Coconut Info Pages

Coconut Oil FAQ

How is Wilderness Family Naturals virgin coconut oil different from the other virgin coconut oils?

Their virgin coconut oils experience no heat during processing. The Centrifuged virgin coconut oil is processed at 25 degrees C (about 78.8 degrees F) as its highest temperature and the Traditional Philippine coconut oil incubates at body temperature (37 degrees C or 98.6 degrees F). Neither oil is exposed to "low" or high temperatures that would destroy enzymes or alter nutrients.

The free fatty acids content and the moisture content are very low, yielding a fresh tasting, delicious coconut oil of premium quality. Wilderness Family Naturals has evaluated over 50 different Virgin Coconut Oils  and carry what they feel are the two best Virgin Coconut Oils available.

How is Virgin Coconut Oil different than regular coconut oil found in many stores?

Virgin coconut oils are made from the first pressing of fresh coconut without the addition of any chemicals.

Regular coconut oil, found in most health food stores, are generally much less expensive. They are produced on a large scale and made from copra. Copra is sun or smoke dried coconut meat that becomes slightly rancid as it drys. Flies may land on sun dried copra as it lays on cement in front of philippine homes. In addition, it is common for mold to begin growing on the meat as it dries. I the meat is smoke-dried then rather than mold, the meat becomes covered with soot from the fire. It becomes shades of brown and black from the smoke drying.

Oil pressed from the Copra may also have solvent residues, as some of the copra facilities use solvents. The initial oil made from the copra is called Crude Coconut oil and is labeled "not considered fit for human consumption". Once the oil is pressed from the dried flesh it must be refined with lye, bleached with acid and alkaline clays, and then deodorized at high heat under a vacuum. This RBD process not only removes the bad taste and smell from the original rancid oil, but it also removes much of the nutrients and nutritional components that were once a part of the oil. Since this RBD oil is mass produced and there are many families who dry copra and many manufacturers, this oil is cheap to buy. It is a bland, odorless, colorless oil that retains most of the medium chain riglycerides of the original coconut, but it is missing the flavors and micro-nutrients that are intact in Wilderness Family Natural's Virgin Coconut Oils.

How should I store my Virgin Coconut Oil? Does it need to be refrigerated?

High quality virgin coconut oil has a low moisture content, no break down products or contaminants, and still retains the antioxidants found in the original coconut. Because of this it is very stable and does not require refrigeration. 

If you refrigerate coconut oil it becomes hard "as a rock" and will require warming soften the oil for scooping and measuring. The most important things to consider when storaging coconut oil are direct sunlight and heat. Closets and cupboards work well, and moderate or cool temperatures are better. Dank, damp place such as a basement is not recommended because over time, with repeated exposure to mold spores and moisture there is potential for mold. 

A pantry, or closet or shelf in your kitchen will work fine. At room temperature it will easily last a year in your pantry. The manufactures say it has a 3 year shelf life.

How much coconut oil should a person ingest?

The research done with using coconut oil for sickness and disease was done based on a "therapeutic dosage" of 3 1/2 tablespoons per day. This dosage is based on the amount of lauric acid a nursing human infant receives on daily. It is lauric acid in breast milk that is responsible for much of a babies resistance to sickness. Looking at an infants lauric acid intake, they calculated what an adult would need in coconut oil to get an equivalent dosage. 3 1/2 tablespoons is the dosage scientists used for their research, and this is the dosage most health professionals recommend be taken by people who are using the coconut oil therapeutically.  However, I have known people to eat 6 to 15 tablespoons of coconut oil a day.

Is your coconut oil organic?

Yes, their coconut oil is organic. One of Wilderness Family Naturals' producers has organic certification, and the other one will have shortly. Their coconut oil has always been organic, it is just a matter of time until it is official with all the paperwork.

At this time the Centrifuged Virgin Coconut Oil is Organically Certified by Organic Alliance. The Traditional Philippine Virgin Coconut Oil will see its final Organic Certification Inspection in December. We expect that certification paperwork to arrive sometime after the first of the year.

How do I use this coconut oil?

There is more and more evidence that the long chain poly- unsaturated fats are contributing to much of the health problems Americans currently face. You may substitute this coconut oil for any of the other oils you currently use.
If you store this oil on top of your hot water heater it will always be a liquid for you. If you keep it where it is cooler, it will always be a solid.

Some people use the solid coconut oil as a butter substitute and the liquid oil as a cooking oil. Some, who do not like the strong coconut taste, mix the coconut oil with olive, natural palm oil or butter for cooking. Sometimes they mix it with a nut-butter (like peanut, almond, or cashew butter) for a spread. This coconut oil greatly enhances the flavor of baked goods, making them mouthwateringly good.

Some people who want to make sure they get their full dosage each day add the coconut oil to their smoothies or green food drinks. Others just eat it by the tablespoon.

You will also absorb a certain amount of this oil through you skin if you use it as a moisturizer. It is very, very good for your skin, creates a friendly environment for good skin flora. It will give you a certain amount of protection from sunburn, help wrinkles to fade, and make your skin baby soft. What does absorb into the deep layers of your skin will be used by the body in the tissues to eliminate pathogens and add energy to the cells.

Is it safe to fry foods with virgin coconut oil?

Yes, coconut oil is the most stable of all the oils. It has the longest shelf life and can withstand the highest temperatures of all available oils. This oil will not form trans-fatty acids nor breakdown at high temperature, and is the only safe oil to fry with.

Do I still need to worry about essential fatty acids?

There are no essential fatty acids in virgin coconut oil. The health benefits of this oil are found in the medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are easily digested, attack the protective coating on pathogenic organisms, and are used by the body for energy. The coconut oil will help to speed up metabolism, giving a boost to those with hypothyroidism, cancer, and other diseases. It will help the body to eliminate pathogens that are causing things like fibromyalga, ulcerative bowel problems, Crohne's disease, and AIDS. And it requires very little from the liver or gall bladder for digestion, does not need HDL or LDL to transport it, nor does it require enzymes to get it across the cell membrane. 

Essential fatty acids being added to people's diets have been helpful sometimes because of an overload in the Omega 6 unsaturated fats in the poly unsaturated oils which they have in their diets. The Omega 3's helped to balance things out. But your body really needs very little of the Omega 3 or Omega 6 essential fatty acids if you use the coconut oil instead of the other oils.

When coconut oil is your primary oil you will be able to obtain all the essential fatty acids you need in the food you eat. Salmon once a week will do it, grass fed beef. cage-free eggs. raw, organic, grass fed, dairy, etc.

The Omega 3 fatty acids are very unstable and it has been shown that when they are taken into the body in supplement form much of these unstable fatty acids immediately oxidize. Oxidized fats are dangerous. They similar to natural chemotherapy! This does not happen when you are getting the Omega 3 fatty acids from your foods, only when it comes into your body in supplement form.

So Omega 3 fatty acids in flax seed oil, which has no antioxidants in it as you would find in greens or salmon or fish oil, needs to have either anti-oxidants, cottage cheese or yogurt or something eaten with them to protect those highly unstable fatty acid chains from oxidizing and causing damage to the body. 

Are there any cautions to taking the Virgin Coconut oil. Are there any side effects?

Depending on how toxic a person is from a life time of poor eating habits, from bacterial growth in the body, from chemo, radiation or antibiotics, they could see a tremendous purging of pathogenic organisms or of toxins into their stomach. A diet of low fat and high carbohydrates often times leads to candida or bacterial overgrowth in the body.

The most common side effect of this purging and die-off is diarrhea. So while 3 1/2 tablespoons is considered the therapeutic dosage, some may have to cut back to a teaspoon or two at first and build up to the larger amounts as their body gradually cleanses. You can take these smaller dosages and just have it more frequently.

It is very rare that anyone is allergic to coconut oil. Though this is possible. Most allergies are to proteins, while the oil is almost totally fat, with no protein content to speak of. People who believe they must be allergic to the coconut oil, if they lessen their dosage notice they can handle it just fine, and those that try this usually find that they can gradually increase their dosage and they see tremendous results with their health. In Asian countries where coconuts grow prolifically they do not often see allergies to coconuts, but rather the coconut and its oil has nourished many people for many years. In fact, if anyone gets sick, it is the coconut they look to for getting them well.

Does your coconut oil see any heat?

The fresh coconuts in the Philippines, once they are opened, are grated lightly pressed to make a coconut cream. There is no heat used for the pressing or any chemicals. Then this coconut milk is allowed to sit and "ferment" for about 17 hours. After that time 4 layers form. The top layer is made of a protein curd. The next layer is the virgin coconut oil. Beneath the oil is another protein curd layer and on the bottom is coconut vinegar. The oil is carefully removed and filtered. That is it for the process. No heat is required because of the high quality equipment and perfected process.

The virgin coconut oil that Wilderness Family Naturals sells begins the same way as the Philippine oil. Once the coconuts are shelled they are pressed to obtain a coconut milk emulsion. This emulsion is then chilled so the oil will fall out of solution and become hard. Next a centrifuge is then used to "spin out" the moisture from the oil, kind of like clothes spin dry at the end of a good washing. The coconut oil is left behind and place in barrels to come to the United States.

Is this oil partially hydrogenated or can it become partially hydrogenated?

Coconut oil is a very stable oil, and it is not readily attacked or hydrogenated. It contains mostly saturated medium length fatty acids that will not and can not form trans fatty acids, not during the pressing or drying processes to make the oil and not during any cooking or frying that you might do in meal preparation. To partially hydrogenate coconut oil would take a nickel catalyst like the hydrogenation processors use and high heat. This will not happen in your kitchen.

Can I order this virgin coconut oil delivered faster than regular ground delivery?

Yes, when you are ordering from Wilderness Family Naturals on line just select the type of shipping you would like. If you would prefer to send in a money order or check give them a call and they can look up shipping charges for you. Their toll free order line is 1-866-936-6457 and if you have any questions their question line is 1-800-945-3801. Visit Wilderness Family Naturals to order Virgin Coconut Oil.

We recommend Wilderness Family Naturals products because of their integrity and quality. However, other online retailers and natural food stores may also carry similar goods. Whenever, possible we have tried to give you information on how to recognize superior products. Wilderness Family Naturals products can be found at: www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com or by calling (800) 945-3801.