BENEFITS

Virgin Coconut Oil is classified as the healthiest oil in the world; its health benefits include:

• Speeds up metabolism
• Immediate energy release
• Reduces cardiovascular disease
• No trans fats formed during heating
• Antioxidant
• Anti viral
• Anti fungal
• Anti bacterial
• Anti aging
• Easily absorbed through skin and hair
• Oil with the lowest calorie count

HISTORY

These benefits have been recognised by Asians for thousands of years; consumed and used as Ayurvedic medicine, every household had its own unique oil recipes which were handed down from generation to generation. Despite their high consumption of saturated oil, these families did not show degenerative disease.

Virgin Coconut Oil has been the subject of much research; the most prolific done by Dr Mary Enig. Her research proves that the Western World have long been missing out on the healthiest oil for centuries. This was not only due to our geographical location, but also due to the promotion of hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarines since the middle of the previous century.

Today, due to the work done to help local coconut farmers worldwide to produce Virgin Coconut Oil on a commercial scale, Kapruka is able to bring the numerous health benefits of this product to South Africa.

SPECIFICATIONS

Due to its specific fatty acid composition, Virgin Coconut Oil is rated as the healthiest oil in the world. It contains mainly medium chain fatty acids and has a high content of Lauric Acid (51%), the main fatty acid found in mother’s milk. Capric, Caprylic, Myristic, Palmitic, Stearic and Linoelic Acid, give Virgin Coconut Oil its distinctive features in contrast to other plant oils.

The oil typically solidifies at temperatures below 26°, but can be easily converted back to a liquid state by placing in a warm place (not in direct sunlight) or in lukewarm water.

PROCESSING

Although the yellowish RBD (refined, bleached, deodorized) coconut oil has been commercially available for awhile, Virgin Coconut Oil has only become commercially available in the last decade. Virgin Coconut Oil is made using one of two processes, each resulting in a healthy, 100% natural pure white oil with many uses.

COLD PRESSING

Fresh coconuts are cut, shredded and warmed in ovens slightly higher than normal body temperature. The oil is then expelled using a cold press and further filtered to produce 100% white natural oil retaining the natural goodness with all its associated health benefits. No chemicals are added in the process. The coconut flavour of this oil is higher than centrifuged oil due to the slight heating process.

CENTRIFUGING

Using this process, coconut milk is extracted from freshly shredded coconuts without any warming. The coconut milk emulsion is then chilled slightly. Next the oil is extracted by the use of a centrifuge and the emulsion is separated into pure oil and skimmed coconut milk, much like separating cream from milk.  The yield of this process is less and hence the product works out more expensive.