Difference Between Expeller Pressed And Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is wonderfully rich in a variety of fatty acids that have appeared to suddenly become quite popular. Truthfully, this incredible naturally occurring oil has been used for many, many, many years. Coconut oil has been used as a natural treatment for numerous ailments that has seemingly been brought to light more so through studies, the media and internet recently. The oils from the mature coconut are extracted/pressed out from the coconut meat in either a cold pressed or expeller pressed manner. These two processes can determine the quality of the product and just how far-reaching its beneficial properties are. Both expeller and cold pressed coconut oil are extremely beneficial, but knowing the differences helps us choose which one is best for how we are going to use it. People commonly use coconut oil for cooking and/or baking as well as for homeopathic purposes. This could be anywhere from adding it to a salad or a cookie recipe to using coconut oil by oil pulling. However you choose to use coconut oil, make sure you are aware of your goal in using it to achieve optimal results. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of coconut oil, the differences between the extraction methods, how it compares to the extraction methods for other oils, and how to choose the right coconut oil for you, read on!

Coconut oil is rich in saturated fatty acids (extremely different from the long chain triglycerides found in most saturated fats) from the actual coconut itself. These saturated fatty acids are a medium chain triglyceride, also known as MCT's. In essence medium chain triglyceride's are not usually stored as fats like long chain triglycerides (butter) and is used as a more sustainable energy source. This can also improve metabolism substantially. Medium chain triglycerides also assist with other ailments such as the stomach flu, fungal infections and much more. MCT's are a tremendous benefit in coconut oil, as it contributes to a large number of the healing properties it has.

There is such a wide range of amazing health benefits to coconut oil! Here are the main benefits! It is astounding how one oil can carry so many natural uses for our health! -Nourishes the skin -Aids in weight loss -Improves immune system function -Improves oral hygiene (helps to remove bacteria from the mouth) -Anti-parasitic -Anti-fungal -Anti-bacterial -Great for the cardiovascular system (it strongly improves healthy cholesterol and helps to convert bad cholesterol (LDL) into good cholesterol (HDL) -Can curb the appetite and cravings -May help in preventing Alzeimer's disease -Assists in balancing your bodies hormones -Aids in digestion (This helps largely with your pancreas because coconut oil is easier for your body to digest, thus not needing extra enzymes from the pancreas to do so) -Improves the bodies healing (mainly due to it improving our bodies overall function through the other benefits listed) -Promotes a sustainable energy in the body -Prevents and treats yeast overgrowth, otherwise known as candida -Improves mental clarity and function Absolutely amazing!

Expeller pressed oil is a processing method using higher temperatures. This coconut oil is still extremely beneficial but may have lost some of the nutrient factors during the expeller pressed method. During this process the oil is essentially pressed from the coconut meat, separating the water, fibers, and protein from the oil. This is what increases the temperature due to the friction that is created during the process. The higher temperatures essentially burn off some of the nutrients in coconut oil and deplete the density of the nutrients overall. Expeller pressed is often preferred in the culinary setting because of its nuttier flavor, opposed to cold pressed coconut oil that has a more mild flavor. While it is preferred for cooking, for more homeopathic remedies and for its beneficial qualities for health cold pressed is preferred.

Cold pressed coconut oil maintains many of the pure qualities of the oil. This is due to the fact that the temperature is controlled to never exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit. For true benefits cold pressed coconut oil should be used because there is little damage or loss of the nutrients in the natural unprocessed oils. This process keeps the oil colder than expeller pressed, which creates a more coconut flavor that may be subtle to the taste buds. Ultimately, cold pressed is better for internal use than expeller pressed because the beneficial qualities are extracted in a more pure way to preserve the amazing qualities we love about coconut oil!

While cold pressed coconut oil is optimal for health benefits if you only have access to expeller pressed you can still use it with amazing benefits! Below are examples of uses. -Hair mask -Oil pulling -Lotion/ moisturizer -Cooking oil -Baking -Face Mask -Homemade Chapstick -Sunscreen -Taken by a spoonful in the morning on an empty stomach -Homemade shaving cream -Makeup remover -Homemade deodorant -Homemade toothpaste (Add turmeric for extra whitening and healing properties) -Carrier oil for essential oils and so much more! You would be amazed at how you can incorporate this tremendous coconut oil into your daily routine! Start by picking your favorite method and expanding from there.

Similar to coconut oil, castor oil goes through an extraction process as well. This can hold the name of cold-pressed, refined, raw and more. When you are choosing castor oil, you want to take into account the way it is pressed like you would with coconut oil. Keep in mind the way you would like to use castor oil when picking out the brand you would like. If you see refined, it is refined through a process of bleaching and deodorizing it. This denatures the beneficial qualities and can impact what benefits you are trying to achieve by using castor oil. These benefits may be for skin care and hair care. We can agree that in terms of coconut oil and castor oil cold-pressed appears the best route to go, but be mindful if you choose to ingest it. While cold pressed seems the best in all cases it is not for castor oil. Unlike coconut oil, if you choose to ingest castor oil it is best to go with a more refined one since it may be lower in ricin, which can have toxic effects on the body.

Avocado oil can be used in combination with coconut oil or alone, but many are coming to realize the amazing beneficial health properties to it as well. It is great for preventing diseases, skin care, and overall health. Avocado oil can go through a cold pressed process or a refined and naturally refined process as well. The cold pressed is ideal because it is also not denatured in any way during the extraction method. Naturally refined would also have many of the naturally occurring beneficial properties because it can withstand higher temperatures, valuable for cooking purposes. Overall, avocado oil seems to have a similar reaction to the cold-pressed to expeller pressed process, although not as many nutrients are lost during the expeller pressed extraction due to it being able to handle higher temperatures.

Like coconut oil and avocado oil, sesame oil can go through the same processes to extract the oil. Sesame oil is not particularly as nutrient dense as these two oils so the extraction process can impact these more. Make sure to look for cold pressed sesame oil for the highest quality, especially if you are planning to use it internally.

Canola oil extraction is actually quite different from the previous oils. Canola oil is extracted from a rapeseed, which goes through numerous steps to get to the actual oil itself. Throughout this extraction process, it undergoes solvent washes, bleaching and altering to produce a mild smell and lighter oil. While there can be a cold pressed canola oil found, the majority of the canola oil extraction is through the high heat process as mentioned above using already altered rapeseed to begin with. If you choose to use canola oil, it is high in omega 3 fatty acids, but ultimately not a better choice due to the alterations it goes through opposed to the other oils.

Almond oil is extracted similarly to coconut oil. The oil is extracted from the raw almond seed through the expeller or cold pressed method. With expeller pressed the almonds are put under pressure to extract the fats from them. This is just like the pressure coconuts are put under to extract their oils. Cold pressed is a controlled temperature extraction to preserve the nutrient properties of the almond oil that are so beneficial, specifically in relation to the skin and hair.

When trying to live a healthier lifestyle, a common route to go is to spring for organic options instead of the generic foods. This is an amazing practice if you are able to, but does it really matter in terms of choosing your coconut oil? Not really... and I will explain why. Coconuts grow on such tall trees that even when the ground is sprayed with pesticides there has been little evidence they actually travel all the way to the coconuts. In regards to their hard shells and according to gnet.org "one study examined 15 different samples of coconut water,...unable to detect any of the 11 pesticides that they were looking for...As coconut water is also derived from the flesh of the coconut, this data can be used to inform us about the pesticides present in coconut oil." http://www.gnet.org/organic-vs-non-organic-coconut-oil/) This helps to support that organic vs non organic is not as essential as the extraction method. The true determination of the highest quality of coconut oil is in the extraction method that we have been discussing. There is absolutely no harm in choosing organic coconut oil or other organic oils, but also focus on whether it is expeller pressed or cold pressed. The optimal coconut oil would display a virgin or cold pressed coconut oil with a bonus of being organic.

Coconut oil is amazing for our bodies internally and externally. Keep in mind what you learned about expeller pressed and cold pressed coconut oil when choosing your next jar!