Coconut Oil For Candida

If you don’t have a jar of coconut oil in your kitchen, you’re missing out! Coconut oil is one of the world’s most useful and versatile oils, and an essential item in every home.

It can be used for anything from salad dressing and baking to skin care and makeup removal. But most importantly, it’s a powerful antifungal supplement that should certainly be included in your Candida cleanse program.

How Does Coconut Oil Work?

Coconut oil is made up of three different medium-chain fatty acids – caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. When coconut oil is taken as a whole food supplement, these amazing fatty acids have been shown to work together to be effective against the Candida yeast.

To date, most research centers on caprylic acid, a proven anti-fungal treatment. Caprylic acid is also available as a concentrated supplement.

Alternatively, you can reap the benefits of this fantastic oil by simply adding a few spoonfuls to your daily diet.

Why Is Coconut Oil Useful For A Candida Diet?

The major benefit of coconut oil comes from its antifungal properties. Let’s take a closer look at the three fatty acids in coconut oil, and how they can help.

Caprylic Acid

The caprylic acid in coconut oil is the most effective of the fatty acids in fighting Candida. Caprylic acid works by penetrating the cell walls of the Candida yeast, and causing it to rupture. This inhibits the growth of the yeast cell and eventually destroys it. In fact, caprylic acid has been shown to work faster than some pharmaceutical anti-fungal drugs.

Capric Acid

Capric acid is a 10-carbon saturated fatty acid also a powerful yeast-killer. It works by interrupting the structure of the yeast cell’s cytoplasm and disintegrating the cell membrane, leaving it shrunken and disorganized. This 2001 study showed capric acid to be the fastest and most effective at killing of all three strains of C. albicans tested.

Lauric Acid

Capric acid and lauric acid work together to create a powerful Candida-fighting treatment. When taken as coconut oil, the three fatty acids are a ‘multi-faceted’ approach to the yeast cell. This also reduces the chance of the yeast building up a resistance to a single ingredient, which often happens with other anti-fungal drugs.

How Do You Take Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is a natural and entirely safe dietary supplement that goes a long way in helping to prevent Candida overgrowth returning. Besides its antifungal properties, coconut oil has a wide variety of health benefits that can benefit both you and your family. There are a number of ways to include coconut oil in your diet as part of your long-term anti-fungal lifestyle.

• Take directly from the spoon (1-2 tablespoons each morning)
• Add to smoothies or other beverages
• Use as coconut flour in baking
• Take as concentrated capsules
• Add coconut oil to salads in place of dressings
• Use as a cooking oil. Coconut oil is very heat-stable, which means it doesn’t break down into unhealthy trans-fats when cooked at high temperatures.

Note: If you don’t notice any die-off symptoms, it may help to gradually increase your dose to 5 tablespoons daily. Coconut oil is a natural food and perfectly safe, and is unlikely to produce any adverse effects. In the event that you do consume too much, your body will quickly let you know: diarrhea and stomach cramps are a sign that you should cut back your dosage.

Coconut oil is readily available in health stores and supermarkets. Not all products are the same – be sure to choose a high-quality brand of organic, extra-virgin coconut oil. Here is a good example. And here are some more tips on choosing a high quality coconut oil.

Other Benefits of Coconut Oil

Research has found that capric acid can boost thyroid function and reduce the resting heart rate, which can improve the body’s ability to burn fat for energy. More recently, it’s been shown that medium-chain fatty acids such as those in coconut oil help to speed up the breakdown of fat in the body at a rate similar to fasting!

Coconut oil also:

• Boosts the immune system as an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agent
• Reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood
• Reduces the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure
• Treats urinary tract infections
• Decreases inflammation
• Contains lots of antioxidants
• Nourishes skin, hair and nails from the inside out
• Replaces unhealthy saturated fats
• Naturally removes makeup
• Boosts energy levels
• Soothes the digestive tract
• Treats gum disease and reduces tooth decay

For Candida dieters in particular, coconut oil and other coconut products are a great way to increase calorie intake. Thanks to the strict and healthy diet, many Candida sufferers find that they lose weight during their treatment. Most of the time this is a good outcome, but if you are already slim then you might want to maintain your weight.

Coconut oil is high in calories (‘good’ calories, not like junk food), so if you feel like you are losing too much weight, coconut oil is a great way to boost your calorie intake. One tablespoon contains approximately 120 calories.

Are you unsure how to choose a good antifungal? Prescription or over-the-counter, food-based or in supplement form – there are lots of options to choose from. Dr. Wood and I explain which antifungals will be most suitable for you in our Ultimate Candida Diet treatment plan.

3-Month Candida Elimination Kit Start Your 3-month Candida Cleanse

This Candida Kit contains all the supplements recommended on the Candida Diet:
- LIVER ONE to process and remove the toxins created by Candida.
- CANDASSIST to inhibit and weaken the Candida colonies in your gut.
- PROBIOTIC to replace the Candida yeast with probiotic bacteria.
Plus... the CANDIDA DIET RECIPE BOOK with 50+ low-sugar recipes

Learn More