Started seeing coconut oil all over your social media feeds? It is not just a craze; it is an obsession. It’s not only for health purposes, every job ranging from coconut oil for skin, UV ray’s protection, makeup remover, and maintaining a healthy diet can be performed efficiently by organic coconut oil.
All this increased use of coconut oil came with one downside – now every aisle in the supermarket is crowded with countless varieties of this oil and all of these varieties have some jargon written on their labels which is not very interesting to read. Every coconut oil bottle claim something different which makes it even more baffling.
But how do we know which one is the best quality coconut oil? Which bottle has the maximum number of nutrients?
Well, to solve this mystery, we’ve got a list of things you should check out before buying your bottle of coconut oil –
Read And Be Aware of What’s On The Label
This is the first and foremost thing that you should do before buying anything, be it makeup products, any food item, or coconut oil. The one thing that these companies do is use words like ‘virgin’ or ‘pure’ which makes it difficult for a normal human being to understand.
So, we are here to help you understand the meaning of these words and what ingredients you should look for on the label.
Extra Virgin and Virgin Coconut Oil
Anyone who uses olive oil knows about the terms ‘extra virgin’ and ‘virgin’ very well.
Virgin coconut oil is made from the meat of a coconut. The coconuts are dried, then the oil is cold-pressed from the flesh.
In this process, no antioxidants and nutrients are lost and high-quality oil is processed.
When virgin oil undergoes an additional refining process, the impurities are removed and extra virgin oil is obtained. This oil has a milder flavor than virgin oil and a high smoking point making it the ideal oil for cooking.
However, this type of oil contains fewer valuable compounds than virgin coconut oil.
In the case of coconut oil, there is not much difference between extra virgin and virgin coconut oil.
The decision of the oil is based on its intended use. For example, extra virgin coconut oil is a really good option whereas, for high health benefits, virgin coconut oil is a good choice.
Refined And Unrefined Coconut Oil
Refined coconut oil is not the purest and the fittest form of coconut oil but it’s in the most demand because of its qualities as coconut oil without the distinctive oil taste. It has a higher smoking point and is less triggering to people with allergies.
Although refined does not mean addition of unhealthy additives in the oil it may contain more harmful chemicals than unrefined. It has less nutrient content than unrefined oil.
Unrefined coconut oil does not irritate the skin and is used in skin and hair care products. It is jam-packed with nutrients like vitamins E and K. Unrefined oil is not suitable for cooking due to its low smoking point.
When deciding between refined and unrefined coconut oil, consider your needs.
Inorganic and Organic Coconut Oil
Inorganic coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat which has already been purified with bleaching clay. It is then treated at a high temperature so that the odor and flavor are eliminated from the oil.
Some producers use chemical solvents to extract the maximum quantity of oil from the dried meat while some hydrogenate this oil which leads to the formation of trans-fatty acids in it.
Organic coconut oil is pure and extracted straight from fresh coconut meat. This coconut oil can undergo two main processes that are quick drying or wet milling. Quick drying includes processing oil by drying it out rapidly and then expressing it mechanically.
Wet milling takes place after the milk from the coconuts has been extracted. This milk is fermented, boiled, and separated with the help of enzymes. Production of organic coconut oil does not involve any additives or bleaching. Organic coconut oil retains its flavor and odor as it is processed at high temperatures.
Cold-Pressed and Expeller-Pressed
The processing of oil has a huge impact on its flavor, odor, and smoke point. The two most common methods of processing an oil are expeller-pressed and cold-pressed.
The expeller-pressed method produces oil by putting the ingredients under high pressure. This method, generally, leads to a higher quantity of production but the excessive heat can also damage the delicate flavors.
The cold-pressed method produces oil by grinding the ingredients and then slowly pressing them to extract oil from them. This is a more costly and time-consuming method than expeller-pressed but it preserves the natural flavor of the ingredients.
For low-heat cooking, cold-pressed oil is a better choice whereas, for high-heat cooking, expeller-pressed would be more suitable.
Solid or Liquid Coconut Oil?
Solid coconut oil is more suitable for baking and cooking purposes as it has a high smoking point and can tolerate high temperatures without breaking down.
Liquid coconut oil is a natural coconut oil that has been fractionated. It stays liquid at room temperature. However liquid coconut has some drawbacks, to achieve its unique liquid properties, some key aspects of coconut oil are removed.
One of these important aspects is lauric acid which is a healthy fat found in most forms of coconut oil. This form of oil is safe for use on the skin and in cooking but all the benefits of coconut oil are not gained from this.
Packaging
Coconut oils stored in the glass should be preferred over the ones packaged in plastic as plastic contains harmful toxins which get absorbed into the product.
Also, coconut oil has a long shelf life of 2 years and should be stored below 75 Fahrenheit. Do not store it in the fridge but also keep it away from direct sunlight.
Wrapping Up
The bottom line of this blog is that the label of the coconut oil is the most important thing and can tell you a lot about the qualities it possesses.
