How is coconut oil extracted?

How is coconut oil extracted?

Coconut oil is enriched with vitamins, penetrating fatty acids, and antioxidants and hence considered as one of the versatile oil for consumption and topical application. It has a powerful effect on our metabolism and incredibly healthy fat. It is deemed to be beneficial for heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood sugar.

How is coconut oil extracted?

As we know, oils are extracted from the fruits, seeds, nuts, or vegetables; coconut oil is derived from the meat of the coconut. There are three general ways in which the oil is extracted:

With Chemicals

The chemicals solutions are added to fruits or nuts to release the oil. The extracted oil is then heated to separate the chemical solution and derive pure oil.

With heat

By applying the heat to the source material, oil separates over time. For example, Palm fruits are boiled in water to derive their oil, which gets skimmed at the surface.

By Pressing

The oil is pressed out by pressing the source material mechanically. You can derive the less contaminated and purer oil by this extraction method.

Once the extraction is completed, the next step is to get rid of impurities by refining it in one way or another. Thus, we derive two forms of oil as follows:

Refined: to remove impurities, the oil is exposed to heat, chemical solutions, and other substances.

Unrefined: Only large particles are separated by filtering the oil, and no additional substances or heating is provided

What is fractionated coconut oil?

It is derived from the regular coconut oil and is an excellent source of medium-chain triglycerides. It provides the fatty acids containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms. The primary fatty acid 12-carbon lauric acid (C12) is removed from the regular coconut oil to derive the fractioned coconut oil. Thus a fractioned coconut oil contains the following medium-chain fatty acids:

C8: Caprylic acid or octanoic acid

C10: Capric acid or decanoic acid

What is the difference between coconut oil and fractionated coconut oil?

Fractioned coconut oil is expensive than regular coconut oil. It is odorless, tasteless, and directly transported to the liver from the digestive tract upon consumption. It turned into ketone bodies and used as a quick source of energy.

Fractionated oil may also have therapeutic effects on the people who have epilepsy.

How is fractionated coconut oil made?

After deriving the regular coconut oil from the process of pressing, to acquire fractionated coconut oil, the regular oil is further processed with fractionation. The method of fractionation separates the various types of naturally occurring fats in coconut oil. It is done with the help of different melting points.

As caprylic acid and capric acid have lower melting points than lauric acid, they remain in the liquid form with a mild drop in temperature. To separate the lauric acid, coconut oil is heated above its melting point and then left to cool down to separate the liquid from the solid fraction.

Lauric acid is the main component of regular coconut oil, with a stake of about 50%. This saturated fat is considered as the world’s most abundant dietary source in coconut oil. Lauric acid is beneficial in killing viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Hence, all the health benefits provided by regular coconut oil are not available with the fractionated coconut oil.

What are the health benefits of fractionated coconut oil?

Fractionated coconut oil is derived from several hours of fractionation process and also expensive than the regular coconut oil. But it is incredibly popular due to its incredible health benefits as follows:

Aids in Weight loss

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are useful in aiding weight loss by curbing hunger. They are also less likely to store fat and helps your body to burn more calories and fat. Hence, if you replace other fats in your diet with MCTs (fractionated coconut oil), you can experience modest weight loss.

Improve brain function

A study revealed that people suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer disease derive benefits from the consumption of MCT. It helps in improving brain function. However, more studies are required in this regard.

Epilepsy treatment

A ketogenic diet which is enriched with the MCT benefits the children with epilepsy. This diet induces them to increase the intake of protein and carbs.

Reduced insulin resistance

MCT helps reduce insulin resistance. It also helps in improving the excess weight and diabetes conditions. However, more studies are required to confirm these effects.

Can you eat fractionated coconut oil?

Yes, fractionated coconut oil is extremely safe to consume. It is used as an MCT oil to aid weight loss. However, there are specific side effects associated with the consumption of fractionated coconut oil as follows:

• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Is fractionated coconut oil better for skin?

If you have sensitive skin, fractionated coconut oil is a boon. It will moisturize your skin deeply without leaving greasiness like any regular coconut oil. It does not clog the pores and act as a powerful moisturizer to nourish your skin deeply. As regular oil sits on your skin and clogs the pores by suffocating your skin, it fails to penetrate the pores. Fractionated oil quickly absorbs into your skin, making it nourished and glowing.

However, if you are using it as a topical application to kill bacteria or fungal infection, regular oil is better than fractionated coconut oil. Lauric acid present in ordinary coconut oil is effective in killing such bacterial and fungal infection, which is not present in the fractionated coconut oil.

Fractionated coconut oil is widely used as a facial moisturizer for sensitive skin.

What is best-fractionated coconut oil?

With a wide range of the fractionated coconut oil available in the market, here are the top 5 fractionated coconut oils:

Viva Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil, 16 Oz

Plant Therapy Fractionated Coconut Oil, Carrier Oil

Fractionated Coconut Oil Premium Therapeutic Grade 16 Ounce Liquid Carrier Oil For Aromatherapy

Oraganix Fractionated Coconut Oil – 100% Pure & Natural

Fractionated Coconut Oil – 16oz (Ounce) Bottle (100% Pure & Natural) – Perfect

Conclusion

To derive a fractionated coconut oil from the regular coconut oil, different fatty acids are separated at a specific melting point. To obtain fractionated coconut oil, lauric acid is removed from regular coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil is looked up for many health benefits. However, it is more processed over the regular coconut oil, and beneficial facts of lauric acid are removed in it.