 rai of plantation. "Luckily transport costs are low as trucks that deliver goods to Southern provinces would return empty otherwise, so we get a reduced rate," he said.

Tropicana Oil also sells coconut byproducts, particularly shell that is used in the production of mosquito coils and powdered carbon. The price of coconuts has risen from only a few baht each many years ago to a high of 27 baht earlier this year, as a pest outbreak greatly diminished output. Coconuts are now 16-19 baht each, but may reach 25 baht if some traders stock coconut to manipulate its price.

"A whole coconut can be kept for 45 days after harvest, providing plenty of time to bet on the price," said Mr. Suradej. Mr. Suradej believes that R&D is the key to success in this field, leading his company tosign a 20-year Memorandum of Understanding to help fund students at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Silpakorn University to research how to add value to coconut oil, especially as an ingredient in beauty care and pharmaceuticals.

The Company also works with Rajabhat Nakhon Pathom to hold packaging contests to find the most suitable container for its products. (http://www.bangkokpost.com)

Common Problems when buying VCO from Community

The most common problem encountered when buying VCO from the community is, rancidity and high water content. Rancidity is a sign that the VCO has been damaged, the organoleptic not feel fresh. VCO damage from rancidity  is free radicals or free fatty acids that would be bad for the body's metabolism. Long contact between oil and water at the manufacturing process  also accelerate the oil rancidity. Bad packaging also resulted in these rancidity.

While high water content  will make the VCO looks cloudy, visible layer at the bottom of the pack and will accelerate the destruction of oil through the hydrolysis reaction. This high water content caused by phase separation of oil and water are not good, so much water from ending up on oil.

Only fresh VCO  is consumable and good for the health effect. Be careful to get good quality VCO. Select only VCO that has used modern technology to manufacture.