An age old quote articulates “wise peoples kitchen are full of healthy foods and healthy oils”, signifying the importance given for healthy eating habits.
Today, changes in lifestyle and dietary habits have led to a wide array of health issues faced by consumers. Globally, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic health conditions are on the rise.
The main diet oriented contributing factors for these health conditions are extensive use of fat or oil, carbohydrates and processed sugar.
As of now, adapting to healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle has incredibly become the need of the hour. Historically, world over, a wide array of cooking oil have been used, and each of the oil and fat (animal or plant based) have had their own positive and negative health effects in humans.
Among the available choices of oil in the market, coconut oil which has a longstanding history for its multipurpose use and applications commands high importance and draws significant scope to be explored commercially. Coconut oil is obtained from the coconut tree belonging to the palm family.
In majority of the growing regions, the coconut tree is referred to as the “king of trees”, “tree of heaven” or “jewel of the tropics”. In the Indian subcontinent, a coconut tree is worshiped and referred to as kalpa vriksha meaning a “wish-fulfilling divine tree”. Each part of the coconut tree is highly valued and finds wide usage.
The tender coconut water is an excellent source of vital nutrients and can be used as a natural electrolyte; the flesh is edible, nutritious and a good source of oil. Fermented coconut water is used as a stimulant drink.
The green or dried leaflets of the tree are used to prepare mats and as roofing material and thatch for huts.
The dried coconut shell or dried trunk are used as firewood while the dried coir is used as raw material for foot mat preparation. The old dried shells are used as a drinking cup or for preparation of handicraft material. The coconut pith, devoid of fibre, is used for moisture retention in nurseries and gardens, and this list goes on.
Coconut plantations are distributed in the entire tropical regions of the world and are much more in number in the coastal regions.
Coconut export (tender and matured coconuts) is highest from tropical regions including those from Asia (India, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka), Pacific regions (Solomon Islands and Samoa) and Africa. Though fresh tender coconut water are much preferred as a coolant and a refreshing drink, the demand is much more for the oil extracted from the kernel or the meat portion.
Coconut oil has found its way in cosmetic industries (soap, perfumes, skin lotions), pharmaceutical industries (shampoos, creams, massage oil) and food industries. Apart from imparting a unique taste and flavour to a food, coconut oil also provides rich health benefits. The unrefined crude coconut oil (acids) is also being used as biodiesel in some of the South-East Asian countries. Besides, coconut oil has herbicidal properties and is routinely used on farms in many countries.
Coconut oil is mainly extracted from the kernel (flesh or the meat portion) of mature nuts of the coconut palm tree (cocos nucifera). The extraction process is either by dry or wet processing methods. Coconut oil can be divided as those obtained via refining process (obtained from dried kernel/meat or the copra) or without refining or application of heat (referred to as the virgin coconut oil obtained from fresh coconut milk or meat).
Generally, it is opined that the virgin coconut oil is of much more superior quality and with a sweet and mild fragrance.
However, when the therapeutic or food value is of concern, nevertheless both the oil types have been proved to impart comparable benefits.
Since time immemorial, coconut oil has been used in Asia-Pacific and other tropical regions as a part of human diet or in traditional medicines.
Of late, with the available scientific databases, the demand for coconut oil has increased tremendously in the world market.
Various health benefits and healing potential of coconut oil have been documented more than five thousand years back in Ayurveda (Indian system of traditional medicine).
In Sri Lanka, Thailand and Southern states of India (mainly in Kerala), coconut oil is being used in day to day cooking, while fresh coconut milk and cream are used for preparation of various types of traditional dishes. Today, coconut oil finds its usage in smoothies, candies, homemade crunchy granola or the energy bars, frying of chips and other crispy products, seasoning, hot coffee creamer, homemade mayonnaise, etc.
In the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, coconut oil is used for massaging, healing of wounds, burns, bruises, and to overcome pains in joints and muscles.
In North African countries (Somalia, Ethiopia and Nigeria) as well as in Jamaica, coconut oil is used traditionally as an oral health tonic to cure majority of the common ailments. In the Pacific region too, coconut oil has been used for cooking and medicinal purposes.
Available scientific reports have indicated coconut oils’ potential to enhance metabolism, reduce hunger, initiate weight loss, protect brain health (can eliminate mental fatigue, improve Alzheimer diseases conditions), enhance good blood cholesterol level (high-density lipoproteins or the HDL), strengthen immunity system, reduce blood pressure, improve bone and teeth health, enrich skin health (oil application can prevent wrinkles and can overcome dryness), as well as provide nourishment for hair (reduce protein loss in hair).
Besides, coconut oil has rich antimicrobial properties too. Coconut oil is proved to be highly effective against microbial infections caused by yeasts (caused by Candida albicans), viruses (influenza, herpes, hepatitis C and measles) and bacteria (such as urinary tract infection).
So also, regular application of coconut oil on the affected skin parts can overcome ringworm infections. In addition, oral intake of minimal amounts of coconut oil or their preparations is linked with managing diabetes too (oil is known to enhance insulin secretion and control blood sugar).
Modern medicine system also encourages the use of ‘organic coconut oil’ as an intravenous therapy solution to treat patients who are critically ill.
Previously, majority of the health conscious consumers had raised serious concern over using coconut oil in human diet or as edible oil for cooking purpose. This hindrance was mainly owed to the high levels of saturated fatty acids present in the oil which can possibly impart ill-effects on heart or on the cardiovascular health.
However, recent scientific studies have cleared this negativity and have indicated that coconut oil consumption to be “heart healthy”. Also, compared with animal-based fats, saturated fats in coconut oil are not linked with increase in “bad cholesterol” levels in the blood, as the major component in coconut oil is the “medium chain fatty acids” (MCFAs). These MCFAs are relatively burned instantly inside human body as a source of energy. The major component of coconut oil is the lauric acid (about 44.6 per cent) which is a type of medium-chain fatty acid.
The other types of saturated fats in coconut oil include the capric, caproic, caprylic, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids. Apart from saturated fats, coconut oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids (6 per cent) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (2 per cent).
Coconut oil is also free of trans-fatty acids (the artery-clogging fats). Recent scientific reports have indicated that coconut oil can improve the ratio between bad cholesterol (low-density-lipoprotein or the LDL) and the good cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins or the HDL). Improvement in this ratio is linked to reduction in risks involved with heart or cardiovascular diseases.
Traditional knowledge suggests that to incur maximal benefits to health (to enhance HDL levels), approximately 2-3 tablespoons (approximately 120-130 calories is gained per tablespoon) of pure coconut oil needs to be consumed in a day.
In majority of the instances rancidity (unpleasant odours) is rare and coconut oil is stable at room temperature (24C-26C).
Apart from the positive impacts, maintenance of high quality and safety of coconut oil are of paramount importance.
As of now, there is “no safe limit” set for consumption of coconut oil per day per adult.
The presence of natural microbial contaminants or microbial toxins (such as aflatoxin B1) is reported in copra oil from many regions.
Microbial contamination can occur at the “on-farm levels” or when inappropriate processing modes are employed. However adoption of good agriculture, good handling and good manufacturing practices along with adoption of international quality and safety standards (including those of hazard analysis and critical control points or the HACCP) can ensure high quality coconut oils are produced.
Even though market volatility can be expected for coconut and their byproducts, this wonderful cash crop will always magnetize its own demand in local and international markets.
With the tremendous increase in the demand for plant-based oils in the world market, Fiji has high scope for becoming a big market player in supplying high quality coconut oils.
This export avenue will not only enhance the foreign exchequer, but can also create more employment for the local population as well as ensure continuous household food security in the region.
* Dr. Rajeev Bhat is an associate professor and head of FNU’s food science department. Views expressed are his and not of this newspaper or the institution where he is employed.
